Defining and Managing Names

DEFINING AND MANAGING NAMES

Instead of coming up with new names for cells and ranges, you can simply use existing text labels to create names. Choosing Insert, Name, Define, you can use text in adjacent cells to define cell and range names. You can choose this command also to redefine existing names.

Rules for Naming:

The following rules apply when you name cells and ranges in Excel:

All names must begin with a letter, a backslash (\), or an underscore (_).
Numbers can be used.
Spaces can not be used.
Excel translates blank spaces in labels to underscores in defined names.
Symbols other than backslash and underscore cannot be used.
Names that resemble cell references (for example, AB$5 or R1C7) can not be used.
Single letters, with the exception of the letters R and C, can be used as names.
A name can contain 255 characters, but if it contains more than 253 characters, you can not select it from the Name box.
Excel does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase characters in names. For example, if you create the name Tax and then create the name TAX in the same workbook, the first name is overwritten by the second.

Tip: Press Ctrl+F3 to display the Define Name dialog box instantly.

If you select the range you want to name before choosing the Insert, Name, Define command, and you are happy using the adjacent label as a name, just press Enter to define the name. The next time you open the Define Name dialog box, the name appears in the Names In Workbook list, which displays all the defined names for the workbook.

You can define a name also without first selecting a cell or range in the worksheet. For example, in the Define Name dialog box, type Test2 in the Names In Workbook box and then type =D20 in the Refers To box. Click Add to add the name to the list. The Define Name dialog box remains open, and the Refers To box displays the name definition =Sheet1!D20. Excel adds the worksheet reference for you, but note that the cell reference stays relative, just as you entered it.

If you do not enter the equal sign preceding the reference, Excel interprets the definition as text. For example, if you typed D20 instead of =D20, the Refers To box would display the text constant ="D20" as the definition of the name Test2.

When the Define Name dialog box is open, you can insert references in the Refers To box also by selecting cells in the worksheet. If you name several cells or ranges in the Define Name dialog box, be sure to click Add after entering each definition. (If you click OK, Excel closes the dialog box.) When you choose Insert, Name, Define, any label in an adjacent cell in the same row or column is suggested as a name.