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Excel guide · 3 min read

How to combine first and last name in Excel

Quick answerType =A2&" "&B2 where A2 holds the first name and B2 the last name, then fill the formula down. The " " in the middle adds the space between the names. In Excel 2019 and later, =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:B2) does the same and skips blank cells.

Sample data

Every result on this page was calculated from this sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

ABCD
1FirstMiddleLastDept
2PriyaK.SharmaSales
3TomBeckerFinance
4AishaMarieOkaforIT
5LuisGarciaSales
6HannahWrightHR

Method 1: The & operator

The ampersand glues text together. You need to add the space yourself as a piece of text in quotes, or you get "TomBecker".

This works in every version of Excel and is the one most people remember.

=A3&" "&C3

Result: Tom Becker

Returns "Tom Becker".

Method 2: CONCAT or CONCATENATE

CONCAT (Excel 2019 and later) and the older CONCATENATE do the same job as &, written as a function. You still add the space as its own argument.

CONCATENATE still works in new versions for compatibility, but Microsoft recommends CONCAT going forward.

=CONCAT(A2," ",C2)

Result: Priya Sharma

Returns "Priya Sharma", skipping the middle initial because we left column B out.

Method 3: TEXTJOIN when some names have a middle name

With & you would get a double space for people with no middle name, because the blank cell still sits between two spaces. TEXTJOIN fixes that. The first argument is the separator, and TRUE tells it to ignore empty cells.

=TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A3:C3)

Result: Tom Becker

Returns "Tom Becker" with a single space, even though his middle name cell is blank.

Last name first: "Becker, Tom"

Many directories and mail merges want the surname first. Just change the order and use a comma and a space as the joining text.

=C3&", "&A3

Result: Becker, Tom

Returns "Becker, Tom".

Method 4: Flash Fill (no formula)

Flash Fill (Excel 2013 and later) copies a pattern you type. The result is plain text, so it will not update if a name changes later. That is fine for a one-off export.

  1. In E2, type the full name exactly as you want it, for example Priya Sharma.
  2. Click E3 and start typing the next one. Excel shows a grey preview of the rest.
  3. Press Enter to accept, or press Ctrl+E (Data > Flash Fill) from E3.
  4. Scan the results. Flash Fill guesses, so check rows with middle names or unusual spacing.

Turn the formulas into plain names

If you plan to delete the First and Last columns, convert the formulas to values first. Otherwise the joined names turn into #REF! errors.

Copy the joined column, then use Home > Paste > Paste Values to paste it over itself.

Common mistakes

Names run together with no space

Add " " between the cells: =A2&" "&C2. Without it Excel joins the text directly.

Extra spaces from the source data

Imported names often have trailing spaces. Wrap the result in TRIM: =TRIM(A2&" "&C2).

Double spaces when the middle name is blank

Use TEXTJOIN with TRUE as the second argument so empty cells are skipped.

Deleting the source columns breaks everything

Paste the joined names as values before you delete the First and Last columns.

FAQ

What is the formula to combine first and last name in Excel?

Use =A2&" "&B2, replacing A2 and B2 with your first-name and last-name cells. Fill it down to apply it to every row.

How do I combine names with a comma?

Put the comma inside the quoted text: =B2&", "&A2 gives "Becker, Tom". Include the space after the comma so it reads naturally.

Why does CONCAT not add a space?

CONCAT joins exactly what you give it. Add " " as its own argument between the cells, like =CONCAT(A2," ",B2).

How do I make the combined name proper case?

Wrap it in PROPER: =PROPER(A2&" "&B2) turns "tom BECKER" into "Tom Becker". Watch out for names like McDonald, which PROPER changes to Mcdonald.

Functions used

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