Google Sheets is one of the most popular applications that use a spreadsheet interface to record and store numerical and analytical information. Conceived and curated by Google, this application provides both basic and advanced functionalities and formulas that may require to feed data efficiently by the user.
It is this provision to cater to all possible complications that the user may have to face during working that make Google Sheets stand out from the rest of the similar lot. One of such complications is regarding separating the names in Google Sheets. There are instances in which the user is expected to separate the names mentioned into the first name and last name or else, separate the email id into a domain name and user name. in such occasions, the user would have to either resort to a complicated formula or go through complex steps to facilitate the function.
But Google Sheets contains a few simple methods which can be used effectively to separate names into their respective first names and last names. The following section traces those methods to split the names.
How do you separate names in Google Sheets?
Method 1. SPLIT Formula
There is a feature in Google Sheets that let the user split names with the help of a formula called the SPLIT formula. It is an in-built function of the application and it immediately separates or splits the selected text based on the delimiter mentioned.
A delimiter is a reference point that the SPLIT formula uses to identify where the separation should be made. For example, in the case of separating names, the delimiter would be the space in between the first name and the last name.
Step 1. Log in to a valid Gmail id.
Step 2. Click on the Google Apps icon at the top right corner.
Step 3. From the drop-down list, click on Google Sheets.
Step 4. Click open a blank sheet or choose the sheet to be worked with.
Step 5. Click on the cell where the separation or split has to be carried out.
Step 6. Enter the SPLIT formula into the cell. In this particular case, the formula is =SPLIT(A2,” “), where A2 is the cell that contains the name to be separated, and between the two double inverted commas is given a space which acts as the delimiter here.
Step 7. Click Enter. The name can be found separated into two parts and is now placed in the respective columns for First names and Last names.
Step 8. Copy the formula and repeat the process in the rest of the cells. You can either fill in the formula manually or use the Fill Handle option and drag the formula to the rest of the cells and then click enter. Now the entire data of names are appropriately separated into the respective first names and last names.
Method 2. Split Text into Column function
Another function that can be used to split the names or any text into different columns is the Split Text into Columns function. It contains a pre-made list of delimiters that can be used as a reference point to the separation and the user is only expected to choose the appropriate delimiter from the list.
Step 1. Open the Google Sheets application on your device.
Step 2. Click on the cell or cells that possess the text that you want to separate.
Step 3. Click on the Data tab which appears at the top menu bar.
Step 4. From the drop-down list that appears, click on the Split text into Columns option.
Step 5. On clicking the Split Text to Columns option, a Separator box appears right next to the cell that was previously selected.
Step 6. From the options that appear next to the Separator box, click on the Space option.
Step 7. The name can be found to be separated into first name and last name and assigned to the concerned columns.
When you use the SPLIT function, the advantage is that the result would be dynamic that whenever you make a change to any of the names in the sheet, the sheet will update itself to include the new change. But when you use the Split Text to Columns option, the result is only temporary and thus, no changes made in the sheet will be automatically updated by the sheet. The user will have to manually enter the separated texts of the new addition.
