How to count number of occurrence in a column in Google sheet?

Supposing, you have a list of names in Column A of Google sheet, and now, you want to count how many times each unique name is appeared as following screenshot shown. This tutorial, I will talk about some formulas for solving this job in Google sheet.

Count number of occurrence in a column in Google sheet with helper formula

Count number of occurrence in a column in Google sheet with formula

Count number of occurrence in a column in Google sheet with helper formula

In this method, you can extract all the unique names from the column firstly, and then count the occurrence based on the unique value.

1. Please enter this formula: =UNIQUE(A2:A16) into a blank cell where you want to extract the unique names, and then press Enter key, all unique values have been listed as following screenshot shown:

Note: In above formula, A2:A16 is the column data that you want to count.

2. And then go on entering this formula: =COUNTIF(A2:A16, C2) beside the first formula cell, press Enter key to get the first result, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells you want to count the occurrence of the unique values, see screenshot:

Note: In above formula, A2:A16 is the column data that you want to count unique names from, and C2 is the first unique value you have extracted.

Count number of occurrence in a column in Google sheet with formula

You can also apply the following formula to get the result. Please do as this:

Please enter this formula: =ArrayFormula(QUERY(A1:A16&{"",""},"select Col1, count(Col2) where Col1 != '' group by Col1 label count(Col2) 'Count'",1)) into a blank cell where you want to put the result, then press Enter key, and the calculated result has been displayed at once, see screenshot:

Note: In above formula, A1:A16 is the data range which including the column header that you want to count.

Count number of occurrence in a column in Microsoft Excel:

Kutools for Excel’s Advanced Combine Rows utility can help you count the number of occurrence in a column, and it also can help you to combine or sum corresponding cell values based on same cells in another column.

Kutools for Excel: with more than 300 handy Excel add-ins, free to try with no limitation in 30 days. Download and free trial Now!

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  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Michael · 1 months ago
    Thank you for this! Been trying to figure it out for hours!

  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    michaelbrown@live.ca · 2 months ago
    Hi, I am trying to filter out some data from a sheet that is regularly updated. To simplify keeping track of the data I have a reporting section on the google sheet.The problem is that the data isn't organized in the most ideal way.

    There are 2 columns that I want to use specific data from to create a filter, then with the leftover names I want to know how many unique names there are


    Column 1 - Filter with A for one report field, B for the other report field (I will manually change this in the formula)

    Column 2 - There are 9 Text entries possible. I want to only include 3 of them as a Filter

    Column 3 - There are a couple of thousand entries(names), many are the same in multiple rows. With the data filtered using Column 1, and Column 2, I want to get a number for how many unique names are left after the data has been filtered.


    I am not used to having this many things I am trying to filter the data from so any help would be hugely appreciated.


    Have an excellent day
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    M B · 2 months ago
    I have a google sheet with a lot of information but I am looking to filter it down into a report.

    Column1 - Options are A, B (The is the first data to sort)
    Column 2 - has 3 of the text string that I want my sum to include, but I want to leave out the others 5.
    Column 3 - Names that I want to know how many unique names there are

    What I am looking to figure out is the following

    Option A, the sum to only include 3 text string that appears multiple times in a 2nd column, The total being how many unique names there are in Column 3

    Hoping someone can help as this is a bit over my experience level
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Leila · 5 months ago
    My count isn't grouping the names together.
    i.e.
    Column B says
    Independence
    Walnut St.
    Parkway
    Walnut St.
    and instead of my " count " column saying Walnut St. 2 it says
    Walnut St. 1
    Walnut St. 1

    How can I fix this ?
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Q · 1 years ago
    This is partly what I'm looking for.
    Now my next issue is, how can I sort these so that I get them in desending order?
    So it should be looking like this:
    James 4
    Nicol 3
    Ruby 3
    Lucy 2
    Tom 2
    John 1

    Hope you can help with that as well
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      skyyang · 1 years ago
      Hi,
      If you want to sort the results in descending order, you just need to sort the data by the formula result column after getting the result.
      Hope it can help you!
      • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
        MCR · 8 months ago
        Whenever I try to sort, I get an error, is there a way I can fix that? I have the $A$1:$A$7, B1 as my formula - is there something in my formula I should edit?
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    noguchiii · 1 years ago
    VERY useful - thank you so much!
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Mel · 2 years ago
    Thanks! Super useful!
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    Guest · 2 years ago
    When you drag the handle down to apply it to the rest of the values, it increments the search radius by 1. So if youre searching =COUNTIF(A1:A10,C1), when you drag the handle down, the second value will be =COUNTIF(A2:A11,C2).
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      Mikkel · 1 years ago
      You fix it this way
      =COUNTIF($A$2:$A$11,C2)