Note: The other languages of the website are Google-translated. Back to English

How to sort names by middle name in Excel?

You may find the methods on sorting names by the first name, even by the last name, but, do you know how to sort names by the middle name? Here, I introduce some tricks on solving this job in Excel.

doc sort by middle name 1 doc arrow right doc sort by middle name 2

Sort names by middle name with formula

Sort names by middle name with Text to Columns

Sort names by middle name with Split Namesgood idea3


Sort names by middle name with formula

Here is a formula that can extract the middle name first, then you can sort by this helper column.

1. Select a cell next to the names you want to sort, type this formula =IF(ISERR(FIND(" ",A1,1+FIND(" ",A1))),"",MID(A1,FIND(" ",A1)+1,FIND(" ",A1,1+FIND(" ",A1))-FIND(" ",A1)-1)), and drag fill handle down to fill cells with this formula.
doc sort by middle name 3

2. Keep the formula cells selected, and click Data > Sort A to Z, and check Expand the selection option in Sort Warning dialog.
doc sort by middle name 4

3. Click Sort, the names have been sorted by middle names. See screenshot:
doc sort by middle name 5


Sort names by middle name with Text to Columns

The Text to Columns feature also can split names into columns, then you can sort the range by the middle name column.

1. Select the names and click Data > Text to Columns.
doc sort by middle name 6

2. In the Convert Text to Columns Wizard dialog, check Delimited option in the first one step, click Next to check Space option in Delimiters section, then click Next to go to the last step, and select a location to place new data. See screenshot:

doc sort by middle name 7
doc sort by middle name 8
doc sort by middle name 9

3. Click Finish, the names have been split into three columns, select the column with middle names, click Data > Sort A to Z, and check Expand the selection in the popping dialog.
doc sort by middle name 10

4. Click Sort.
doc sort by middle name 11


Sort names by middle name with Split Names

If you have Kutools for Excel, you can use the Split Names feature to quickly extract the middle names only, and then sort.

Kutools for Excel, with more than 300 handy functions, makes your jobs more easier. 

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:(Free Download Kutools for Excel Now!)

1. Select names and click Kutools > Merge & Split > Split Names.
doc sort by middle name 12

2. In the Split Names dialog, check Middle name only, and click Ok, then in the next dialog to select a cell next to the names to place the middle names. See screenshot:

doc sort by middle name 13
doc sort by middle name 14

3. Click OK, only middle names have been extracted. Then click Data > Sort A to Z, check Expand the selection in the popping dialog, and click Sort to the sort names.
doc sort by middle name 15

With Split Names utility, you can split names into first name, middle name and last name.


The Best Office Productivity Tools

Kutools for Excel Solves Most of Your Problems, and Increases Your Productivity by 80%

  • Reuse: Quickly insert complex formulas, charts and anything that you have used before; Encrypt Cells with password; Create Mailing List and send emails...
  • Super Formula Bar (easily edit multiple lines of text and formula); Reading Layout (easily read and edit large numbers of cells); Paste to Filtered Range...
  • Merge Cells/Rows/Columns without losing Data; Split Cells Content; Combine Duplicate Rows/Columns... Prevent Duplicate Cells; Compare Ranges...
  • Select Duplicate or Unique Rows; Select Blank Rows (all cells are empty); Super Find and Fuzzy Find in Many Workbooks; Random Select...
  • Exact Copy Multiple Cells without changing formula reference; Auto Create References to Multiple Sheets; Insert Bullets, Check Boxes and more...
  • Extract Text, Add Text, Remove by Position, Remove Space; Create and Print Paging Subtotals; Convert Between Cells Content and Comments...
  • Super Filter (save and apply filter schemes to other sheets); Advanced Sort by month/week/day, frequency and more; Special Filter by bold, italic...
  • Combine Workbooks and WorkSheets; Merge Tables based on key columns; Split Data into Multiple Sheets; Batch Convert xls, xlsx and PDF...
  • More than 300 powerful features. Supports Office / Excel 2007-2021 and 365. Supports all languages. Easy deploying in your enterprise or organization. Full features 30-day free trial. 60-day money back guarantee.
kte tab 201905

Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier

  • Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
  • Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
  • Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day!
officetab bottom
Comments (0)
No ratings yet. Be the first to rate!
There are no comments posted here yet

Follow Us

Copyright © 2009 - www.extendoffice.com. | All rights reserved. Powered by ExtendOffice. | Sitemap
Microsoft and the Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Protected by Sectigo SSL