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How to vlookup values across multiple worksheets to return sheet names in Excel?

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

Supposing, I have multiple worksheets and each sheet contains a list of names, now, I want to vlookup the names in a master sheet and return the matching sheet names where the names are located as following screenshot shown. How could you solve this task in Excel?

vlookup and return sheet names

Vlookup values across multiple worksheets to return the sheet names with array formula

Vlookup values across multiple worksheets to return the sheet names with array formula

Here, I will introduce a formula to help you to deal with this problem in Excel, please do with following steps:

1. First, you should list all the sheet names which you want to vlookup the names from, and then define a range name for these sheet names. Please select the sheet names, and then enter a range name into the Name Box, and then press Enter key, see screenshot:

list all the sheet names and define a range name for them

Note: If there are multiple worksheet names you want to list into cells, the Create List of Sheet Names feature of Kutools for Excel can help you list all sheet names within a workbook as following screenshot shown:

List of Sheet Names by kutools

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2. Then enter this formula into a cell where you want to extract the sheet names based on the given names: =INDEX(sheetlist,MATCH(1,--(COUNTIF(INDIRECT("'"&sheetlist&"'!$A$2:$A$12"),A2)>0),0)) , and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to get the first matched sheet name, then drag the fill handle down to the cells that you want to apply this formula, and all corresponding sheet names have been extracted based on the name list, see screenshot:

apply a formula to vlookup and return sheet names

Note: In the above formula, sheetlist is the range name you are created in step1, and A2:A12 is the name list in other sheets, A2 is the name cell in master sheet you want to return sheet names based on.

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