How to split full name to first and last name in Excel?
Supposing you have a name roster as the first screen shot shows in single column below, and you need to split the full name to the first name column， middle name column and last name column as the following screenshot shown. Here are some tricky methods to help you solve this problem:
| Feature | Formulas | Text to Columns | Kutools for Excel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Splitting consistently structured full names with formulas | Quickly splitting names separated by spaces | Quickly splitting full names into first, middle, and last names |
| First & Last Name | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Middle Name support | Yes, but requires additional formulas | Yes, if names are consistently space-separated | Yes; simply select Middle name |
| Setup complexity | Moderate, especially for first/middle/last names | Simple, but requires several wizard steps | Very simple |
| Handles different delimiters | Requires formula changes | Yes, if the delimiter is supported by Text to Columns | Yes; Split Cells can handle commas and other delimiters |
| Main advantage | Built into Excel and dynamically updates with source data | Built into Excel and requires no formulas | Few steps and flexible name-part selection |
| Main limitation | Formulas become complex when middle names are included | Works best when the name structure and delimiters are consistent | Requires Kutools for Excel |
| Recommended use | Best for formula-based workflows with consistent names | Best for one-time splitting of regularly formatted names | Best for fast batch splitting or names with first/middle/last components |
Split full name to first and last name with formulas
Split full names to first and last names:
You can use the Left function, Right function and Find function to spit a full name to the first name and last name with following steps:
1. Enter the formula of =LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2,1)-1) in a blank cell, says Cell C2 in this case, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells which you want to fill this formula, and all first names have been extracted at once, see screenshot:
2. Then enter the formula of =RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-FIND(" ",A2,1)) in another blank cell, Cell D2, and drag the fill handle down to the cells which you want to apply this formula, and all last names have been extracted in column D as following screenshot shown:
Split full names to first, middle and last names:
If you want to split full names to first, middle and last names into separate columns, the following formulas may do you a favor.
1. Enter this formula: =LEFT(A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)) into a blank cell C2, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells to apply this formula, and all first names have been split into column C, see screenshot:
2. Then enter this formula: =MID(A2,SEARCH(" ",A2,1)+1,SEARCH(" ",A2,SEARCH(" ",A2,1)+1)-SEARCH(" ",A2,1)) into a blank cell D2, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells to apply this formula, and all middle names have been split into column D, see screenshot:
3. At last, enter this formula: =RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-SEARCH(" ",A2,SEARCH(" ",A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)+1))) into a blank cell E2, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells to apply this formula, and all first names have been split into column E, see screenshot:
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Split full name to first and last name with Text to Column command
It is not easy to remember the function. Please do not worry about it. The second way will guild you to split the full name column easily.
1. Select the column that you will split, in this case it is A2:A13.
2. Click the Text to Columns button under Data Tab.
3. In the Convert Text to Columns Wizard – Step 1 of 3 dialog box, check the Delimited option, and click Next button.
4. In the Step 2 of 3 wizard, only check the Space option in the Delimiters section, and click Next button.
5. In the following wizard, check the Text option in the Column data format section, and specify the Destination cell where you want to put the results. See screenshot:
6. Click the Finish button. Then you will see the full name column has been separated into first name column, middle name column and last name column at once.
Split full name to first and last name with Kutools for Excel quickly and easily
If you are tired with the above two methods, here, I can recommend you a useful tool – Kutools for Excel, with its Split Names feature, you can quickly split the full names to first and last names, or split full names to first, middle and last names as you need.
After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:
1. Select the name range that you want to split.
2. Click Kutools > Merge & Split > Split Names, in the Split Names dialog box, specify the Split types you want, if you want to split the full name to first and last name, please check First name and Last name, see screenshot:
3. Then click OK button, and another dialog will appear, please select a cell where you want to put the result in the dialog, see screenshot:
4. And click OK button, the full names have been split into first name column and last name column, see screenshot:
Note: If your full name contains first, middle and last names needed to be split into three columns separately, you just need to check First name, Middle name and Last name in the Split Names dialog box and you will get the following result:
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Split full names to first and last names by comma or other delimiters
If your full names are separated by comma or other delimiters in cell,Kutools for Excel' Split Cells feature also can do you a favor, see screenshot:
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Conclusion
Splitting full names into first, middle, and last names can make your data easier to sort, filter, analyze, and reuse in other tasks.
Use formulas when your names follow a consistent structure and you want the results to update dynamically. Text to Columns is a convenient built-in option for one-time splitting when names use clear delimiters such as spaces. For faster batch processing, Kutools for Excel lets you choose which name parts to extract and can also handle different delimiters with fewer manual steps.
Tip: Before splitting, check whether the names follow a consistent pattern, especially when middle names, initials, or multiple-word surnames are included.
Choose the method based on your name structure, whether you need dynamic results, and how much data you need to process.
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