Alphabetical sorting

Question

I have a list of names I'm trying to sort by LAST name in Excel, but it is sorting by FIRST name. How do I do it?

Answer 1

Hi @Ron Lambros ,

Try this formula:

=LET(name, A2:A11, SORTBY(name, BYROW(name, LAMBDA(a, REGEXEXTRACT(a, "[A-Z][a-z]+$")))))

HTH

IlirU

Answer 2

Hi,

In cell B2, enter this formula

=SORTBY(A2:A3,TEXTAFTER(A2:A3," ",-1),1)

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Hi @Ron Lambros,

According to your concern, may I confirm whether you have first name and last name in different columns or you have full name in one column?

If you have full name in one column, Excel will by-design sort from the beginning of the text which means sorting by first name. In this case, you need to create a helper column that extracts last name then sort by that column.

For example, I have a sample of names like this:

• Starting from cell B1, I use the formula =TEXTAFTER(A1," ",-1) and copy it down to extract the last name column

• Then select both column A and B then choose Sort By column B in Alphabetical order.

This is just an example in my testing worksheet. For the best assistance, please share a screenshot or sample data of your current worksheet so I can clearly understand the data structure to provide the most appropriate guidance and formula for your concern.

Please understand that my initial response may not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I look forward to hearing from you.

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