{"id":6,"date":"2026-09-16T11:06:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T11:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yousofthub.com\/?p=6"},"modified":"2026-09-17T08:23:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T08:23:55","slug":"separar-nombre-y-apellidos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yousofthub.com\/en\/separar-nombre-y-apellidos\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Split First and Last Names into Columns in Excel and Google Sheets"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you need to split first and last names<\/strong> in a customer or employee database, doing it manually cell by cell is a waste of time. In this complete guide, you will learn how to split first and last names<\/strong> into separate columns in both Microsoft Excel<\/a> and Google Sheets using quick, straightforward methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Excel and Google Sheets feature built-in tools to divide text into columns within seconds, without installing add-ons or running advanced macros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Method 1: How to Split First and Last Names in Excel with Text to Columns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the fastest method when working with static data in Microsoft Excel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Insert blank columns to the right:<\/strong> Right-click the column next to your names and select insert<\/em>Leave at least two blank columns to prevent last names from overwriting existing data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Select your data:<\/strong> Highlight all cells containing the names you want to split.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Open the split tool:<\/strong> In the top ribbon, go to the tab Data<\/strong> and click Text to Text to Columns<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Choose the split format:<\/strong>\n