Data Cleaningbeginner
Remove extra spaces from text with TRIM
=TRIM(A2)
Excel how-to guide
How to proper case names in Excel
Fix imported customer name data where all values are uppercase, all lowercase, or inconsistently cased.
Step-by-step instructions
How to proper case names — 3 steps
1
Reference the cell containing the text you want to reformat.
2
The formula returns the string with the first letter of each word capitalised.
3
Copy the formula down and paste-as-values when you want to lock in the result.
Example data
Worked example
| Raw Name | Cleaned Name |
|---|---|
| JOHN SMITH | John Smith |
| jane doe | Jane Doe |
| MARY O'BRIEN | Mary O'Brien |
Common mistakes
Errors to watch out for
Apostrophes cause extra capitalisation
PROPER capitalises the letter after an apostrophe, turning "o'brien" into "O'Brien". This is usually correct but watch for names like "McDonald" becoming "Mcdonald".
Acronyms are lowercased
PROPER lowercases all letters except the first of each word, so "NASA" becomes "Nasa". Correct these cases with SUBSTITUTE after PROPER.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert text to ALL CAPS instead?
Use UPPER(A2) to convert to all uppercase, or LOWER(A2) for all lowercase.
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Text Manipulationbeginner
Replace specific text with SUBSTITUTE
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-","")