excel sort by last name: How to Sort Data in Excel by Last Name

Looking to organize your data in Excel by last name? Sorting by last name is a common task that allows you to easily arrange your data in alphabetical order based on the last name in a list of names. Here's a simple guide to help you sort your Excel data efficiently.
To sort your data by last name in Excel, follow these simple steps:

1. **Select the data range:** Highlight the cells containing the names you want to sort. Ensure the data range includes both first and last names.
2. **Access the Sort & Filter feature:** In the "Home" tab of the Excel ribbon, locate the "Sort & Filter" group and click on the "Sort" button.
3. **Choose the sorting column:** A "Sort" dialogue box will appear. Under "Sort by," select the column containing the last names.
4. **Specify the sorting order:** Choose "Ascending" to sort from A to Z (alphabetical order) or "Descending" to sort from Z to A.
5. **Confirm the sorting operation:** Click "OK" to apply the sorting.

Now your data is sorted alphabetically by last name. If you need to sort by another criteria (such as first name) after sorting by last name, repeat steps 2-5, but select the "First Name" column in step 3.

Remember to back up your data before sorting to avoid any accidental data loss. This method works for both single and multiple columns of data. If you have multiple columns of data, you can sort by multiple criteria by adding additional "Sort by" options in the "Sort" dialogue box.