Assigning names to cells and ranges

To name a cell, activate it (usually by clicking on it), and then select the Range Name command from the Insert menu. The "Range Name" dialog is displayed.

The cell you have selected is displayed in the Range box. Type in a name for the cell in the Name box. The existing cell and range names are listed below in the Ranges box. Click on the Add button and the cell name will be added to this list. Notice how the addresses of named cells and ranges are given in square brackets after the names. Select Close to save the new name.

If you want to name a range, the steps are the same as for a cell, only make sure you select the range before selecting the Range Name command (although it is possible to type in the range directly).

The name you have chosen will appear in the Cell Index box on the formula bar.

To refer to named cells or ranges in formulas, just use the name wherever you would otherwise use the cell address. For example, if you name the range A1 to A10 as MYLIST, these two formulae are equivalent:

=TOTAL(MYLIST)
=TOTAL(A1..A10)

See also:

Changing or removing names