Guides

Named Ranges in Excel: Name a Cell or List and Use It in Formulas

By Ravindra Bagale, Excel & Data Analytics trainer · LinkedIn · Published: 6 October 2026 · Last updated: 6 October 2026

Salman's bill sheet has the GST rate (18%) in cell F1 and formulas like =B2*$F$1. Six months later nobody remembers what F1 is. If F1 is named GST_Rate, the formula reads =B2*GST_Rate, and anyone can understand it.

A named range is a name for a cell or a group of cells. You can use the name in any formula in the workbook, and it always points to the same cells, like an absolute reference with a readable label.

Download the practice file (named-ranges.xlsx)

Excel file, 7 KB. It has the sample data used below. All numbers in this workbook are fictional teaching data, not real company figures.

=B2*GST_Rate
=COUNTA(Cities)

Example: a bill with a named GST rate

Grand total with GST: =SUM(D2:D4) gives 4,602. Change GST_Rate to 12% and every GST cell changes at once.

Three ways to create a name

1. Name Box: select the cells, type the name in the Name Box, press Enter.
2. Define Name: Formulas > Define Name, type the name, check Refers to, click OK. You can add a comment here.
3. Create from Selection: select a list with its header, then Formulas > Create from Selection > Top row. The header becomes the name.

Naming rules

• Start with a letter or an underscore. No spaces: use GST_Rate or GSTRate.
• A name cannot look like a cell address. GST1 is not allowed because GST1 is a real cell (column GST, row 1). GST_1 is fine.
• Names are not case-sensitive: gst_rate and GST_Rate are the same name.
• Keep names short and clear: Cities, TargetMins, PayMonth.

Manage, edit and delete names

1. Press Ctrl + F3 to open Name Manager.
2. Click a name to see what it Refers to. Edit the range at the bottom and click the tick.
3. Use Filter > Names with Errors to find broken names (#REF!).
4. Select a name and click Delete to remove it. Formulas that used it will show #NAME?, so replace them first.

Press F3 while typing a formula to paste a name from a list. For lists that grow, name an Excel Table column instead, for example Fees[Amount], because a table grows by itself.