How to remove middle initial from full name in Excel?

When working with names in Excel, you may encounter situations where middle initials need to be removed from a full name for uniformity or consistency. For example, converting "Michael M Jordan" to "Michael Jordan." While Excel doesn’t have a direct feature to remove middle initials, this guide explores various methods to remove middle initials from full names in Excel efficiently.

Remove middle initial from full name with formulas

Remove middle initial from full name with Kutools AI

Remove middle initial from full name with Find and Replace

Remove middle initial from full name with formula

Using formula may be a very easy way for most of Excel users.

Select a blank cell next to the name list, and type the following formula into it, then press Enter button on the keyboard and drag the Auto Fill handle to fill the range needed to apply the formula. Now you can see all the name of the list are shown in the new column without middle initials.

=LEFT(A1,FIND(" ",A1)) & MID(A1,FIND(" ",A1,FIND(" ",A1)+1)+1,LEN(A1))

Remove middle initial from full name with Kutools AI

While Excel provides functions and formulas to handle this, Kutools for Excel offers a faster, AI-powered solution that eliminates the need for complex formulas or manual work. In this section, we’ll show you how to quickly and easily remove middle initials from full names using Kutools for Excel AI.

Note: This method will change your original list, you’d better copy and save the original list before applying this feature.

After installing Kutools For Excel, please click "Kutools" > "AI Aide" to open the "Kutools AI Aide" pane.

1. Select the data range that you want to remove text within parentheses;
2. Then, type the requirement in the chat box: such as:
   Remove middle initial from full name in the selected range
3. And then, press Enter key or click the "Send" button. Kutools AI will analyze the question, after finishing, please click "Execute" button to get the result.

Remove middle initial from full name with Find and Replace

You can use Find and Replace function in Excel to remove middle initial, too.

1. Select the name list and press "Ctrl + F" to open "Find and Replace" dialog.

2. Then click "Replace" tab, and type a "space + * + a space" into the "Find what" text box, and press a space into "Replace with" text box. See screenshot:

3. Then click Replace All. You can see all the middle initials are removed. See screenshots:

Note: This method will change your original list, you’d better copy and save the original list before applying this function.

In conclusion, removing middle initials from full names in Excel can be accomplished using various methods based on your preferences and the tools available. By choosing the method that best suits your needs, you can streamline your workflow and ensure your data is consistent and professional. If you're interested in exploring more Excel tips and tricks, our website offers thousands of tutorials.

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