Extracting First Name

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Ruan - 14 Feb 2006 18:56 GMT

Hello,

I was able to extract the Last Name from a string, however I am having
difficulties extracting the First Name, especially when there is a Middle
Initial involved.

Example: Bond, James P.

I just need to extract "James".

Here is my formula I used for extracting the Last Name -
=UPPER(IF(ISNUMBER(FIND(",",A1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,FIND("
",A1)-1))))

Thanks
Ruan

Reply to this Message

CLR - 14 Feb 2006 19:16 GMT

=MID(A1,FIND(" ",A1,1)+1,FIND(" ",A1,FIND(" ",A1,1)+1)-FIND(" ",A1,1)-1)

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Thanks
> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Ruan - 14 Feb 2006 19:42 GMT

I am getting "#VALUE!" error.

> =MID(A1,FIND(" ",A1,1)+1,FIND(" ",A1,FIND(" ",A1,1)+1)-FIND(" ",A1,1)-1)
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>> Thanks
>> Ruan

Reply to this Message

CLR - 14 Feb 2006 20:27 GMT

The formula will return #VALUE! if cell A1 is empty, or if it contains a
number. I understood it was to contain something like "Bond, James P.", and
you wanted only the "James" part extracted. It's a fairly long formula,
perhaps email word-wrap messed it up......it all goes in one cell.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

> I am getting "#VALUE!" error.
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> >> Thanks
> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Ruan - 14 Feb 2006 20:44 GMT

Sorry, I should have been more specific. Not all the names have a Middle
Initial. So, when I don't have a middle initial (Bond, James), your formula
displays an error. Otherwise, it works perfectly for the names with a Middle
Initial.

Ruan

> The formula will return #VALUE! if cell A1 is empty, or if it contains a
> number. I understood it was to contain something like "Bond, James P.",
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> >> Thanks
>> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Bob Phillips - 14 Feb 2006 21:04 GMT

Try

=MID(A1,FIND(" ",A1)+1,FIND(" ",A1&" ",FIND(" ",A1)-FIND(" ",A1)+1)-1)

--

HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from the email address if mailing direct)

> Sorry, I should have been more specific. Not all the names have a Middle
> Initial. So, when I don't have a middle initial (Bond, James), your formula
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> >> >>
> >> >> Here is my formula I used for extracting the Last Name -

=UPPER(IF(ISNUMBER(FIND(",",A1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,
FIND("

> >> >> ",A1)-1))))
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks
> >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Ruan - 14 Feb 2006 22:07 GMT

Perfect. Thank you so much Bob.

> Try
>
[quoted text clipped - 57 lines]
>> >> >> Thanks
>> >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

CLR - 15 Feb 2006 16:51 GMT

Hi Bob.........

Your formula overcame the OP's objections to my original one, but will
return strange results with different combinations of longer and shorter
names, and with cells containing lastname, firstname middlename
For example:
Washington, Bill returns Bill (as it should)
Washington, Bill P. returns Bill P.
Washington, Bill Percival returns Bill Perciv
Bond, Benjamin returns Benja

This one appears to work better.....
=IF(A1="","",IF(COUNTIF(A1,"*,*")>0,MID(A1,FIND(" ",A1,1)+1,FIND(" ",A1&"
",FIND(" ",A1,1)+1)-FIND(" ",A1,1)-1),A1))

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

> Try
>
[quoted text clipped - 54 lines]
> > >> >> Thanks
> > >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Bob Phillips - 15 Feb 2006 17:05 GMT

Hi Chuck,

As you know, extracting names can be fraught with problems <vbg>. For
instance, just try your new solution with St. John, Ian

I just supplied a solution to the problem as defined. Personally, I have an
addin that uses regular expressions to split names, but again this works for
names like Bob Phillips, Bill Percival, Ian St John, Baron von Richtofen,
etc, but was not designed for Phillips, Bob, etc.

Nightmare isn't it <vbg>

Bob

> Hi Bob.........
>
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> Here is my formula I used for extracting the Last Name -

=UPPER(IF(ISNUMBER(FIND(",",A1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,

> > FIND("
> > > >> >> ",A1)-1))))
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> Thanks
> > > >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Ron de Bruin - 15 Feb 2006 17:10 GMT

Hi all

My formula is working for Phillips, Bob also but have other problems <g>

Signature

Regards Ron de Bruin
http://www.rondebruin.nl

> Hi Chuck,
>
[quoted text clipped - 91 lines]
>> > > >> >> Thanks
>> > > >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Bob Phillips - 15 Feb 2006 17:41 GMT

Such as with de Bruin, Ron <vbg>

Bob

> Hi all
>
[quoted text clipped - 92 lines]
> >> > > >> >>
> >> > > >> >> Here is my formula I used for extracting the Last Name -

=UPPER(IF(ISNUMBER(FIND(",",A1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,FIND(",",A1)-1)),TRIM(LEFT(A1,

> >> > FIND("
> >> > > >> >> ",A1)-1))))
> >> > > >> >>
> >> > > >> >> Thanks
> >> > > >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

CLR - 15 Feb 2006 17:29 GMT

Hi Bob.........

Yeah, I hear 'ya.... LOL.......they seem to be a moving target...........

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

> Hi Chuck,
>
[quoted text clipped - 91 lines]
> > > > >> >> Thanks
> > > > >> >> Ruan

Reply to this Message

Ron de Bruin - 14 Feb 2006 20:19 GMT

Try this for the first word

=IF(ISERR(FIND(" ",A2)),A2,IF(RIGHT(LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1))=",",LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-2),LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1)))

Last word
=IF(ISERR(FIND(" ",A2)),A2,MID(A2,FIND("^^",SUBSTITUTE(A2," ","^^",LEN(A2)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A2," ",""))))+1,1024))

This Add-in make it easy to insert the formulas in a new column
http://www.rondebruin.nl/datarefiner.htm

Signature

Regards Ron de Bruin
http://www.rondebruin.nl

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Thanks
> Ruan

Reply to this Message