Hi Joan

You are quite correct, Joan.  If you have a blank row, and you click on
that, then do Data, Sort, the option box will reflect the Column nr - Column
A, Column B, Column C or whatever.  

You have a couple of options here.

Have a data range with Column Headers, such as eg Customer, Street,
Building, Suburb etc.  Make this bold, and Excel will recognise it as a
header row
Create a range name of the entire data range, including the header row.  Say
your Header row is row 1, and your data range is A2:H30, then A1:H30 and
create your range name.  If you now click on say A1, then Data Sort, you will
see the relevant Header in the options box.  The option stating that your
data has a header row, will be ticked.  If not, tick it.

You should not have empty rows in your data range.

You could decide not to have a header row.  This means that Row 1 will
contain data, iso a description.  Again, select A1:H30 and create your range
name.  If you now do Data Sort, and the option box shows that you have a
header row, change this option to No header row, and the first option box
will show Column A, or whatever.