Separate first and last names in an Excel spreadsheet

Create separate columns for your contacts' first and last names in an Excel spreadsheet before importing it into Constant Contact

When you're ready to import a contact list into Constant Contact, it's worth taking the time to format your spreadsheet to prevent import errors. Constant Contact recognizes individual columns for first and last name. If you spreadsheet has both first and last names in a single column, it's best to separate them before you import your list.

• Watch the tutorial
• Read the steps

Did you know? Separating your contacts' first and last names lets you take advantage of email features that help you customize your content! You can add a name to your subject line, include a personalized greeting, and add contact details to the body of your email.

Watch the tutorial

Read the steps

Here's how to separate first and last names in Excel 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013:

1. Add an empty column by right-clicking on the top of the column next to the existing column of names, then select Insert.
   Note: Hyphenated first or last names are treated as a single unit and you only need to add one column. If you have contacts with compound names that aren't hyphenated, for example, Mary Margaret or John Michael, or your spreadsheet includes middle names, or even couples, add an extra column for each part of the name. For example, add two columns for "Mary Margaret Jones", or if you're collecting middle names, add three columns for "John Michael Alexander Smith", or if you have couples, add four columns for "Mary and John Jones".
   
   
    
2. Click the Data tab.
3. Click on the top of the column with your contacts' names to highlight the whole column.
4. Click Text to Columns.
   
   
    
5. Select "Delimited" and click Next.
   
   
    
6. Deselect "Tab" and select "Space," and then click Next.
   
   
    
7. Click Finish.
   
   
    
8. Update the column headers so that each column is clearly named "First Name" or "Last Name."
   Note: Non-hyphenated, compound names are broken into two columns and have to be recombined into the "First Name" column manually. When you're done combining, delete the empty column. If you have a column for "Middle Name", you can create a custom field for it when you import your file into Constant Contact.
   
   
    

If you have columns that you don't need, you can just delete them or consolidate them before uploading your spreadsheet into Constant Contact.

• Compound names without a hyphen (Mary Margaret) need to be manually updated so that both parts of the name are in the "First Name" column.
• Middle names (Mary Margaret Jones) aren't recognized as a standard contact heading, and can either be added to the "First Name" column, or you can keep the "Middle Name" column and add it as a custom field during the import process.
• Couples (Mary and John Jones) that were previously added as one contact now need to be split into two separate rows. Each half of the couple should have their own unique email address. The "And" column can be deleted. If you only have a single email address, you can combine the first names (Mary and John) into the "First Name" column.

For additional help using Excel, please see Microsoft Office Support.

Be a better marketer: Organizing your email list? Check out our article on how to segment an email list for more effective email marketing.

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