Sorting months alphabetically in Excel can serve various purposes, from organizing data to creating aesthetically pleasing reports. Here are five effective methods to achieve this:
1. Using Text to Columns
When your month names are listed in one column, you can use Excel’s Text to Columns feature:
- Select the column with the months.
- Go to the Data tab, click Text to Columns, and choose Delimited then Next.
- Select the appropriate delimiter, or if not necessary, just click Next and choose General for column data format.
- Now, your months are split into separate columns. Select these new columns and use the Sort function to sort alphabetically.
📌 Note: If the cells contain data like "May Sales," split by spaces, adjust your delimiter settings.
2. Custom List Sorting
This method is excellent for creating reports where you want the natural order of months:
- Go to the Data tab, click Sort A to Z.
- In the Order dropdown, select Custom List...
- From the list, choose Months or type them manually if not listed.
- Click OK to sort the months alphabetically.
3. Using Vlookup with a Helper Column
If you need to sort based on month names, Vlookup can help you indirectly sort alphabetically:
- Create a helper column next to your data and type all 12 months in alphabetic order.
- Use Vlookup to find the numerical position of each month in your original list:
=VLOOKUP(A2,HelperColumn!$A$2:$A$13,MATCH(1,(HelperColumn!A2:A13<>""),0),FALSE)
- Sort the data based on this new helper column, which now contains numbers corresponding to month positions.
4. Macros for Custom Sorting
A macro can automate the sorting process when dealing with larger datasets:
- Open the Visual Basic Editor with Alt + F11, and insert a new module.
- Paste this code into your module:
Sub SortMonthsAlphabetically()
Dim LastRow As Long
LastRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
With ActiveSheet
.Range("A2:A" & LastRow).Sort Key1:=.Range("A2"), Order1:=xlAscending, _
Header:=xlNo, CustomList:=Array("April", "August", "December", "February", "January", "July", "June", "March", "May", "November", "October", "September")
End With
End Sub
5. Using Power Query
Power Query provides a more advanced sorting capability:
- Select your month column, go to Data then From Table/Range to open Power Query Editor.
- Right-click the column header, select Sort Ascending.
- Load the sorted data back into Excel with Close & Load.
In summary, sorting months alphabetically in Excel can be achieved through various methods, each suited for different scenarios. Whether you prefer manual methods like Text to Columns, custom sorting, or more automated approaches like macros and Power Query, these techniques offer flexibility and efficiency. Keep in mind the nuances of each method to select the one that best fits your data needs and technical comfort.
Can I sort months in reverse alphabetical order?
+Yes, you can sort in reverse alphabetical order by selecting Sort Z to A in Excel’s Sort options.
What if my months are in a different language?
+Ensure you have an alphabetical list of the months in that language for custom sorting, or adapt the Vlookup or Power Query approach to work with those month names.
How do I sort months when they are part of dates?
+Convert the date to text, then use one of the sorting methods described above. Sorting will then be alphabetical based on month names.
Related Terms:
- month wise excel sheet
- organize excel spreadsheet by month
- sort chronologically in excel
- month wise data in excel
- excel sort by birthday month
- excel filter data by month
