Renaming Columns in Google Sheets: 2 Easy Methods

Have you ever wanted to give meaningful names to your columns in Google Sheets? Renaming your columns can be incredibly useful, especially when working with formulas. Instead of using the default alphabet-based column names in your formulas, you can use descriptive names to make your formulas more readable and easier to understand. For example, instead of using =SUM(C:C), you can use =SUM(sales). Plus, you won’t even have to remember which column contains the sales data. Once you’ve renamed the column with a descriptive name, you can simply use that name in your formulas. It’s a game-changer!

In this tutorial, I’ll show you two simple methods to rename columns in Google Sheets. Let’s get started!

Method 1: Renaming columns for use in formulas

Suppose you have a dataset like the one shown below and you want to rename column C as “Sales.”

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Click on the “Data” option in the menu.
2. Select “Named ranges.” This will open the “Named ranges” sidebar on the right.
3. Click on “Add a range.”
4. Enter the name you want to give to the column (e.g., “Sales” in this example).
5. Make sure the column’s range is correct. If not, you can modify it here.
6. Click “Done.”

By following the above steps, you will assign the name “Sales” to column C. Now, you can use the following formula to get the sum of all the sales values in column C:

=SUM(Sales)

Method 2: Keeping column headers visible while scrolling

Another reason you might want to rename a column in Google Sheets is to ensure that the column header remains visible when you scroll through the sheet. Unfortunately, Google Sheets doesn’t provide a direct way to rename columns, but there is a workaround.

You can freeze the top row that contains the header. This way, the header will always stay visible as you scroll through the sheet.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Enter the column header in the topmost cell of the column. In our example, the headers are already there.
2. Click on the “View” tab in the menu.
3. Hover over the “Freeze” option.
4. Click on “1 row.”

Following these steps will ensure that the column header always remains visible as you scroll through the sheet.

I must clarify that this method doesn’t actually rename the column (as you still need to manually enter the column header in the top row), but it does achieve the desired result.

So, these are the two methods you can use to rename columns in Google Sheets. They are simple yet powerful techniques that can greatly enhance your productivity and organization.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful! If you’re interested in learning more about Google Sheets, be sure to check out Crawlan.com for more tutorials and tips.

Happy sheeting!