compare names in two different columns

christopher ritzau 20 Reputation points
2026-10-02T17:51:16.19+00:00

compare names in two different columns in excel worksheet

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Other
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 88,900 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-02T18:26:24.31+00:00

    Hi, @christopher ritzau

    Do you mean you want to check whether each name in one column also appears anywhere in the other column?

    If the names are in columns A and B, enter this in C2:

    =IF(COUNTIF($B:$B,A2)>0,"Match","No match")

    Then fill the formula down. This checks whether the name in A2 appears anywhere in column B.

    If you only want to compare names on the same row, use:

    =IF(A2=B2,"Match","No match")

    Are the names supposed to be in the same row, or can they appear in a different order between the two columns?

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-02T17:51:25.1033333+00:00

    To compare names in two different Excel columns and show matches, use a worksheet formula.

    If the names to compare are in column A and column C:

    1. Leave column B empty for the results.
    2. In B1, enter:
    =IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A1,$C$1:$C$5,0)),"",A1)
    1. Fill the formula down the rows that contain data.

    This returns the name from column A in column B when that name is also found in column C. If there is no match, the result stays blank.

    If the list is longer than row 5, adjust $C$1:$C$5 to the actual range in column C.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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