Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Printing a List of Named Ranges.

Printing a List of Named Ranges

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 4, 2023)

2

Anyone who has created a large workbook knows that it is very easy to create a large list of named ranges. Managing those ranges, particularly if you inherit the workbook from someone else, is a much harder task. Part of the problem is that you may lose track of all your ranges and what they refer to.

Having a list of the names in your workbook could be helpful. To get a list, follow these steps:

  1. Select the cell where you want the list to start. Since a name list can occupy a good deal of space, you may want to select a cell in a blank worksheet.
  2. Display the Formulas tab of the ribbon.
  3. In the Defined Names group, click the Use In Formula tool. (This tool is not available if there are no named ranges in your workbook.) Excel displays a list of options.
  4. Choose Paste Names from the submenu. Excel displays the Paste Name dialog box.
  5. Click on Paste List. The two-column list of names and their ranges is inserted.

There's also a shortcut you can use to accomplish these steps: Simply press F3, and Excel displays the Paste Name dialog box. (If you press F3 and nothing happens, it means that the workbook has no named ranges defined within it.) In other words, pressing F3 accomplishes steps 1-4. You can then perform step 5 to get your list of named ranges.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7731) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Printing a List of Named Ranges.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Comparing Strings

When writing a macro, a common task is the need to compare two strings. You can do this by "normalizing" the strings, as ...

Discover More

Forcing a Workbook to Close after Inactivity

Tired of your workbooks being left open on the screen where they can be seen by anyone passing by? Here's a way to have ...

Discover More

Turning Off the Date and Time Shown in a Comment

When you add a comment to a document, Word helpfully includes the date and time that the comment was added. If you don't ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Printing Based on Cell Contents

Would you like to have a worksheet automatically printed when a particular cell contains a specified value? You can ...

Discover More

Printing Just the Visible Data

In a large worksheet, you may want to display and print just a portion of the available data. Displaying the desired ...

Discover More

Can Only Print to Default Printer

It is helpful to be able to print out worksheets when you need to share them with others. It is even more helpful if you ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is three more than 4?

2023-03-06 18:33:01

R McNeil

A couple notes from testing this (in 2016 version):
If you open a blank worksheet to paste into, then this tip will give you a list of Global named ranges.
If you do it within a sheet with data, then it will give you a list of named ranges specific to that sheet.

This would be really cool if it would produce a list of all named ranges in the workbook, regardless of scope.


2023-03-04 10:14:10

J. Woolley

My Excel Toolbox includes the following dynamic array function to list defined names (named ranges) with workbook, worksheet, or any scope, including names that are normally hidden:
=ListNames([Scope],[SkipHidden],[SkipHeader])
The list includes the following columns: Scope, Name, Visible, Refers To, Value, Comment. When using pre-2021 versions of Excel without support for dynamic arrays, consider UseSpillArray.pdf.
My Excel Toolbox's NamesInFormulas macro lists hyperlinks to formula cells referencing each visible defined name (named range) in the active workbook. (Hidden names are ignored.) The cell's formula will be included in a comment attached to its hyperlink. The following details are also provided for each name: Scope, Name, Refers To, Value, and Comment. Results are recorded in the active workbook's 'NamesIn...' worksheet.
See https://sites.google.com/view/MyExcelToolbox


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.