Creating Worksheets with a Macro

Excel lets you create new worksheets in a number of different ways. What if you want to create a new worksheet and name it all in one step? The easiest way to do this is with a macro. The following is an example of a macro that will ask for a name, and then create a worksheet and give that worksheet the name provided.

Sub AddNameNewSheet1()
    Dim Newname As String
    Newname = InputBox("Name for new worksheet?")
    If Newname <> "" Then
        Sheets.Add Type:=xlWorksheet
        ActiveSheet.Name = Newname
    End If
End Sub

This macro works fine, as long as the user enters a worksheet name that is "legal" by Excel standards. If the new name is not acceptable to Excel, the worksheet is still added, but it is not renamed as expected.

A more robust macro would anticipate possible errors in naming a worksheet. The following example code will add the worksheet, but keep asking for a worksheet name if an incorrect one is supplied.

Sub AddNameNewSheet2()
    Dim CurrentSheetName As String

    'Remember where we started
    CurrentSheetName = ActiveSheet.Name

    'Add New Sheet
    Sheets.Add

    'Make sure the name is valid
    On Error Resume Next

    'Get the new name
     ActiveSheet.Name = InputBox("Name for new worksheet?")

    'Keep asking for name if name is invalid
    Do Until Err.Number = 0
        Err.Clear
        ActiveSheet.Name = InputBox("Try Again!" _
          & vbCrLf & "Invalid Name or Name Already Exists" _
          & vbCrLf & "Please name the New Sheet")
    Loop
    On Error GoTo 0

    'Go back to where you started
    Sheets(CurrentSheetName).Select
End Sub

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10846) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Creating Worksheets with a Macro.