Excel can automatically create names from the row and column labels in your workbook. For the procedure, type name cells in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Excel Help window, click Search, click "Name cells in a workbook," and then click "Name cells by using existing row and column labels."

Once you create the names, you can use them in formulas with the same syntax as you use for labels, as described above. There's one difference: names can't include spaces, so Excel substitutes underscores for spaces when it creates the names. For example, label Unit Cost becomes name Unit_Cost. To see a list of the names after Excel creates them, click the arrow in the name box at the left side of the Formula Bar.

If you add new rows or columns with new labels, you'll need to define names for the new labels. You can do this by repeating the procedure to create names. You can also repeat the procedure when you add rows or columns to the bottom or right side of the original range for which you created names. When you do so, Excel allows you to update any names for which the range has been extended.

Converting label references to names

If you've used some automatic labels in formulas and now want to convert the formulas to use names, first turn automatic labels off: click Options on the Tools menu, click the Calculation tab, and then clear the Accept labels in formulas check box under Workbook options. Excel changes label references to cell references automatically throughout the workbook, and you can then convert these references to names.

Converting cell references to names

Once you create names for the ranges used in your formulas, Excel can automatically convert cell references in your formulas to use the names instead. For the procedure, type convert references to names in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Excel Help window, click Search, and then click "Change cell references in formulas to names."

More information

• For information about the format for setting up a range with row and column labels for use with the procedures in this article, type list in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Excel Help window, click Search, and then click "Guidelines for creating a list on a worksheet."

• For more information about referring to cells, type cell references in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Excel Help window, click Search, and then click "About cell and range references."

• For more information about creating formulas, type formulas in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Excel Help window, and then click Search.