Name Manager: Range names made easy
Description
If you are in need of a utility to manage defined names in your workbooks, this one is a must-have. List all names in your active workbook. Filter them using 13 filters, e.g. "With external references", "With errors", Hidden, Visible. Show just names that contain a substring. Show just names unused in worksheet cells. Edit them in a simple dialog or make a list, edit the list and update all names in one go. Delete, hide, unhide selected names with a single mouse click.
Created in collaboration with Charles Williams, www.decisionmodels.com and Matthew Henson (mhenson@mac.com) who ensured the utility works on Mac Excel too. See a screenshot here.
The Name Manager is freeware, all I'd like to ask you is to tell everyone if you like it and to tell me if you don't.
Current version downloads
Name Manager for Excel 97, 2000, XP and 2003 v4.1 (Build 615, Updated 13 Oct 2009, 736k, Downloaded: 75213 times)
Tip: Excel 97 users can download Name Manager version 3.2 below if they experience compile errors.
Name Manager for Excel 2007 and 2010 V4.1 (Build 615, Updated 13 Oct 2009, 743k, downloaded: 15223 times)
Solving Compile errors related to Name Manager
Recently, due to an Office update, some users have complained they get a compile error during load of Name Manager: "Compile Error in hidden module, fxlNameManager".
This error is mostly resolved by opening Excel and selecting Help, detect and repair from the menu.
After doing so, Name Manager will work as expected.
New in this build:
Build 615: Bugfix in adding local name to active sheet
Features:
- Sorting of names and refersto formulas
- Functionality to edit names that refer to large multiple areas.
- Add name dialog
- Shortcut key (default control-shift-n) to start Name Manager
- Choice between icons on commandbuttons or text labels (see Screenshot).
- Rename a name. Name Manager includes a rename option, which will enable you to change the name of a name and have all objects that use that name update too. (this includes VBA)
- Show where a name is in use:

- International version, screens and messages in national languages:
- English
- Danish
- German
- French
- Dutch
- Brazilian Portugese
- Swedish
- And others...
- Analyse Command, allows partial evaluation of names etc.
- Many different filter options
- Options listbox shows options for:
- Confirm Changes
- R1C1 Notation
- GoTo Selected Names
- Show RefersTo
- Show Excel System Names
- Sort Names (sort local names together by sheet)
- Highlight named Ranges
- Clear Highlights
- Form can be resized, including minimise/maximise buttons and moving of splits
Old versions
Not sure version 4 is stable? Name Manager 3.2 (Downloaded: 3778 times) is still available!
Mac users, please note : version 4.0 does not work in the Mac environment, due to the use of Windows API calls. For your convenience, Name Manager 2.3 (Downloaded: 3378 times) is still available.
Instructions
Download the zip file by clicking the link above that says "NameManager.zip". Unpack the files in the zip file to a folder of your liking and open the file called "Setup Name Manager.xls". Press the button in that file to install.
Click here to request support or issue comments or suggestions on this product.
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Comments
Showing last 8 comments of 348 in total (Show All Comments):Comment by: Jan Karel Pieterse (2/9/2010 11:02:44 AM)Hi Ron,
No, Name Manager does not have a tool for that.
What I usually do in such a situation is hold down the y key (y for yes) until the activecell starts filling up with all y's. Then I hit escape to avoid overwriting whatever was in that cell.
If you only need values and no formulas, maybe you can copy and then paste-special, values into your target sheet.
Comment by: TonyDataMan (2/10/2010 9:32:34 AM)I am using names extensively because of the need to produce many different templates pointing to source data on a master sheet.
The tiny Excel 2003 names box and the rather tortuous Insert Name utility in Excel has really been holding me up.
Then I found the Name manager and what a major difference it has made.
I also found some code to widen the range name box here
"http://www.cpearson.com/excel/DefinedNames.aspx"
What I would really like is to be able to see the range name for a cell displayed somewhere when I am on a cell, but the Name Manager has gone a long way towards that.
Thank you for a brilliant utility
TDM
Comment by: Pat (2/10/2010 2:55:31 PM)Hello
Please tell what I do wrong when I try to use the Name manager for my case.
I have 12 columns in one sheet at row 1
eg. A1 = Company, A2 = address and so on
I wanted to add names for these columns via the 'add a define name' functions at the Name manager add-in.
So I was typing
New name - Company
RefersTo - =$A$1
Scope - name of selected sheet
and press add button. When I turned back, I could see at the main window this
Name RefersTo
NameOfSelectedSheet!Company =1
I use MS Excel 2000 EN SP3
Thanks
Comment by: Earl Takasaki (2/15/2010 6:27:27 PM)I have been using this utility for years. Suddenly, when I try to invokeit, the window flashes, then immediately closes! What could be causing this? (I have try reinstalling, etc.)
Comment by: Jan Karel Pieterse (2/22/2010 7:31:46 AM)Hi Earl,
No idea. What Excel version are you using?
Comment by: rob (3/8/2010 10:44:54 AM)Hi,
I have a workbook with names that referenced files that had since been deleted. Excel wouldn't let me modify/delete these names. Thanks to your add in, I was able to delete the corrupt references.
Thanks.
Comment by: steve (3/9/2010 7:01:33 PM)Hi,
how is it possible to edit references for existing names?
Do I always have to go to "Add new name", type in the existing name and then update the reference?
Most convenient would obviously be to activate the "refers to" field and then just drag the desired range with the mouse.
This would make a good tool great!
Cheers
Steve
Comment by: Jan Karel Pieterse (3/9/2010 10:19:29 PM)Hi Steve,
You can manually edit the refesto in the associated box at the bottom of the window, but I take it you want to be able to point-and-click to set the range. Indeed Name Manager only has that in the add-name dialog. It is tricky to set up.
Good point though.
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