I have two columns of names. I want to find if there are any common names in
these two columns, and if there are I want to figure out which ones are
common. The only solution I could think of so far is using the find function
in Excel by entering each name individually from the second column and
searching them in the first column. It works, but considering the fact that
I have more than 250 names in the second column and 990 names in the first
one, I just wanted to know if there is a simpler way. I also have the SSN of
these individuals as separate columns, in case I might need numerical data
for comparison, instead of text. I am using Excel 2002.

Hi Hako,

Visit Chip Pearson's site and look at his TaggingDuplicates page at:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/duplic...gingDuplicates

In particular, look at the last two formulae on this page.

---
Regards,
Norman



"hako" wrote in message
...
I have two columns of names. I want to find if there are any common names
in
these two columns, and if there are I want to figure out which ones are
common. The only solution I could think of so far is using the find
function
in Excel by entering each name individually from the second column and
searching them in the first column. It works, but considering the fact
that
I have more than 250 names in the second column and 990 names in the first
one, I just wanted to know if there is a simpler way. I also have the SSN
of
these individuals as separate columns, in case I might need numerical data
for comparison, instead of text. I am using Excel 2002.

Thanks Norman,

Since I didn't have equal number of rows in each column, fill down was
changing the range in every single row (such as A1:A975, A2:A976, A3:A977,
etc). I overcame this situation by assigning a name to my range and using
the name in the formula, instead of puttting the range itself there.

That resloved the problem, thanks again.

Hako

"Norman Jones":

Hi Hako,

Visit Chip Pearson's site and look at his TaggingDuplicates page at:

http://www.cpearson.com/excel/duplic...gingDuplicates

In particular, look at the last two formulae on this page.

---
Regards,
Norman



"hako" wrote in message
...
I have two columns of names. I want to find if there are any common names
in
these two columns, and if there are I want to figure out which ones are
common. The only solution I could think of so far is using the find
function
in Excel by entering each name individually from the second column and
searching them in the first column. It works, but considering the fact
that
I have more than 250 names in the second column and 990 names in the first
one, I just wanted to know if there is a simpler way. I also have the SSN
of
these individuals as separate columns, in case I might need numerical data
for comparison, instead of text. I am using Excel 2002.