Let’s say you have a Google Sheets address list or a list of top graduates that you wish to alphabetize instead of ranking them by grade or by date of inclusion. You can do so using the following technique.
Google Sheets is a web-based version of your usual popular spreadsheet options like Microsoft Excel that allow your whole office to access your spreadsheets via the Internet instead of a local network. It allows you to manage lists of people, places, and things.
With that in mind, did you know that you can alphabetize your data in data in Google Sheets? It’s true. Let us teach you how to alphabetize in google sheets.
Why Do You Need to Alphabetize in Google Sheets?
Let’s say you have a Google Sheets address list, a list of top graduates, a list of different contraband, and so forth that you wish to alphabetize instead of ranking them by date of inclusion. Sorting out your data full of places, things, and people can not only bring order to your list.
It’s also easier to find what you’re looking for through a scroll instead of a Ctrl + F shortcut. It also helps you recognize patterns, such as duplicated data and clerical errors as well as any inaccuracies. No wonder librarians have been using the alphabetical order all this time!
How to Alphabetize in Google Sheets
Step 1: Open a Google Sheets file you have on hand containing data you can alphabetize or make one for this exercise. In this case, the sample data involves the Top 50 NBA scorers in 2022.
Step 2: Freeze the header row containing the table’s header data (in this case, the columns for name, state, team, and player statistics), otherwise the sorting feature will sort them out along with the data below.
You can do this by going to the top-left corner and dragging the gray pane down the row you wish to freeze.
Or you can click on the “View” menu, select “Freeze”, and choose between “1 row” or “up to row 1” if you’re only freezing one header row.
Step 3: You can now alphabetize the names of those NBA players by selecting their column—in this case, Column B—and right-click on it. On the resulting menu, choose between “Sort from A to Z” or “Sort from Z to A”.
Step 4: Alternatively, you can also go to the “Data” menu, select “Sort sheet” and select either “Sort sheet by Column B (A to Z)” or “Sort sheet by Column B (Z to A)”.
Step 5: The resulting alphabetized table will also sort out the rest of the data points, including the rankings of the individual players and their scoring averages and percentages.
Summary
To sort your Google Sheets data from A to Z or Z to A in sequence, right-click the letter of the column you wish to sort by then click “Sort Sheet A to Z” or “Sort Sheet Z to A”.
You can also select a cell on the column you wish to alphabetize then go to the “Data” menu in order to go to “Sort Sheet” and select the same alphabetizing commands.
It’s handy to know how to alphabetize to easily search for names and whatnot instead of having them come at you at seemingly random, thus making it harder to find the name or data set you wish to access.
References:
- “Sort & filter your data“, Google.com Support, Retrieved June 11, 2022
- Andy Wolber, “How to alphabetize in Google Sheets“, TechRepublic.com, May 13, 2021