Quick Tips and Shortcuts for Renaming Excel Tables

2/28/2022

Bottom Line: Learn a few shortcuts and tips for quickly renaming Excel Tables, including adding the Table Name box to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Skill Level: Beginner

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Renaming an Excel Table

Normally, to rename an Excel Table, you would click on any cell within the table and then go to the Table Design tab. From there you can see and change the Table Name box.

Obviously, that's not too difficult, but we can simplify the process even more.

Rename Tables Using the Quick Access Toolbar

To save a step, you can place the Table Name field right into the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).

To add the field, just right-click on the words Table Name (not in the box below it) and you will see a menu. Choose the option that says Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

The Table Name field in the QAT will only populate when you have a cell selected that is in a table. If you click outside of the table, the field will be blank.

Regardless of how many tables are on a sheet, the Table Name field in the QAT will correspond with whatever table is currently selected.

The Name Box

Just so you know, the table name will also appear in the Name Box just to the left of your formula bar, but only when the entire table is selected. You can press Ctrl+A to select the entire table.

The drawback is the table cannot be renamed from the Name Box.

Keyboard Shortcut for Renaming a Table

If you don't want to add the Table Name field to the Quick Access Toolbar, one other tip for quickly getting to the Table Name field on the Design tab is by using a keyboard shortcut. That shortcut is Alt + J T A.

That shortcut is easy for me to remember because it's my initials. Might not be as easy for you. 😉

Just so you know, the Table Name box found under the Table Design tab is slightly longer than the one that appears in the Quick Access Toolbar. That's one very slight disadvantage to adding it to the QAT.

Source: excelcampus.com