The following formula are useful when you have one cell containing text which needs to be split up.
One of the most common examples of this is when a persons Forename and Surname are entered in full into a cell.
The formula use various text functions to accomplish the task.Each of the techniques uses the space between the names to identify where to split.
| 
Full
  Name | 
First
  Name |  | 
| 
Alan Jones | 
Alan  | 
 =LEFT(C14,FIND("
  ",C14,1)) | 
| 
Bob Smith | 
Bob  | 
 =LEFT(C15,FIND("
  ",C15,1)) | 
| 
Carol Williams | 
Carol  | 
 =LEFT(C16,FIND("
  ",C16,1)) | 
- 
 
- 
  | 
Full
  Name | 
Last
  Name |  |  - 
  | 
Alan Jones | 
Jones | 
 =RIGHT(C22,LEN(C22)-FIND("
  ",C22)) |  - 
  | 
Bob Smith | 
Smith | 
 =RIGHT(C23,LEN(C23)-FIND("
  ",C23)) |  - 
  | 
Carol Williams | 
Williams | 
 =RIGHT(C24,LEN(C24)-FIND("
  ",C24)) |  
 
 
- Finding the Last name when a Middle name is present
The formula above cannot handle any more than two names.
 
If there is also a middle name, the last name formula will be incorrect.
To solve the problem you have to use a much longer calculation.
 
  | 
Full
  Name | 
Last
  Name | 
  | 
Alan David Jones | 
Jones | 
  | 
Bob John Smith | 
Smith | 
  | 
Carol Susan Williams | 
Williams | 
  |  | 
 =RIGHT(C37,LEN(C37)-FIND("#",SUBSTITUTE(C37,"
  ","#",LEN(C37)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(C37,"
  ",""))))) |