# Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum > Excel Formulas & Functions >  > [SOLVED] #NAME What does it Mean?

## Christine

I need to know what the #NAME means when it appears in a cell that I have
typed a formula in?

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## Dave R.

It means Excel does not recognize a word you've entered. If you can provide
the formula someone can probably help.

You can get this error message by typing in;

=Hamburger(A1:A10)

or by typing in

=SUM(Hamburger,A1)

in the first case, it doesn't recognize the function name (hamburger) and in
the second case, it does not recognize Hamburger as a named range. There
maybe other cases that will return #NAME but these are the two I've seen
most.






"Christine" <Christine@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:77683A15-EC7B-4539-92B3-3C0A5B919383@microsoft.com...
> I need to know what the #NAME means when it appears in a cell that I have
> typed a formula in?

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## Gord Dibben

Christine

It means Excel cannot find the Function referred to in the Formula.

If an Excel Function, possibly you need the Analysis ToolPak Add-in loaded
through Tools>Add-ins.

If a User Defined Function, it could be that an add-in or workbook with that
Function is not loaded.

If you post the formula that errors, we should be able to give more help.


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:51:08 -0800, Christine
<Christine@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I need to know what the #NAME means when it appears in a cell that I have
>typed a formula in?

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## David McRitchie

Probably a typo.  But if you do have your own User Defined Function by that name, you would have to supply the workbook name it is
in,  if not in the same workbook.  There are ways around that though.  A macro can be found in any open workbook but not user
defined functions.

If you have an Excel version prior to 2003 you have an Index in your help, and the #  errors are right up at the top on the  Index
Tab of HELP.

--
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel    [site changed  Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages:  http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page:        http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"Gord Dibben" <gorddibbATshawDOTca> wrote in message news:i84631thch257cudrpp26r038mr30ilqbv@4ax.com...
> Christine
>
> It means Excel cannot find the Function referred to in the Formula.
>
> If an Excel Function, possibly you need the Analysis ToolPak Add-in loaded
> through Tools>Add-ins.
>
> If a User Defined Function, it could be that an add-in or workbook with that
> Function is not loaded.
>
> If you post the formula that errors, we should be able to give more help.
>
>
> Gord Dibben Excel MVP
>
> On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:51:08 -0800, Christine
> <Christine@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >I need to know what the #NAME means when it appears in a cell that I have
> >typed a formula in?
>

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