Excel® 2007 PivotTables and PivotCharts

Chapter 5. Customizing PivotTable Fields

Rename a PivotTable Field

PivotTable field names come from the column headings used in the original source data. However, if you are using an external data source, the field names come from the names used in the data source's fields. The exception is when you are using the Compact report layout. In this case, for the row and column areas, Excel uses the names Row Labels and Column Labels. If you do not like some or all of the field names in your PivotTable, you can rename them. Excel will remember the new names you specify and even preserve them when you refresh or rebuild the PivotTable. Note, however, that Excel does not change the corresponding headings in the source data.

Why rename a field? You usually do it because the original name is not suitable in some way. For example, many field names consist of multiple words that have been joined to avoid spaces, so you might have field names such as CategoryName and UnitsInStock. Renaming these fields to Category Name and Units In Stock makes them easier to read. Similarly, you might have field names that are all uppercase letters and prefer to use title case, instead. Finally, if you are using the Compact report layout, you might want to change the names Row Labels and Column Labels to something more meaningful. Also, many PivotTable users prefer to change the name of the data field. Excel's default is Sum of Field, where Field is the name of the field used in the summary calculation. A better ...