Excel > Function References > Lookup and Reference Functions

COLUMN function

Returns the column number of the given reference.

Syntax

COLUMN(reference)

Argument	Description	Remarks
reference	The cell or range of cells for which you want the column number.	If reference is omitted, it is assumed to be the reference of the cell in which the COLUMN function appears. If reference is a range of cells, and if COLUMN is entered as a horizontal array, COLUMN returns the column numbers of reference as a horizontal array. The argument reference cannot refer to multiple areas.

Example

To make the following example easier to understand, you can copy the data to a blank sheet and then enter the function underneath the data. Do not select the row or column headings (1, 2, 3... A, B, C...) when you copy the sample data to a blank sheet.

A	B
Formula	Description (Result)
=COLUMN( )	Column in which the formula appears (1)
=COLUMN(A10)	Column of the reference (1)

See also
COLUMNS function
ROW function
List of all functions (by category)

Share your feedback about this topic

Rate this content: