Change Date to Month in Excel

Introduction to Date Formatting in Excel

When working with dates in Excel, it’s often necessary to extract specific parts of the date, such as the month, day, or year. Excel provides several functions to achieve this, including the ability to change a full date to just the month. In this article, we’ll explore how to change a date to a month in Excel using various methods.

Understanding Dates in Excel

Before diving into the methods, it’s essential to understand how Excel stores dates. Excel stores dates as serial numbers, starting from January 1, 1900, which is considered as day 1. This means that any date in Excel can be converted into a serial number, making it easier to perform calculations and formatting. To view the serial number of a date, simply select the cell containing the date and press Ctrl + ` (grave accent) to toggle between the date format and the serial number format.

Method 1: Using the MONTH Function

The MONTH function in Excel is used to extract the month from a date. The syntax for the MONTH function is: MONTH(serial_number). Here’s how to use it:

• Select the cell where you want to display the month.
• Type =MONTH(A1), assuming the date is in cell A1.
• Press Enter to get the month as a number (1-12).

To display the month as a text (e.g., January, February), you can use the TEXT function in combination with the MONTH function: =TEXT(A1,“mmmm”).

Method 2: Using Custom Number Formatting

Another way to change a date to a month in Excel is by using custom number formatting. This method allows you to format the date directly without using any functions. Here’s how:

• Select the cell containing the date.
• Right-click on the cell and select Format Cells.
• In the Format Cells dialog box, click on the Number tab.
• Select Custom from the Category list.
• In the Type field, type mmmm to display the full month name or mmm for the abbreviated month name.
• Click OK to apply the format.

This method directly changes the display of the date in the cell to the month, without altering the underlying serial number.

Method 3: Using the DATE Function

The DATE function in Excel can be used to create a new date by specifying the year, month, and day. If you want to keep only the month from a date, you can use the DATE function in combination with other functions. However, this method is more complex and typically used when you need to manipulate the date further.

Table of Date Formatting Codes

The following table lists some common date formatting codes used in Excel:

Code	Description
m	Month as a number without leading zeros (1-12)
mm	Month as a number with leading zeros (01-12)
mmm	Abbreviated month name (Jan-Dec)
mmmm	Full month name (January-December)

These codes can be used in the custom number formatting method or with the TEXT function to achieve the desired date format.

📝 Note: When working with dates in Excel, it's crucial to ensure that the system date settings are consistent with the date format you are using to avoid any confusion or errors.

To summarize, changing a date to a month in Excel can be achieved through various methods, including using the MONTH function, custom number formatting, or the DATE function. Each method has its own advantages and is suited for different scenarios. By understanding these methods and how Excel stores dates, you can efficiently work with dates in your spreadsheets.