In Excel: use =MONTH(A2), =YEAR(A2) and =DAY(A2) to pull the three parts out of a date — each returns a NUMBER, so January is 1, not "Jan".
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
serial_number | required | The date to read the part from — a cell holding a real date, not text that looks like one. |
Related functions
Confirm the column really holds dates — right-aligned by default, and =ISNUMBER(A2) returns TRUE.
Use =MONTH(A2), =YEAR(A2) or =DAY(A2) for the numeric part.
For a name rather than a number, use =TEXT(A2,"mmmm") or "mmm"; remember the result is text.
For a sortable month-and-year key, use =TEXT(A2,"yyyy-mm") rather than joining two numbers.
For grouping in a PivotTable or on a chart axis, =EOMONTH(A2,-1)+1 gives a real date at the month start.
If you get #VALUE!, the cell is text: fix it with DATEVALUE or Data ▸ Text to Columns before extracting anything.
What this does
These three read one component out of a date serial number. MONTH returns 1–12, DAY returns 1–31, YEAR returns the four-digit year. The single most common surprise is that MONTH returns a number: to get a month NAME you need =TEXT(A2, "mmmm") for January or "mmm" for Jan, and TEXT returns text, so the result sorts alphabetically rather than chronologically. That is why a report grouped by month name usually runs April, August, December unless the sort is done on the month number and only the display uses TEXT. The second thing worth knowing is that a "month and year" grouping key should not be built by concatenating MONTH and YEAR — =TEXT(A2,"yyyy-mm") gives a key that sorts correctly, and =EOMONTH(A2,0) gives a real date you can chart on a time axis. Finally, these functions need a genuine date: fed text like "03/04/2026" they return #VALUE!, which is the fastest way to discover an imported column never became dates at all. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. Treat “excel return month name” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected cells shows up while it is still harmless. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. That turns a text operation that turns messy entries into clean, usable data into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
A2 holds 2026-08-14. =MONTH(A2) → 8, =YEAR(A2) → 2026, =DAY(A2) → 14. For a label rather than a number, =TEXT(A2,"mmmm") → August. For a grouping key that sorts properly, =TEXT(A2,"yyyy-mm") → 2026-08. To collapse a whole column to month starts for a PivotTable or chart, =EOMONTH(A2,-1)+1 → 2026-08-01. Almost every monthly report starts by splitting a date column into parts, and the two traps — numbers rather than names, and text keys that sort alphabetically — account for most of the wrong-looking summaries that follow. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
Google Sheets handles this almost identically to Excel. The formula syntax above is the same, and the menu lives under a slightly different label rather than a ribbon tab. Use the platform toggle at the top of the page to switch every keyboard shortcut between Windows and Mac, and expect at most cosmetic differences in naming. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, rebuild the example once in your own sheet — doing it yourself, with the tool above to check against, is what turns a copied formula into a technique you own. The short version of “excel return month name”: the answer is at the top of this page, the tool proves it on your own numbers, and the sections above explain why it holds so the next variation does not stump you. Excel rewards people who reference cells instead of typing values and who keep inputs separate from formulas, because that is what makes a result you can audit months later. Build it once, deliberately, with the live tool as a check, and you convert a one-off lookup into a reusable skill — which is the whole point of learning the why and not just the what.
Common mistakes
- Expecting MONTH to return "August" — it returns 8, and the name needs TEXT.
- Sorting or grouping on a TEXT month name, which orders April, August, December instead of chronologically.
- Building a month-year key as MONTH&YEAR, which makes 12026 for December and sorts nonsensically.
- Running these against text that merely looks like a date and reading
#VALUE!as a formula problem rather than a data problem. - Using
=YEAR(TODAY())-YEAR(B2)as an age, which is wrong by up to a year —DATEDIFwith "y" is the correct tool.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the month from a date in Excel?
=MONTH(A2) returns the month number, 1 to 12. For the name, use =TEXT(A2,"mmmm") or "mmm".
How do I extract the year from a date?
=YEAR(A2) returns the four-digit year as a number.
How do I get month and year together?
=TEXT(A2,"yyyy-mm") gives a key that sorts correctly, and =EOMONTH(A2,-1)+1 gives a real date at the start of the month for charts and PivotTables.
How do I turn a month number into a month name?
=TEXT(DATE(2026, A2, 1), "mmmm") — build any date in that month and format it. The result is text.
Why does MONTH return #VALUE!?
The cell holds text rather than a date. Check with =ISNUMBER(A2) and convert with DATEVALUE or Data ▸ Text to Columns.