How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart (Two Different Ways)

This tutorial describes two different ways how we can rename a legend in an Excel chart.

Let’s have a look at both now!

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In one of our previous tutorials, you could see a more detailed way how to add a legend in an Excel chart. To check out that tutorial, have a look at the link in the list below.

Today, we’re gonna talk about the way to change the legend name. And there’s more than one.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - the way to change the legend name

So, here’s the first one, the easiest way.

The Easiest Way How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart

To rename a legend in a chart, you can simply rewrite the data stored in the table that was used to create the graph.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - rewrite the data

This graph shows sales, so if I rewrite the text ‘Sales’ in C2 and type in ‘Monthly Sales’ instead, the legend will update automatically. ‘Monthly Sales’ now appears in the table and in the chart legend, too.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - rewrite the data - legend will update automatically

However, if this seems to be a little inconvenient, there’s another way to do it.

Second Way How You Can Rename a Legend in the Chart

Let’s undo the changes and revert the ‘Monthly Sales’ to ‘Sales’ and let’s have a look at the second way how you can rename the legend in the chart. This way is particularly useful if you need to change the legend name to ‘Monthly Sales’ but keep the text ‘Sales’ in the table header, so basically, you change the information in the chart without changing it in the table.

To do this, click on the chart, then find the tab ‘Chart Design’ and go for the option ‘Select Data’.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - second way

You’ll see a pop-up window where you can easily edit the information from the legend. Here we’ll focus on the left-hand side of the window and click on ‘Sales’, then on ‘Edit’.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - option sales
How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - option edit

Another pop-up window appears and we can see that the ‘Series name’, which is the legend name, points out to what we’ve got stored in the cell C2.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - Series name - the legend name

But if needed, we can change this value to anything else. Type ‘Monthly Sales’ directly in the field, click on OK and then OK again, and that’s it!

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - monthly sales
How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - click on OK

So, in the table, cell C2 states ‘Sales’, but the legend reads ‘Monthly Sales’, just as we wanted.

How to Rename a Legend in an Excel Chart - C2 states ‘Sales’, but the legend reads ‘Monthly Sales

To see more on how to insert or edit various chart elements, check out more EasyClick Academy tutorials. Links to these tutorials are in the list below.

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