How to Concatenate Columns in a CSV (First and Last Name)

Need a full name, an address line or a unique key from several columns? Concatenate them in a few clicks.

Concatenating means joining the text of two or more columns into one. The most common case is a full name made from first_name and last_name, but it is also used for address lines, product codes and unique keys such as country and id.

In Excel you would write a formula and copy it down. In Data Utility you add a Concatenate step, click the columns in the order you want, choose a separator such as a space or a comma, and name the new column. The result updates in the preview straight away, and empty values are skipped, so you do not end up with a stray separator.

You can keep the original columns or remove them. To get "Lovelace, Ada", click last_name first, then first_name, and use ", " as the separator. If your data has extra spaces, add a Trim spaces step first, so you do not get double spaces in the result.

The file is processed in your browser and is not uploaded. The step is also saved in Data Lineage, with the columns and separator used.

Open the Data Transformation

Related tool pages

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How to use the Data Transformation: step by step

  1. Open Data Transformation and load your file.
  2. Add a Concatenate step and click the columns.
  3. Set the separator and the new column name.
  4. Check the preview and download the file.

When to use the Data Transformation

  • Make a full name column for a mailing list
  • Build an address line from street, city and country
  • Create a unique key from two columns
  • Prepare a file for a database import

Example

Input: plans.csv + customers.csv, key = id

Output: id, first_name, plan, amount

Frequently asked questions

Which transformations are available?

Join with a second file (inner, left, right, full), trim spaces, concatenate columns, change case, find and replace, split a column, rename, remove columns, filter rows, remove duplicates, sort and fill empty cells.

Can I run several steps?

Yes. Steps run from top to bottom and each one sees the result of the one before. You can reorder or remove them.

Can I join two files or combine columns?

Yes. Data Transformation lets you join two CSV or Excel files on a key (inner, left, right or full), and trim spaces, concatenate columns, change case, find and replace, split, rename, filter, sort, remove duplicates and fill empty cells. You choose the steps, check the result and download it. Your files stay in your browser.

Can I change the date format of a column?

Yes. Add a Change date format step, pick the column and the new format, such as 2026-03-09, 09/03/2026 or March 9, 2026. It reads many layouts, Excel date numbers and unix timestamps, and can also give only the year, month, weekday or quarter. If 03/04/2026 is unclear, you choose day first or month first.

Tip: Add Trim spaces before Concatenate so you do not get double spaces in the new column.