# Renaming Sheets

/text/scalc/guide/rename_table.xhp
renaming;sheets
sheet tabs;renaming
tables;renaming
names; sheets
mw made "renaming sheets" a two level entry.
Renaming Sheets
- Click the name of the sheet that you want to change.
- Open the context menu and choose the Rename Sheet command. A dialog box appears where you can enter a new name.
- Enter a new name for the sheet and click OK.
- Alternatively, hold down the Option key Alt key and click on any sheet name and enter the new name directly.
Sheet names can contain almost any character. Some naming restrictions apply when you want to save the spreadsheet to Microsoft Excel format.
When saving to Microsoft Excel format, the following characters are not allowed in sheet names:
- colon :
- back slash \
- forward slash /
- question mark ?
- asterisk *
- left square bracket [
- right square bracket ]
- single quote ' as the first or last character of the name
In cell references, a sheet name has to be enclosed in single quotes ' if the name contains other characters than alphanumeric or underscore. A single quote contained within a name has to be escaped by doubling it (two single quotes). For example, you want to reference the cell A1 on a sheet with the following name:
This year's sheet
The reference must be enclosed in single quotes, and the one single quote inside the name must be doubled:
'This year''s sheet'.A1
The name of a sheet is independent of the name of the spreadsheet. You enter the spreadsheet name when you save it for the first time as a file. The document can contain up to 256 individual sheets, which can have different names.