How to Arrange Dates in Ascending Order in Excel

To arrange dates in ascending order in Excel, click any date in the column, go to the Data tab and click Sort Oldest to Newest. Excel sorts the whole table by that column and keeps each row together. If the button shows Sort A to Z instead, or the order comes out wrong, your dates are stored as text, and you’ll need to convert them first. That fix, plus sorting by month for birthdays, is below.

Method 1: Sort Oldest to Newest

1. Click a single cell in the date column. Don’t select the whole column.
2. Go to Data > Sort Oldest to Newest (or Home > Sort & Filter).

Choose Sort Newest to Oldest for descending order. If a Sort Warning appears, pick Expand the selection so the other columns move with the dates.

Method 2: The Sort dialog

1. Click in your data and go to Data > Sort.
2. Tick My data has headers.
3. Under Sort by, choose the date column.
4. Under Order, choose Oldest to Newest.
5. Click Add Level to sort by a second column, such as name, for rows with the same date.
6. Click OK.

If the Order list shows A to Z rather than Oldest to Newest, Excel doesn’t see the column as dates. Multi-level sorts are explained in sorting by two columns in Excel.

Method 3: The SORT function

In Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2021 or later, =SORT(A2:C100,1,1) returns a copy of the range sorted by its first column in ascending order. The original stays in place and the copy updates automatically.

Fix dates that won’t sort correctly

Dates imported from other systems are often text. Signs: they’re left-aligned, the status bar shows Count but no Sum, and =ISNUMBER(A2) returns FALSE.

Convert with Text to Columns

1. Select the date column.
2. Go to Data > Text to Columns, click Next twice.
3. Choose Date and pick the order the dates are written in, such as MDY or DMY.
4. Click Finish.

Convert with a formula

In a helper column, use =DATEVALUE(A2) and format the result as a date. For dates in a format Excel can’t read, such as 20260315, use =DATE(LEFT(A2,4),MID(A2,5,2),RIGHT(A2,2)). Then sort by the helper column. To control how the converted dates look, change the date format in Excel using a formula.

Sort birthdays or anniversaries by month and day

Sorting normally puts 1985 before 1990, regardless of month. To list birthdays in calendar order:

1. Add a helper column with =TEXT(A2,"mm-dd").
2. Sort by the helper column, A to Z.

To sort by month only, use =MONTH(A2) instead.

Sort dates with times

Date-time values sort correctly as long as they’re real dates. If two entries share a date, the earlier time comes first. If times are in a separate column, add a second sort level for that column.

Troubleshooting

Some dates sort to the top or bottom on their own

Those cells are text while the rest are dates. Convert the column as above. Blank cells always go to the bottom.

Day and month are swapped

The data uses a different date order from your Windows region. Use Text to Columns and choose DMY or MDY to match the source.

Only the date column moved

You selected the column and chose Continue with the current selection. Press Ctrl + Z, click one cell, and sort again.

Frequently asked questions

How do I sort names alphabetically instead?

Click a name and use Sort A to Z; more options are in putting Excel in alphabetical order.

How do I add days to dates?

The formulas are in adding dates in Excel.

Summary

• Click a date, then Data > Sort Oldest to Newest.
• Use Data > Sort for a second level.
• If it sorts A to Z, convert text to dates with Text to Columns.
• Use =TEXT(A2,"mm-dd") to sort birthdays by month and day.