How to Remove MBA, PhD and Pronouns From Names in a LinkedIn Export
To remove credentials and pronouns from names, strip them from the end of the name column before you split it. Upload the list to Remove credentials and pronouns from names, tick the name columns and download the file. It runs in your browser, and your file is not uploaded.
Why exports carry extra text
People type their own display name on a profile, and many add MBA, PhD or CPA after it, a pronoun in brackets, or an emoji. Profile exports copy that text straight into the name column, so a mail merge opens with "Hi Ava Stone, MBA (she/her)". Our guide to cleaning a Sales Navigator list covers the rest of that export.
The by-hand way in Sheets or Excel
For one known string, SUBSTITUTE works:
=TRIM(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,", MBA",""),"(she/her)",""))
You need another SUBSTITUTE for every credential, pronoun set and spelling, and none of it handles emoji. A regex formula (REGEXREPLACE in Google Sheets) can do more, but you have to write and test the pattern yourself.
Step 1: upload and tick the name columns
Upload a CSV or .xlsx file, or paste the cells with the header row first. Columns with name in the header are ticked for you, except company, account, organisation, domain and user columns.
Step 2: choose what to remove
Four options: emoji, pronouns, credentials and a title at the start. All are on by default.
- Emoji, and the joiner marks that go with them.
- Pronoun sets such as she/her, he/him and they/them, in brackets or after a dash or bar at the end.
- Credentials at the end, such as MBA, PhD, CPA, PMP, MD and Esq, including several in a row.
- A title at the start, such as Dr., Mr., Mrs. or Prof.
Step 3: check before and after
You get a count per kind of removal and up to six before-and-after examples.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Ava Stone, MBA (she/her) | Ava Stone |
| Dr. Sam Reed PhD | Sam Reed |
| Leo Park, Jr. | Leo Park, Jr. |
Generation suffixes such as Jr., Sr. and III are part of a name and are kept.
What stays untouched
Credentials are matched with their usual capitals and only at the end, so a surname such as Ma, Do or Pe is never cut. A cell is never emptied. Then split the result with split full name, fix capitals with the first name cleaner and build the greeting. More on this in cleaning CSV columns before import.
What this tool cannot do
- Only credentials in its list are removed, and only at the end of the name.
- A credential written in lower case, such as mba, is not recognised.
- It cannot tell whether a leading title belongs to the person's real name.
- Only the first sheet of a workbook is read.
Check the addresses before you send
Tidy columns do not make an address deliverable. Upload your list on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Clean your names now
Common questions
How do I remove MBA or PhD from names in a spreadsheet?
SUBSTITUTE can remove one known string at a time, such as ", MBA", but you need a formula per credential. The remove credentials and pronouns tool strips a list of common credentials from the end of the name in one pass and shows every change.
Which credentials does it remove?
Common ones such as MBA, PhD, MD, CPA, CFA, CFP, PMP, JD, Esq, RN, MPH and CISSP, at the end of the name only.
Will it cut a surname like Ma or Do?
No. Credentials are only matched in capitals as people write them, so Ma and Do stay.
Does it remove Jr. and III?
No. Those are part of a name and are kept.
Can it empty a cell?
No. If removal would leave no letters, the cell is left as it was.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.