Extract Names from Email Addresses in Excel, Google Sheets, or Any Database

Ever wondered if you could automatically extract a person’s name from just their email address? With GenderAPI’s advanced logic, that’s exactly what you can do – and more.

Whether you're working in Excel, Google Sheets, Shopify, or using APIs in your own application, this feature helps you detect names and predict gender with ease.

Note: In the video, we demonstrate how to extract names and predict gender using the GENDER.FROM_EMAIL formula in Excel.

This is just one example. In this article, we’ll also cover how this feature works across other platforms, including Google Sheets, Shopify, and GenderAPI’s API endpoints.

The same logic applies everywhere: the system first extracts the name from the email address, then uses it to determine gender — all automatically.

Example of using GENDER.FROM_EMAIL formula in Excel to extract names and predict gender from email addresses using GenderAPI

📚 Table of Contents

📸 Visual Example of the Output

Here is a real-life example showing how GenderAPI extracts the name, predicts the gender, and provides additional metadata like probability and country—all from an email address.

Example output showing extracted names, gender, probability, and country from email addresses using GenderAPI in Excel

📊 Extracting Names from Emails in Excel

You can extract names from email addresses and predict gender directly in Microsoft Excel using either the GENDER.FROM_EMAIL formula or the built-in sidebar tool provided by the GenderAPI Excel Add-In. For a comprehensive guide on using GenderAPI in Excel, check out our full tutorial here: How to Genderize Excel Names Using the GenderAPI Excel Add-In.

  • Download and install the GenderAPI Excel Add-In from Microsoft AppSource.
  • Click the GenderAPI logo in the top ribbon to open the sidebar panel.
  • Select the Find Gender from Email method from the sidebar.
  • Choose the input column where your email addresses are listed.
  • Select the output column where the predicted gender should be written.
  • (Optional) Define the column where the extracted name should be saved.
  • Specify the start and end row range, then click the Start button.
  • Alternatively, you can use the formula: =GENDER.FROM_EMAIL(A1, 1) — make sure the second parameter is set to 1 if you want to retrieve the detected name.

🟢 Extracting Names from Emails in Google Sheets

In Google Sheets, you can extract names from email addresses and determine gender using the GenderAPI Add-On. You can either use the sidebar tool or the built-in =GENDER() formula for flexible integration. For a full step-by-step guide on using the add-on, see: How to Determine Gender in Google Sheets Using GenderAPI
For a complete reference on the =GENDER formula itself, check: Gender Formula for Google Sheets.

  • Install the GenderAPI Add-On from the Google Workspace Marketplace.
  • Open the sidebar by navigating to Extensions → GenderAPI - Determine gender.
  • Select the Find Gender from Email method.
  • Choose the column containing the email addresses.
  • Select the column where the predicted gender should be written.
  • (Optional) Select the column where the extracted name should be saved and click the Run button.
  • Alternatively, use the formula: =GENDER(A5, "email", "", true). To return the detected name as well, make sure the fourth parameter is set to true.

🛍️ Extracting Names from Emails in Shopify

In Shopify, newsletter signups and certain customer entries often only contain email addresses, resulting in anonymous customer records. This is a common limitation of the Shopify system — you might not know the customer’s name unless they explicitly provide it. The GenderAPI Shopify App helps solve this by extracting names from email addresses and assigning gender automatically, all with just a few clicks. For full setup and usage instructions, see our detailed guide: How to Determine Gender in Shopify Using GenderAPI.

  • Install the GenderAPI Shopify App from the Shopify App Store and open it.
  • To automatically assign gender to newly added customers, enable the Auto Genderize option.
  • If a customer doesn’t have a name, enable Nameize Emails to extract their name from their email and assign gender based on that.
  • To process all existing customers in bulk, click the Genderize All Customers button.

📁 Extracting Names from Emails in Excel or CSV Files (Bulk Upload Tool)

The bulk file upload tool is one of the fastest and most efficient features offered by GenderAPI. It's specifically designed for users working with large datasets, saving considerable time compared to formula-based methods. In fact, it's the fastest system among all our available tools. For a full walkthrough, check out the dedicated blog post: Determining Gender of Names in Excel/CSV with GenderAPI.

  • Sign in and access the bulk tool at https://app.genderapi.io/csv.
  • Select the method Find gender by email.
  • Upload your Excel or CSV file using the upload box, or simply drag and drop the file.
  • Select the appropriate worksheet (sheet) from your file.
  • Indicate which column contains the email addresses.
  • Click the Upload button. The system will process your file and generate a download link containing the enriched data (name, gender, country, etc.).

📋 Extracting Names from Emails in Airtable

The GenderAPI Airtable extension allows you to enrich your records by extracting names from email addresses and predicting gender—all within your Airtable base. The system automatically detects whether your input is a name or an email address, so there's no need to select a specific method manually. For full setup and instructions, see our dedicated blog post: How to Determine Gender from Airtable Data.

  • Install the GenderAPI extension from the Airtable Marketplace.
  • Open the extension. A sidebar will appear on the right-hand side.
  • Select the table where you want to process records.
  • Choose the column that contains the email data.
  • Select the column where the predicted gender should be saved.
  • Choose the column where the detected name should be stored, then start the process.

🔁 Extracting Names from Emails with Workflow Automation

You can automate the process of extracting names and predicting gender from email addresses using no-code workflow platforms such as Make.com, Zapier, Pipedream, Pabbly, and Integrately — all of which integrate seamlessly with GenderAPI. The image below shows a few popular tools we support. For a full and updated list, visit: Integrations page.

  • Visit the Integrations page and choose the workflow tool that best fits your needs.
  • Import or set up the integration workflow.
  • Connect it with your preferred apps (e.g., CRM, form tools, databases).
  • Use the method Find Gender by Email in the workflow configuration.
  • The workflow will return data including the extracted name, predicted gender, and country.
  • Use this data in your workflow logic — write it to fields, update contacts, or trigger next steps.

💻 Extracting Names from Emails via API in Your Own Applications

If you're working with your own backend system and want to extract names and predict gender from email addresses programmatically, GenderAPI provides a powerful and flexible REST API. It supports a wide range of programming languages including PHP, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, Java, C#, Ruby, Go, and many others.

To get started, visit the API documentation page: api-documentation
Then navigate to the Email to Gender tab.

  • Select your preferred programming language from the list to generate ready-to-use code.
  • Replace the placeholder <YourAPIKey> with your actual API key.
  • Your system will query our API using an email address from your database.
  • The response will include the detected name, gender, country, probability, and more.
  • You can then update your database with the new information returned by the API.

Note: This method works independently of your database type. Whether you're using MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or any other system, you simply need to connect the API response back to your data model.