Outlook: Sort Contact View

By default, Microsoft Outlook displays names in your Contacts list in the FirstName, LastName format, rather than the LastName, FirstName format. In this case, the first names of contacts are used to sort your Contacts list alphabetically.

If you want your Contacts list to be sorted by the last names of the contacts, you must change the display format to the LastName, FirstName format.

  1. Sort the Contacts list by the File as field.
    1. Start Outlook.
    2. On the Tools menu, click E-mail accounts.
    3. Click View or change existing directories or address books, and then click Next.
    4. Click Outlook Address Book, and then click Change.
    5. Under Outlook Address Books, click the address book for which you want to change the contact display format . For example, click Contacts: Personal Folders or Contacts: Mailbox – Mailbox name, and then click File As (Smith, John).
    6. Click Close, and then click Finish.
    7. Quit and restart Outlook.
  2. Verify that the newly created contacts are sorted in the LastName, FirstName format. Individually change any contacts that are still not configured to use the LastName, FirstName format.
    1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
    2. Click the Preferences tab, and then click Contact Options.
    3. In the Contact Options box, click Last, First in the Default "File As" order list.
    4. Click OK two times.

This setting overrides the setting that you made in step 1.

  1. On the Go menu, click Contacts.
  2. In the Contacts list, double-click any contact that does not appear in the LastName, FirstName format.
  3. Click the General tab, click the File as arrow, and then click Last name, First name on the list. For example, click Smith, John.
  4. Click Save and Close.
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