Chart & Visualization Issues

How to Fix UK County Names Not Recognized by Excel Maps

Kushani Nimanthika Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is unable to plot specific UK counties on an Excel Map chart because the geographic names are not recognized by the software's mapping service.

How to Fix UK County Names Not Recognized by Excel Maps

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating a map visualization of the United Kingdom using regional data in a spreadsheet.
Observed behavior: Excel Maps fails to identify historical or specific county names like Western Isles, Hebrides, Middlesex, and Ross-shire, and incorrectly plots places like Cleveland in the United States.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active internet connection, as Excel relies on Bing Maps to process geographic data. Additionally, confirm that your location data is formatted as Text and properly categorized under a clear header like 'County' or 'Region'.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Alternative Recognized Geographic Names

Update the unrecognized county names to modern administrative equivalents that Bing Maps can easily identify.

Excel uses the Bing Maps engine to plot geographic data. Because UK county boundaries and administrative names have changed over time, older or traditional names (like Middlesex or Ross-shire) may not map correctly. Finding the modern equivalent or a broader recognized region is the most direct fix.

Identify unrecognized names

Review your map chart and look for missing data points or empty regions. Note down the names that failed to plot, such as Western Isles or Hebrides.

Research modern equivalents

Find the current administrative name for the region. For example, use 'Eilean Siar' or 'Na h-Eileanan Siar' instead of Western Isles/Hebrides, and use 'Greater London' or specific boroughs instead of Middlesex.

Update your spreadsheet data

Click on the cells containing the old names and type in the newly researched alternative names.

Refresh the map chart

Click on your existing Map chart, go to the 'Chart Design' tab, and click 'Refresh Data', or simply wait a moment for Excel to communicate with Bing Maps and update the visualization.

Use Alternative Recognized Geographic Names

Solution 2

Add Country Qualifiers to Ambiguous Names

Prevent Excel from misplacing UK counties by providing more specific geographic context in your data set.

Solution 3

Use Third-Party Custom Mapping Tools

Bypass Excel's mapping limitations by using dedicated online map generation services when historical boundaries are strictly required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel place my UK county in another country?

Excel relies on Bing Maps for geographical plotting. If a county name (like Cleveland) exists in multiple countries, Bing may default to the most searched global location (e.g., Cleveland, Ohio). Adding a 'Country' column filled with 'United Kingdom' next to your county names resolves this ambiguity.

Where can I find the official list of Bing-recognized counties?

Microsoft does not publish a static list of recognized geographic names because Bing Maps data is updated dynamically. When a name is not recognized, it is best to test variations or refer to modern UK local government area listings (like those on Wikipedia) to find an accepted equivalent.

Can I manually adjust a data point on an Excel Map chart?

No, Excel Map charts do not support manual drag-and-drop placement of geographic regions. The map is generated dynamically via the Bing Maps API. To fix a misplaced region, you must adjust the text in your source data until it is correctly recognized.

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