Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Excel AutoFill Not Recognizing Dutch Month and Day Names

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs Excel's AutoFill feature to output Dutch month and day names, but it is currently only generating English names despite the application language being set to Dutch.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Dragging the fill handle to automatically complete a sequence of days or months in a spreadsheet column or row.
Observed behavior: AutoFill ignores the Dutch locale setting and outputs English month and day names by default.

Before you start

Verify your system locale settings and ensure you have the correct Dutch spelling for the days of the week (e.g., maandag, dinsdag) and months (e.g., januari, februari) ready to input.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Add Dutch Month and Day Names to Excel Custom Lists

Update Excel's built-in AutoFill dictionary by manually adding the Dutch day and month names to the Custom Lists settings.

Excel uses predefined 'Custom Lists' to dictate how AutoFill handles text sequences like days and months. If your Office installation originally defaulted to English, these lists might not automatically update when you switch the display language to Dutch.

Open Excel Options

Launch Microsoft Excel. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of the ribbon, then select 'Options' at the very bottom of the menu.

Navigate to Advanced Settings

In the Excel Options dialog box, click on the 'Advanced' tab located in the left-hand pane.

Locate Edit Custom Lists

Scroll down to the 'General' section (near the bottom of the Advanced options) and click the 'Edit Custom Lists...' button.

Add the Dutch Names

Select 'NEW LIST' in the Custom lists box. In the 'List entries' box on the right, type the Dutch days or months, separating each entry with a comma or by pressing Enter. Once finished, click 'Add', then click 'OK' twice to save your settings.

Test Your New List: After clicking OK, type the first Dutch day or month into a cell, select it, and drag the AutoFill handle down. Excel will now recognize and fill the sequence correctly.

Efficient Spreadsheet Management

Use WPS Spreadsheet for Seamless AutoFill Localization

WPS Office provides a highly compatible spreadsheet tool where configuring custom AutoFill lists for different languages is straightforward and quick.

1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing spreadsheet document.
2. Access Options Menu: Click on 'Menu' at the top left corner, then click the 'Options' button at the bottom right of the drop-down panel.
3. Find Custom Lists: In the Options dialog, select 'Custom Lists' from the left sidebar.
4. Create Dutch Sequence: Click 'New List', type the Dutch month or day names in the 'List entries' box, and click 'Add' to instantly update your AutoFill sequences.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv).Easily add localized day and month AutoFill sequences.Free, lightweight, and fast to launch on any device.Familiar ribbon interface ensuring zero learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does AutoFill default to English even when Excel is set to Dutch?

AutoFill relies entirely on Excel's internal Custom Lists rather than the display language. If the initial installation was in English, the default lists are often locked to English, requiring you to add local languages manually.

Can I import a custom list from existing cells instead of typing them out?

Yes. In the 'Edit Custom Lists' dialog window, look for the 'Import list from cells' field. Click the selection icon, highlight the range of cells containing your Dutch dates, and click the 'Import' button.

Will these Dutch custom lists be available in all my Excel workbooks?

Yes, custom lists are saved to your application's global registry settings. Once added, they will be available across all new and existing workbooks opened on that specific computer.

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