You could just sort the data in descending order using number as the
key field.

Or, you could apply Autofilter to the number column and choose Top-10
from the pull-down.

Or, you could use a formula method - look up the LARGE function in
Excel to help you return the top-10 values in another column, and from
these an INDEX & MATCH combination could give you the names
corresponding to those values (it's a bit more difficult if you have
duplicate values in the top-10).

Hope this helps.

Pete

On Oct 5, 9:45 am, matt wrote:
Hi,

I'm trying to find out how i can use excel to search through a list of names
and numbers, to find and extract a number that would fit to my criterea.

for example, below is a basic version of my data.

name number

bob 1
mary 2
frank 8
judith 3

now what i would like to do is create some kind of formula that would return
to me, say, the highest number and their name, so it would return:

judith 9

im using it to sort through quite a large list of figures, and i need it to
extract the top 10 figures and names for me.

thanks,

matt