Question: How do I sort a range containing multiple columns and rows by occurence?

Answer: The range is sorted by occurrence from large to small. See picture below.

Array formula in B9:

=INDEX(tbl, MIN(IF(MAX(COUNTIF(tbl, tbl)*NOT(COUNTIF($B$8:B8, tbl)))=COUNTIF(tbl, tbl), ROW(tbl)-MIN(ROW(tbl))+1, "")), MATCH(MAX(COUNTIF(tbl, tbl)*NOT(COUNTIF($B$8:B8, tbl))), (COUNTIF($B$8:B8, "<>"&INDEX(tbl, MIN(IF(MAX(COUNTIF(tbl, tbl)*(COUNTIF($B$8:B8, "<>"&tbl)-ROWS($B$8:B8)+1))=COUNTIF(tbl, tbl)*(COUNTIF($B$8:B8, "<>"&tbl)-ROWS($B$8:B8)+1), ROW(tbl)-MIN(ROW(tbl))+1, "")), , 1))-ROWS($B$8:B8)+1)*COUNTIF(tbl, INDEX(tbl, MIN(IF(MAX(COUNTIF(tbl, tbl)*(COUNTIF($B$8:B8, "<>"&tbl)-ROWS($B$8:B8)+1))=COUNTIF(tbl, tbl), ROW(tbl)-MIN(ROW(tbl))+1, "")), , 1)), 0)) + CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER copied down as far as necessary.

Named ranges
tbl (B3:E6)
What is named ranges?

Download excel sample file for this tutorial.
Sort a range by occurences.xls
(Excel 97-2003 Workbook *.xls)

Functions in this article:

IF(logical_test;[value_if:true];[value_if_false])
Checks whether a condition is met, and returns one value if TRUE, and another value if FALSE

INDEX(array,row_num,[column_num])
Returns a value or reference of the cell at the intersection of a particular row and column, in a given range

NOT(logical)
Changes FALSE to TRUE or TRUE to FALSE

MATCH(lookup_value;lookup_array; [match_type]
Returns the relative position of an item in an array that matches a specified value

INDEX(array,row_num,[column_num])
Returns a value or reference of the cell at the intersection of a particular row and column, in a given range

COUNTIF(range,criteria)
Counts the number of cells within a range that meet the given condition

MIN(number1,[number2])
Returns the smallest number in a set of values. Ignores logical values and text

ROWS(array) returns the number of rows in a reference or an array

MAX(number1,[number2],)
Returns the largest value in a set of values. Ignores logical values and text.

This blog article is one out of thirteen articles on the same subject "unique".

• How to extract a unique distinct list from a column in excel
  
• Extract a unique distinct list from two columns using excel 2007 array formula
  
• Extract a unique distinct list from three columns in excel
• Extract distinct unique sorted year and month list from a date series in excel
  
• Create a unique distinct list from a date range in excel
  
• Unique values from multiple columns using array formulas
  
• Extract a unique distinct list sorted from A-Z from range in excel
  
• Sort a range by occurence using array formula in excel
  
• Filter unique distinct values from two ranges combined in excel 2007
• Create a unique list and sort by occurrances from large to small
  
• Unique list to be created from a column where an adjacent column has text cell values
  
• Create unique list from column where an adjacent column meets criteria
  
• How to create a unique distinct list where other columns meet two criteria

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