Excel WEEKDAY Function

What is the Excel WEEKDAY Function?

Excel WEEKDAY function returns an integer number between 1-7 representing the day of the week corresponding to a date. By default, WEEKDAY function returns 1 for Sunday and 7 for Saturday.

Usually, the WEEKDAY function is used in other excel formulas to check the day of the week and use the results.

WEEKDAY Syntax

WEEKDAY(serial_number,[return_type])

serial_number, the date for which you are trying to find the day of the week.

return_type, optional, a number that determines the day of the week mapping scheme (see the image below)

Note:

• The serial_number argument must use the date from January 1, 1900, to December 31, 9999 if outside the range return a #VALUE! error.

How to Use WEEKDAY Function in Excel

The image below is an example of using the WEEKDAY function for several dates

WEEKDAY Function #1

=WEEKDAY(A2)

July 4, 1776, is American Independence Day. Excel only handle dates from January 1, 1900, to December 31, 9999. That’s why the WEEKDAY function returns a #VALUE! error. By default, Excel unable to know what day American Independence Day happens.

WEEKDAY Function #2

=WEEKDAY(A3)

The WEEKDAY function returns 2, meaning that on Monday America dropped a “Little Boy” an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

WEEKDAY Function #3

=WEEKDAY(A4)

The WEEKDAY function returns 1.

Neil Armstrong stepped into history by leaving the first human footprint on the moon surface; this happened on Sunday. July 20, 1969, is the date Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

WEEKDAY Function #4

=WEEKDAY(A5)

The WEEKDAY function returns 6.

Richard Nixon resigned on Friday, making him the only president to resign from the position.

WEEKDAY Function #5

=WEEKDAY(A6)

The WEEKDAY function returns 5.

Bill Gates introduced Windows 95 on Thursday. Windows 95 was Microsoft’s first graphical user interface operating system.

WEEKDAY Function #6

=WEEKDAY(A7)

The WEEKDAY function returns 3.

Elon Musk founded TESLA on Tuesday

WEEKDAY Function #7

=WEEKDAY(A8)

The WEEKDAY function returns 4.

Facebook acquired Whatsapp on Wednesday.

WEEKDAY Example

Another Date/Time Function