Renaming attributes/fields in shapefile attribute table using QGIS

Question

I would like to rename some fields in my attribute table:

Like rename "XRF_N3"in something else. It seems quite a easy issue but I don't find any information about how can I do that.

Answer 1

Since 2.16, you can edit field names in the layer properties when editing is enabled:

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Renaming is possible using Table Manager plugin (http://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/tablemanager/)

Answer 2

Since QGIS 2.16 you no longer need a plugin to do this - you can double click a field name in a shapefile from the vector layer properties window and rename (set the layer as editable first)

Answer 3

if anyone is having any difficulty finding the Table manager button, for me it was located here:

Answer 4

No need for additional plugins for QGIS v3.12+. There is now something called the Rename field tool — special thanks to ndawson for building the tool.

Procedure

1. Locate the top-most menu bar
2. Go to Processing › Toolbox
3. In the Processsing Toolbox, go to Vector Table › Rename field
4. The Rename Field window will be opened like so:
5. Select the Input layer that has the attribute table
6. Select the Field to rename (field that you want to rename)
7. Type the New field name
8. Click Run

Optional step 7b — You can also set the Renamed field just before running the process. It would make the output of the process be stored to an actual file. Leaving this field as-is or blank will make the output be stored into memory or virtual layer only.

Answer 5

You can use Refactor Fields from processing toolbox. It will create a new layer as output having the new names you defined. Besides that, this tool also allows to change field types, field order and other stuff. You can also rename more than one field at once.

This algorithm allows editing the structure of the attributes table of a vector layer. Fields can be modified in their type and name, using a fields mapping. The original layer is not modified. A new layer is generated, which contains a modified attribute table, according to the provided fields mapping. Rows in orange have constraints in the template layer from which these fields were loaded. Treat this information as a hint during configuration. No constraints will be added on an output layer nor will they be checked or enforced by the algorithm.