LOGINV Function in Excel: Inverse Lognormal (Older Name)

LOGINV Function in Excel: Inverse Lognormal (Older Name) 1
⏱ 1 min readUpdated 5 October 2026

StatisticsLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. LOGINV in practice
  5. Where you will use it
  6. Worked example
  7. Mistakes people make
  8. Related functions

LOGINV returns the value at a lognormal probability. It is a compatibility function: Excel keeps it so workbooks from Excel 2007 and earlier still calculate, but Microsoft recommends LOGNORM.INV for new work. Both give the same result.

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Syntax

=LOGINV(probability, mean, standard_dev)
Argument What it means
probability 0..1
mean, standard_dev Of ln(x)

Examples

Example 1

=ROUND(LOGINV(A2,B2,C2),2)

Result: 90.02. See the worked example table below for more cases.

💡 For new workbooks use LOGNORM.INV: it gives the same answer and is the name Microsoft keeps documenting.

LOGINV in practice

Where you will use it

  • Opening and checking older workbooks that use LOGINV
  • Understanding formulas shared by colleagues on older Excel versions
  • Knowing when to swap in LOGNORM.INV for clarity

Worked example

pMean lnSD lnFormulaResult
0.54.50.3=ROUND(LOGINV(A2,B2,C2),2)90.02
0.054.50.3=ROUND(LOGINV(A3,B3,C3),2)54.96
0.9540.5=ROUND(LOGINV(A4,B4,C4),2)124.27

Results calculated in Excel. Same result as LOGNORM.INV.

Mistakes people make

MistakeWhat to do instead
Using LOGINV in new filesPrefer LOGNORM.INV: same result, clearer name, and the function Microsoft keeps improving
Mixing old and new names in one modelPick one style per workbook so formulas are easy to audit

LOGNORM.INV

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

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