Renaming a layer

By default, when you add data to a map, the resulting layer is named after its data source. You can give a layer a more meaningful name without changing the name of the data source. This will make it easier to understand which layers are on the map. Use the table of contents to change a layer's name. Alternatively, you can use the General tab on the Layer Properties dialog box to change the layer name.

When you draw the features of a layer, you use the attribute values in a particular field to symbolize them. These attribute values appear by default next to the symbol in the table of contents. Since they don't usually provide a good text description of the features in your layer, you'll likely want to change them as well. The layer's description is also used when you create a legend for your map. You can use the Symbology tab on the Layer Properties dialog box to edit the feature descriptions.

Steps:

1. Click the layer name or the feature description in the table of contents to change its name. A box will appear around the name, and the cursor will blink inside.

   You can also select an item in the table of contents and press the F2 key to rename it.

2. Type in the new name.