Python | Ways to change keys in dictionary

Given a dictionary, the task is to change the key based on the requirement. Let’s see different methods we can do this task in Python.

Example:

initial dictionary:  {'nikhil': 1, 'manjeet': 10, 'Amit': 15}
final dictionary:    {'nikhil': 1, 'manjeet': 10, 'Suraj': 15}
Explaination: Amit name changed to Suraj.

Method 1: Rename a Key in a Python Dictionary using the naive method

Here, we used the native method to assign the old key value to the new one.

Python3

# inititialising dictionary
ini_dict = {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5,
            'manjeet': 10, 'akshat': 15}

# printing initial json
print("initial 1st dictionary", ini_dict)

# changing keys of dictionary
ini_dict['akash'] = ini_dict['akshat']
del ini_dict['akshat']


# printing final result
print("final dictionary", str(ini_dict))

Output

initial 1st dictionary {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5, 'manjeet': 10, 'akshat': 15}
final dictionary {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5, 'manjeet': 10, 'akash': 15}

Method 2: Rename a Key in a Python Dictionary using Python pop()

We use the pop method to change the key value name.

Python3

# inititialising dictionary
ini_dict = {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5,
            'manjeet': 10, 'akshat': 15}

# printing initial json
print("initial 1st dictionary", ini_dict)

# changing keys of dictionary
ini_dict['akash'] = ini_dict.pop('akshat')

# printing final result
print("final dictionary", str(ini_dict))

Output

initial 1st dictionary {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5, 'manjeet': 10, 'akshat': 15}
final dictionary {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5, 'manjeet': 10, 'akash': 15}

Method 3: Rename a Key in a Python Dictionary using Python zip()

Suppose we want to change all keys of the dictionary.

Python3

# inititialising dictionary
ini_dict = {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5,
            'manjeet': 10, 'akshat': 15}

# initialising list
ini_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']

# printing initial json
print("initial 1st dictionary", ini_dict)

# changing keys of dictionary
final_dict = dict(zip(ini_list, list(ini_dict.values())))

# printing final result
print("final dictionary", str(final_dict))

Output

initial 1st dictionary {'nikhil': 1, 'vashu': 5, 'manjeet': 10, 'akshat': 15}
final dictionary {'a': 1, 'b': 5, 'c': 10, 'd': 15}