Where your name appears on Google and how to change it

Your name shows up on Google in two separate places, and the way you change it depends on which one you're looking at. If you mean your Google Account name — the name tied to Gmail, YouTube, or Google Drive — you change that directly in your account settings. If you mean your name in Google Search results — what appears when someone searches for you — that's harder to control and depends on where that information came from.

Most people want to change their Google Account name because they set it up with a nickname, a misspelling, or a name they no longer use. That takes about two minutes. Removing or changing your name from search results is slower and sometimes impossible, because Google pulls that information from websites you don't control.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Google Account name (used for Gmail and other Google services) is changed in your account settings under "Personal info," and the change takes effect when ready.
  • Your name in Google Search results comes from websites across the internet, not from Google itself, so you may need to contact those websites to change it.
  • If a website publishes your name and you want it removed from Google Search, you can ask Google to remove the page from search results, but the page itself stays online.
  • Changing your name on social media, professional sites, or directory listings will eventually cause Google to update what appears in search results, though it can take weeks.
  • If your name appears in search results tied to someone else's content about you, contact that website's owner or use Google's removal request tool.

Changing your name in your Google Account

Open your Google Account by going to myaccount.google.com in any browser. Click Personal info in the left menu. You'll see your current name listed at the top. Click on it to edit.

Type your first name and last name in the fields provided. You can also add a middle name if you want. Click Save when you're done. The change takes effect right away across Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, and any other Google service linked to that account.

If you use Google Workspace (a business Google Account), the process is the same, but your administrator may have restricted whether you can change it yourself. If the edit button is grayed out, contact your workplace IT department.

Understanding why your name appears in Google Search

Google Search doesn't store your name — it finds it on websites and shows links to those pages when someone searches for you. Your name might appear because it's on your LinkedIn profile, your company website, a directory, social media, a news article, or a public record database. Google is straightforward pointing to those sources.

This means changing your name in your Google Account does not change what appears in search results. Those are two separate things. If you want your name to change in search results, you need to change it on the websites where it actually appears.

Changing your name on websites that appear in search results

Start by searching for your name on Google and looking at the top results. If your name appears on a website you control — your personal website, LinkedIn, Facebook, or a professional portfolio — log into that site and update your name there. Google will re-scan those pages over time and update the search results.

For LinkedIn, go to your profile, click the pencil icon next to your name, and type the new name. For Facebook, click your profile picture, select Settings & privacy, then Settings, and look for Personal information. For a personal website or blog, edit the page directly or contact whoever manages it.

Google usually re-indexes these pages within a few days to a few weeks, so the search results will update on their own. You don't need to do anything else — just wait.

Removing your name from Google Search when you don't control the website

If your name appears in search results on a website you don't own or control — a news site, a directory, a public record database, or someone else's website — you have two options: ask the website owner to remove or change it, or ask Google to remove the search result.

The better first step is to contact the website directly. Look for a contact form, an email address, or a "report" button on that page. Explain that you want your name changed or removed and why. Many websites will do this if you ask politely. If the website is a public record database (like a court records site or property records site), you may need to follow that organization's formal removal process, which varies by state and type of record.

If the website won't respond or won't change it, you can ask Google to remove the search result. Go to google.com/webmasters/tools/removals, sign in with your Google Account, and click New request. Choose whether you want to remove a single URL or all URLs from a domain. Google will remove it from search results, but the page itself stays online — only the search listing disappears.

When your name appears in search results tied to someone else's content

If someone else published information about you — a news article, a social media post, a blog entry, or a directory listing — and you want it out of Google Search, the fastest route is usually to contact that person or organization directly and ask them to remove or change the content.

If they won't respond or won't change it, you can submit a removal request to Google using the tool mentioned above. Google will remove the search result, but the original content stays online. The person who posted it can still see it and share it; it just won't show up when someone searches on Google.

In some cases — if the content is defamatory, contains private information like your address or phone number, or violates your privacy — you may have legal options. Contact a lawyer if the content is serious.

How long it takes for changes to show up in Google Search

When you change your name on a website you control, Google's crawlers will eventually visit that page and re-index it. This usually happens within a few days, but can take up to two or three weeks depending on how often Google visits that site. High-traffic sites like LinkedIn get crawled more often, so changes there show up faster.

If you want to speed it up, you can use Google Search Console to request that Google re-index a specific page. Go to search.google.com/search-console, add your website if you haven't already, and use the "Inspect URL" tool to request indexing. This tells Google to crawl that page sooner, though it's not when ready.

Removal requests through Google's removal tool usually take effect within a day or two, but can take longer if Google needs to verify the request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my name in Gmail change my name in Google Search?

No. Changing your name in your Google Account only affects how your name appears in Gmail, YouTube, and other Google services. It does not change what appears when someone searches for you on Google Search. Those are separate systems.

Can I change my name on Google Maps or Google My Business?

If you have a Google My Business listing (for a business or organization), you change the business name, not your personal name, in the Business Profile settings. If you mean your personal name on Google Maps, that comes from your Google Account and displays the same name you set in your account settings.

What if I want my name completely removed from Google Search?

You can remove individual search results using Google's removal tool, but you cannot remove your name from all of Google Search unless you remove it from every website that mentions you. If your name appears on public record sites, news archives, or directory listings, those will keep showing up in search results unless the original website removes the content.

How do I change my name if I'm using Google Workspace at work?

Log into your Google Account, go to myaccount.google.com, and follow the same steps as a personal account. If the name field is locked or grayed out, your workplace administrator has restricted it. Contact your IT department or manager to request the change.

Can I use a nickname or pseudonym instead of my real name on Google?

Yes. Your Google Account name can be anything you want — a nickname, a pseudonym, initials, or any text. There's no requirement to use your legal name. Just type whatever name you want in the account settings and save it.