The quickest way to change your Facebook name

Go to your Facebook profile, click the down arrow in the top right corner, and select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Personal information. Next to your name, click Edit. Type your new name in the fields provided, then click Review change. Facebook will show you how your new name appears across the platform. Click Save changes when you're ready.

The entire process takes less than a minute. Your new name shows up when ready on your profile, posts, and comments. No one has to approve the change — it happens right away.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Facebook name through Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information > Edit name.
  • Facebook allows you to change your name once every 60 days, so plan ahead if you need multiple changes.
  • Your new name appears when ready across your profile, posts, comments, and messages.
  • You can use your legal name, a nickname, a middle name, or any combination — Facebook does not require government ID to verify.
  • If Facebook blocks your name change, it usually means the name violates their policies on symbols, numbers, or impersonation rather than a technical problem.

What names Facebook will and won't accept

Facebook rejects names that contain mostly numbers, symbols, or repeated characters. A name like "John123" or "!!!Sarah!!!" will not go through. The platform also blocks names that look like they're impersonating a public figure or brand — for example, you cannot use "Mark Zuckerberg" or "Nike" as your name if you're not that person or organization.

You can use accents, hyphens, and apostrophes. Names like "José María", "Mary-Jane", and "O'Connor" all work. You can also use characters from non-Latin alphabets — Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, and others are fine. Facebook's rule is straightforward: your name should look like an actual name, not a username or a joke.

If your name is genuinely unusual or contains numbers because it's part of your legal name, you can contact Facebook support to request an exception. This takes longer than a regular change, but it does happen.

The 60-day waiting period between changes

After you change your name, you cannot change it again for 60 days. This is a hard limit — Facebook does not make exceptions for this rule. If you change your name on a Monday, you cannot change it again until 60 days later.

This means you should be certain about your new name before you hit save. If you realize when ready after that you made a typo or want something different, you have to wait two months. Write out your new name and read it a few times before you submit the change.

How your name change affects your privacy and tags

When you change your name, old posts and comments still show your new name, not your old one. If you posted something five years ago under the name "Jennifer Smith" and you change your name to "Jenny Jones", that old post now shows "Jenny Jones" as the author. This applies to all your historical content.

People who have you tagged in photos will see your new name on those tags. If someone tagged you in a photo and wrote "Here's Sarah at the beach," the tag now shows your new name, but the caption stays the same. You cannot control how other people's posts display your name — only your own profile and posts update.

Changing your name on mobile versus desktop

The steps are the same on iPhone, Android, and desktop, but the menu locations look slightly different. On mobile, tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the bottom right corner of the Facebook app. Tap Settings and privacy, then Settings. Scroll down and tap Personal information, then tap next to your name to edit it.

On desktop, the down arrow in the top right is easier to spot, but both routes lead to the same settings page. Mobile users sometimes find it faster to use the Facebook website in a browser rather than the app, since the layout is closer to desktop. Either way works — use whichever feels more natural to you.

What happens if Facebook blocks your name change

If you try to change your name and Facebook shows an error message, it usually means the name violates one of their policies. The most common reason is that the name contains too many numbers or symbols. The second most common reason is that Facebook thinks you're trying to impersonate someone else.

If the error message is vague and does not explain why, try removing numbers or symbols and submit again. If your name genuinely contains numbers as part of your legal name — like "John Smith 3rd" — you can contact Facebook support through the Help Center. Go to Help Center in the menu, search for "name change", and look for the option to report a problem with your name. Explain your situation, and Facebook will review it.

This process can take several days to a week. Facebook support is slower than the when ready name change, but they do handle legitimate cases where their automated system blocked a real name by mistake.

Changing your name back to a previous one

If you changed your name and want to go back to an old one, you still have to wait 60 days from your most recent change. You cannot skip the waiting period by reverting to a name you used before. The 60-day rule applies to every change, regardless of whether it's a new name or an old one.

This is worth knowing if you change your name, realize you miss your old one, and want to switch back quickly. You cannot. Plan for the full two months. If you think you might want to revert, wait longer before making the first change, or be very sure about your new name before you submit it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a fake name on Facebook?

Facebook's policy says you should use the name you go by in everyday life, but the platform does not verify your identity with a government ID. You can use a nickname, a middle name, or any name that does not violate their policies on symbols and impersonation. Facebook enforces this through reports from other users, not through automatic checking, so a fake name may stay up unless someone reports it.

Will my friends see that I changed my name?

Your friends do not get a notification that you changed your name. They will see your new name the next time they visit your profile or see you in their feed. If you want to tell people about the change, you can post about it or message them directly.

Can I have two different names on Facebook and Instagram?

Yes. Facebook and Instagram are linked to the same account, but you can set different display names on each platform. Change your name on Instagram through Settings > Edit profile, and change your Facebook name through the steps above. They do not have to match.

What if I want to change my name but keep my old one visible somewhere?

You cannot display both names at the same time on your profile. Your name field holds only one name. You could add your old name to your bio or "About" section as text, but it will not be your official name on the platform.

Does changing my name affect my Facebook username or URL?

No. Your username (the part of your profile URL that comes after facebook.com/) is separate from your display name. Changing your display name does not change your username. If you want to change your username, that is a different process in the same Personal information settings.