Change Your Display Name in Gmail Settings

Your Gmail display name is what appears to other people when you send them an email. To change it, open Gmail in your browser, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and select See all settings. Go to the Accounts and Import tab. Under Send mail as, you'll see your current name next to your email address. Click edit info next to it.

A box will open showing your current name. Delete the old name and type in the new one you want to use. You can use your full legal name, a nickname, a professional name, or any combination of letters and numbers. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the box. The change takes effect when ready for all new emails you send.

If you have multiple "Send mail as" addresses set up (for example, a work email and a personal email both connected to the same Gmail account), you can change the display name for each one separately. Just click edit info next to whichever address you want to modify.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Gmail display name is changed through Settings > Accounts and Import > Send mail as, not through your Google Account profile.
  • The display name change shows up when ready on all new emails you send, but does not change your actual Gmail address.
  • If you have multiple email addresses set up in Gmail, you can give each one a different display name.
  • Changing your display name in Gmail does not affect your name on other Google services like YouTube or Google Drive unless you change your Google Account name separately.
  • You can change your display name as many times as you want with no restrictions.

The Difference Between Display Name and Google Account Name

Gmail has two separate name settings, and it's straightforward to confuse them. Your display name is what people see when you email them—it appears in the "From" line of your message. Your Google Account name is your actual profile name across all Google services, and changing it affects YouTube, Google Drive, Google Photos, and other products you use.

Most people only need to change their display name in Gmail. If you want to change your name everywhere Google—your account profile, YouTube channel, Google Drive, and all other services—you'll need to go to your Google Account settings instead. To do that, go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info on the left, and click the pencil icon next to your name at the top.

What Happens When You Change Your Display Name

When you change your Gmail display name, the change is when ready for all emails you send going forward. Old emails you already sent will still show your old name in the recipient's inbox—Gmail does not go back and update past messages. People who have you in their contacts may still see your old name there until they update their contact information manually.

Your email address itself never changes. If your Gmail address is yourname@gmail.com, it stays that way no matter what display name you choose. The display name is just the label that appears next to your address when you send mail.

Changing Your Name if You Use Gmail Through Work or School

If your Gmail account is through a workplace or school (a Google Workspace account), you may not be able to change your display name yourself. Your organization's administrator controls many account settings, including sometimes the display name. Try the steps above first—if the edit info button is grayed out or missing, your administrator has locked that setting.

Contact your IT department or help desk and ask them to change your display name. They can do it from the admin console in seconds. Provide them with the exact name you want to use.

Troubleshooting Display Name Changes That Don't Appear

If you changed your display name but it's still showing the old name when you send emails, wait a few minutes and try sending a test email. Sometimes Gmail takes a moment to update across all its servers. If it's still showing the old name after 10 minutes, refresh your browser page and check the settings again to confirm the change was saved.

If the change saved in settings but still doesn't show in your sent emails, clear your browser cache and cookies, then log out and back into Gmail. Browser cache sometimes holds onto old information. If you're using the Gmail app on your phone, close the app completely and reopen it.

If you have multiple "Send mail as" addresses and you're not sure which one is your default, Gmail sends from whichever address you have marked as primary. In the Send mail as section of settings, look for the address with (default) next to it. That's the one that will appear in the "From" line unless you manually select a different address before sending.

Using a Different Name for Different Email Addresses

If you have set up multiple email addresses in your Gmail account, you can use a completely different display name for each one. This is useful if you have a professional email and a personal email, or if you manage email for a business or organization. Each address can have its own name, signature, and reply-to settings.

To set this up, go to Settings > Accounts and Import, and look at the Send mail as section. You'll see all your connected email addresses listed. Click edit info next to each address and give it the name you want to use for that particular email. When you compose a new email, you can choose which address to send from, and the correct display name will appear automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my Gmail display name change my email address?

No. Your email address stays exactly the same. Only the name that appears next to your address in the "From" line changes. If your address is john.smith@gmail.com, it will always be that address no matter what display name you choose.

Will people see my old name in emails I already sent?

Yes. Emails you already sent will still show your old name in recipients' inboxes. The display name change only affects new emails you send from that point forward. Gmail does not update the name in past messages.

Can I change my display name back to what it was before?

Yes, anytime. Go back to Settings > Accounts and Import > Send mail as, click edit info, and type in whatever name you want. You can change it as many times as you need with no restrictions or waiting periods.

What if I want to change my name on YouTube or Google Drive too?

Changing your Gmail display name does not change your name on other Google services. To change your name across all Google products, go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info, and edit your name there. That change will affect your Google Account profile everywhere.

Can I use special characters or emojis in my display name?

Gmail allows most letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks in display names. Emojis may work depending on your device and browser, but they sometimes display differently on other people's devices. For clarity, stick with standard letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes.