The fastest way to change your Facebook name

Open Facebook on any device, go to the menu (three horizontal lines on mobile, the downward arrow on desktop), and select Settings and privacy, then Settings. Click Personal information on the left side, then Name. Type your new name in the fields provided and click Review change. Facebook will show you how your new name appears to others. Click Save changes when you're ready.

The entire process takes about two minutes. Your new name appears to your friends and followers right away. Facebook stores a record of your name change, but only you and Facebook can see the history — your friends see only the current name.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Facebook name through Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information > Name on any device.
  • 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 to everyone on the platform, including in search results and on your profile.
  • If Facebook blocks your change, it usually means the name violates their naming rules — numbers, symbols, or repeated characters often trigger a rejection.
  • You can revert to a previous name without waiting the 60-day period if you made a typo or changed your mind right away.

What names Facebook will and won't accept

Facebook requires names to contain only letters, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes. The platform rejects names with numbers, emojis, symbols, or excessive punctuation. Names like "John Smith Jr." or "Mary-Jane O'Connor" work fine. Names like "John Smith 2024" or "J0hn" do not.

Facebook also blocks names that look like usernames, email addresses, or business pages. If you're trying to use something like "john.smith" or "john_smith_photography", the system will reject it. The platform enforces these rules to prevent impersonation and keep the network readable.

If your name is genuinely unusual — a single name, a name in a non-Latin alphabet, or a name with characters Facebook's system doesn't recognize — you may need to contact Facebook support. Go to the Help Center, search "name change rejected", and select the option to report a problem with your name.

The 60-day waiting period between changes

After you change your name, you cannot change it again for 60 days. This limit applies whether you're correcting a typo, reverting to your old name, or switching to something completely different. The 60 days begins the moment you save your change, not when Facebook processes it.

If you made a mistake — a typo, a misspelling, or a name you want to undo when ready — contact Facebook support within a few hours. Go to Settings > Help and support > Help Center, search "name change", and look for the option to report a problem. Facebook sometimes waives the 60-day rule for genuine errors, but there's no may provide. The sooner you report it, the better your chances.

Changing your name on mobile versus desktop

The steps are nearly identical on phone and computer, but the menu location differs slightly. On an iPhone or Android phone, tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right of the screen, scroll down to Settings and privacy, tap Settings, tap Personal information, then tap Name. On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner, select Settings and privacy, then Settings, and follow the same path from there.

Both routes lead to the same name-change form. Your change syncs across all devices when ready — if you change your name on your phone, it updates on your computer and tablet within seconds.

What happens to your old name after you change it

Your previous name disappears from your profile and from search results. Friends and family will see only your new name going forward. However, Facebook keeps a record of every name you've used — this history is private and visible only to you and Facebook's support team.

Posts, comments, and messages you made under your old name stay attached to your account and still show your new name. If you tagged someone in a photo under your old name, the tag now shows your new name. This is why changing your name doesn't erase your history — it just relabels it.

If Facebook rejects your name change

The most common reason for rejection is that your name contains numbers, symbols, or repeated characters. Remove anything that isn't a letter, space, hyphen, or apostrophe and try again. If your name is "John Smith III", remove the Roman numerals and use "John Smith" instead — you can add "III" to your bio or "About" section if you want it visible.

If your name is genuinely unusual and Facebook keeps rejecting it, go to the Help Center (Settings > Help and support > Help Center), search for "name rejected", and select the option to report a problem. Explain your situation — that your name is real and you're not trying to impersonate anyone. Facebook's support team can sometimes override the system's automatic rejection, though the process takes several days.

Changing your name without affecting your username

Your Facebook name and your username are separate. Your name is what appears on your profile and in comments. Your username is the custom URL — the part that comes after facebook.com/. Changing your name does not change your username, and changing your username does not change your name.

If you want to change your username as well, go to Settings > Personal information > Username. You can change your username once every 60 days, just like your name. The two changes are on separate timers, so you could theoretically change your name today and your username tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my name back to my old one without waiting 60 days?

Not normally. The 60-day rule applies to all changes, including reverting to a previous name. However, if you made a typo or changed your mind within hours, contact Facebook support through the Help Center and explain the situation. They may waive the waiting period for genuine mistakes, but there's no may provide.

Will my friends get a notification when I change my name?

No. Your name change does not trigger a notification. Your friends will see your new name the next time they visit your profile or see you in their feed, but they won't receive an alert that you've changed it.

Can I use a nickname or stage name instead of my legal name?

Yes. Facebook doesn't require you to use your legal name — you can use a nickname, stage name, or any name that follows their formatting rules (letters, spaces, hyphens, apostrophes only). The name just has to be something you actually go by, not a random string of characters.

What if someone else is using my name on Facebook?

Report the account to Facebook. Go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, select Report, and choose the reason (impersonation, fake account, etc.). Facebook's team will investigate. In the meantime, you can change your own name to something slightly different to avoid confusion.

Does changing my name affect my Facebook business page?

No. Your personal profile name and your business page name are separate. Changing one does not affect the other. If you manage a business page and want to change its name, go to the page, click Settings, select Page info, and edit the page name there.