Change Your Display Name in Gmail Settings

Your Gmail display name is what appears in the "From" line when you send an email. To change it, open Gmail in a web browser, click the gear icon in the top right corner, and select See all settings. Go to the Accounts and Import tab, then find the section labeled Send mail as. Click Edit info next to your name, type your new name in the field that appears, and click Save changes.

The change takes effect when ready for new emails you send. Old emails you already sent will still show your previous name, but going forward, recipients will see your new display name. This process does not change your actual Gmail address — only what name appears when you send messages.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Gmail display name (what shows in the "From" line) is separate from your email address and can be changed anytime without affecting your account.
  • The display name change happens in Settings under the Accounts and Import tab in the Send mail as section.
  • You can set up multiple display names if you send mail from different addresses or want different names for different purposes.
  • Changing your display name does not affect your login information, password, or any other account settings.

Set Up Multiple Display Names for One Account

If you have a single Gmail address but want to send emails under different names — for example, a professional name for work and a personal name for friends — you can add multiple display names to the same account. In the Send mail as section of Settings, click Add another email address, enter the name you want to use, and confirm the address. Gmail will send you a confirmation email to verify you own that address.

Once you confirm, you can choose which name to send from each time you compose a message. A dropdown menu appears at the top of the compose window showing all your available display names. This is useful if you manage multiple roles or identities from a single Gmail inbox.

Verify Your New Display Name

After you save a new display name, send yourself a test email to confirm the change appears correctly. Open a new message, type your own Gmail address in the "To" field, and send it. When the email arrives in your inbox, check the "From" line to see your new display name. If it does not appear right away, refresh your browser or wait a few minutes — the change usually shows up within seconds but can occasionally take longer.

If you set up a new email address to send from, Gmail requires you to verify it before you can use it. Check your inbox (including spam and promotions folders) for a verification email from Google, click the link inside, and your new sending address will be active.

What You Cannot Change With Display Name Settings

Your actual Gmail address — the part before the @ symbol — cannot be changed through the display name settings. If you need a completely different email address, you would need to create a new Gmail account. However, you can add forwarding addresses or set up aliases, which let you receive mail at different addresses and have them all arrive in the same inbox.

Your password, recovery email, phone number, and other security settings are separate from your display name and require different steps to change. The display name is purely what other people see when you send them a message.

Troubleshoot Display Name Changes That Do Not Appear

If you changed your display name but it still shows the old name when you send emails, first check that you clicked Save changes at the bottom of the edit window. Sometimes the page does not save if you navigate away too quickly. Go back to Settings, Accounts and Import, and verify the new name is actually saved there.

Clear your browser cache and cookies, then log out of Gmail completely and log back in. This forces your browser to reload the current settings instead of showing a cached version. If the problem continues, try a different web browser to rule out a browser-specific issue. Mobile Gmail apps sometimes lag behind the web version, so if you are using the Gmail app on your phone, try sending a test email from the web version first.

Use a Google Account Name Versus a Gmail Display Name

Gmail has two separate name fields: your Google Account name (used across all Google services like Drive, Photos, and YouTube) and your Gmail display name (used only for email). Changing your Gmail display name does not change your Google Account name. If you want to change the name that appears across all your Google services, you need to go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info, and edit your name there.

Most people only need to change their Gmail display name, which is faster and does not affect anything outside of email. Your Google Account name change takes longer to roll out across all services and may affect how your name appears in Google Drive shared files, YouTube comments, and other Google products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my display name affect my email address or login?

No. Your email address and password stay exactly the same. Only what name appears in the "From" line of your emails changes. You still log in with your full Gmail address, and nothing about your account security or access is affected.

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

Yes, anytime. Go back to Settings, Accounts and Import, click Edit info, and type your old name or any new name you want. There is no limit to how many times you can change it.

What happens to emails I already sent with my old name?

They keep the old name. Only new emails you send from that point forward will show your new display name. Recipients cannot see the change retroactively on messages already in their inbox.

Can I have different display names for different Gmail accounts?

Yes. Each Gmail account has its own separate display name setting. If you have multiple Gmail addresses, you can set a different name for each one in that account's Settings.

Why does my display name still show the old version in some emails?

If you send from multiple addresses or have set up aliases, make sure you are sending from the correct address in the compose window. The display name is tied to the specific sending address, so if you switch addresses, the name may change. Also, some email clients cache contact information, so the recipient's email program might still show your old name even though you sent the message with a new one.