You cannot change the Gmail address itself, but you can change the name that appears when you send emails
Your Gmail address — the part before @gmail.com — is permanent and cannot be altered. Gmail does not offer a way to rename it, and you cannot transfer your account to a new address. However, you can change the display name, which is what recipients see when they open your email. This is the name that appears in the "From" line and in your email signature.
If you need a completely different email address, your only option is to create a new Gmail account. You can then forward mail from the old address to the new one, or set up both addresses in the same inbox so you can send from either one.
Key Takeaways
- Your Gmail address (username@gmail.com) cannot be changed, but the display name that appears in emails can be updated in account settings.
- Changing your display name does not affect your email address or login credentials — only what recipients see when you send them mail.
- If you need a completely different email address, you must create a new Gmail account and set up forwarding or dual-address sending.
- Changes to your display name take effect when ready on new emails but do not retroactively change the name on emails you have already sent.
How to change your display name in Gmail settings
Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select See all settings. Go to the Accounts and Import tab. Under "Send mail as," you will see your current email address. Click Edit info next to it.
A box will open with a field labeled Name. Delete the current name and type the new one you want to display. You can use your full name, a nickname, a business name, or any text you choose. Click Save Changes at the bottom. The new name will appear on all emails you send from that point forward.
If you have multiple email addresses set up in your Gmail account, you can set a different display name for each one. Repeat the process for any other address you use to send mail.
What happens when you change your display name
The change takes effect when ready on new emails. Anyone who receives an email from you after the change will see the new name in the "From" line. However, emails you sent before the change will still show the old name — Gmail does not update the display name on messages that are already in someone's inbox.
Your Gmail address itself does not change. Your login credentials remain the same, and you will still sign in with your original username and password. Contacts and groups you have created stay exactly as they are. The only visible change is the name that appears when you send mail.
Creating a new Gmail address if you need a different one
If you need a completely new email address rather than just a new display name, you will need to create a separate Gmail account. Go to accounts.google.com, click Create account, and follow the steps to set up a new account with a different username.
Once you have the new account, you can set up forwarding so that emails sent to your old address automatically go to the new one. In your old Gmail account, go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, click Add a forwarding address, and enter your new Gmail address. Gmail will send a confirmation email to the new address — open it and confirm the forwarding. After that, all incoming mail to the old address will appear in the new account.
Alternatively, you can add both addresses to the same inbox so you can read mail from both without switching accounts. In Settings > Accounts and Import, click Add another email address and enter your new Gmail address. You can then send emails from either address without logging out.
Changing your name in other Google services
If you use other Google services like Google Drive, Google Photos, or YouTube, they may pull your display name from your Google Account profile. To change the name across all Google services at once, go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info, and edit the name field at the top. This change will affect how your name appears in Gmail, Google Drive, and other connected services.
If you want your Gmail display name to be different from your Google Account name, change only the Gmail display name in Settings (as described above). The Gmail setting overrides the account-wide name for email purposes only.
Why you might want to change your display name
People change their Gmail display name for many reasons. You might want to use a professional name for work emails, a nickname for personal correspondence, or a business name if you are self-employed. Some people change their display name after a legal name change and want their email to reflect that without losing their account history.
Changing the display name is much faster than creating a new account and does not disrupt your email history, contacts, or files. It is also reversible — you can change it back at any time by following the same steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my Gmail address to a completely different username?
No. Your Gmail address is permanent and cannot be changed. If you need a different email address, you must create a new Gmail account. You can set up forwarding from the old address to the new one so you do not miss any mail.
If I change my display name, will my contacts see the old name in their email history?
Yes. Emails you sent before the change will still show the old name in their inbox. Only new emails sent after the change will display the new name. Gmail does not retroactively update the display name on messages already delivered.
Can I have different display names for different contacts?
No. Your display name is the same for everyone you email. However, if you have multiple Gmail addresses set up in your account, you can assign a different display name to each address and choose which one to send from when composing a message.
Does changing my display name affect my password or login information?
No. Your login credentials stay exactly the same. You will still sign in with your original Gmail address and password. The display name change only affects what appears in the "From" line of your emails.
What if I created a Gmail account with the wrong name by mistake?
You can change the display name using the steps above. If you want a different email address entirely, create a new account and set up forwarding from the old one. You can also delete the old account if you no longer need it, though this cannot be undone.