How to change your display name in Gmail

Your Gmail display name is as important as the email address. It’s the first thing that appears in the recipient’s email app. When you send an email via Gmail on a desktop, phone, or top Chromebook, the recipient sees your display name followed by an email address and message. But a lot can change over time, including your last name, organization, or company role.

Your email name must be spot-on and reflect the recent change. You must use the Gmail web version as you can’t change your email display name on your iPhone or Android phone through the Gmail app.

Let’s clear up some confusion. Your Gmail display name and Gmail username are two different things. Your Gmail username is associated with your email address. If your email address is abc@gmail.com, you can’t edit it. It’s your primary email address across Google services; there is no way to change it.

Google only allows you to edit the recovery email, contact email, or alternate email associated with your primary Gmail ID. However, you can change your Gmail name, or the display name, that goes with every email you send through Gmail.

To check your email account name and username, open your email in a browser and hover the cursor over the circular account profile picture in the upper-right corner. You will see your name (email name) and username (email address) for your account. If you want to change your display name, it’s relatively easy to do.

How to change your display name in Gmail

To change your display name, you must use the web version. You can’t do it through the Gmail mobile app. It only takes a few steps to make the necessary changes.

1. Open Gmail on the web and sign in.
2. Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Select See all settings.
4. Move to the Accounts and Import tab.
5. Go to the Send mail section and check your email name and email address.
6. Select edit info. This action opens a new window to edit information for your email address.
7. Click the radio button beside the blank box and type a new name.
8. Click the Save Changes button, and your new display name is ready to use.