How do I Change my Name on Facebook?

Where do I start?

The first thing that you’ll need to do is log in to your Facebook account.

Next, click the blue down arrow icon at the top-right of the website, and click on “Settings”.

Click “Name”, enter your new name, then click on “Review Change”.

What are Facebook’s name standards?

Like many popular social media networks, Facebook has a responsibility to ensure that its users’ names do not cause offence to others or breach other users’ privacy. For example, using swear words or posing as another person or celebrity are not allowed.

If you want to know how do I change my name on Facebook without contravening the company’s terms and conditions, you can find out more on Facebook’s website. The page titled “How Do I Change My Name on Facebook?” takes you through the process of altering your display name step-by-step, and also includes a link to its naming standards.

The general guidelines which you should follow when asking, “How Do I Change My Name on Facebook?” Here’s what to avoid:

• titles of any kind, e.g. religious or professional titles such as Reverend or Doctor
• numbers, symbols, punctuation marks, repeat characters or unusual capitalisation
• suggestive or offensive words
• phrases or words in place of a name
• characters from multiple languages

What do you if your new name is rejected

Certain names may be blocked to prevent people from creating malicious accounts, but if yours is blocked by mistake, Facebook provides the following advice.

• Make sure that your name follows the company’s guidelines
• Try signing up / changing your name again
• Get in contact with the support team

How do I change my name on Facebook to a nickname?

If you wish to be known by your nickname, you can use your nickname as a first or middle name if it is a variation of your real name. For example, if your friends call you Bob rather than Robert and your surname is Smith, you’re allowed to display your name as Bob Smith or Robert “Bob” Smith.

You can also choose to add another name such as a nickname, professional title or maiden name so that it shows next to your full name at the top of your profile.

To do this, you’ll need to go to your profile and click “About”, “Details About You”, and “Add a nickname, a birth name, etc”. Choose the type of name you wish to add and enter it in the space provided.

How do I change my name on Facebook if I only have a one-word name?

Some people have one name rather than a first name and a surname, and the data entry boxes on the Facebook name change page are not automatically configured to deal with this situation. So, if you want to know, “how do I change my name on Facebook if I only have one name?”, you will need to request a mononym by completing an online request form

How do I change my name on other social media profiles?

We’ve just explained the process for How Do I Change My Name on Facebook, but we appreciate that some of our readers may also wish to change their name on other social media sites.

For example, with Twitter, you can update your Twitter handle by selecting “Settings and Privacy” from the drop-down menu on your profile page, then updating the username shown under “Account”.

The process for Instagram is similar to Twitter. Simply go to your Instagram profile and click “Edit Profile”, then enter your chosen name and click “Done”.

How can I get help with changing names elsewhere?

“How Do I Change My Name on Facebook?” is just one of the many questions that our company is often asked. Whatever your reason for altering your name, you’re likely to want to inform more than just social media networks of your new name.

Just some of the companies and organisations you may wish to advise include your local council, HMRC, HM Passport Office, your mortgage lender, your bank, pension provider, communications providers the DVLA, utility providers and your insurance (e.g. house, health, life, and car) providers. With over 700 UK companies already mapped on our systems – we’ve done the leg work so you don’t have to.

We know first-hand that compiling a list of all the necessary companies you need to inform is a major headache, which is why we created NameSwitch, the online name changing service that makes the process of changing names as quick, easy, and hassle-free as possible.

We do this by using secure, smart automation to generate and populate the myriad of letters and forms that are needed to let companies and government bodies such as DVLA and HMRC know about your change of name. And, better still, you only have to enter your details once.

NameSwitch has helped thousands of customers from across the UK who have (or are shortly about to) get married, divorced, change their name by deed poll or change gender.