Changing your Facebook display name is a simple process that can be done directly from the Facebook website or mobile app. Your display name is the name that appears on your profile and is seen by other Facebook users. While your actual Facebook account name cannot be changed, you can update your display name as often as you want.
Why Would I Want to Change My Facebook Display Name?
There are a few common reasons why you may want to change your Facebook display name:
- You got married or divorced and want your last name to reflect your current marital status.
- You want to use a nickname rather than your full first and last name.
- You want to change how your name is capitalized or include accents on certain letters.
- Your name has legally changed and you want your Facebook name to match.
Changing your display name allows you to update how your name appears to friends and family on Facebook without having to create a new account.
How to Change Facebook Display Name on Desktop
Changing your Facebook display name using the desktop website is easy:
- Go to Facebook.com and log into your account.
- Click on the down arrow in the top right corner of your Facebook page.
- Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- On the left sidebar, click “Profile.”
- Under the “Name” heading, you will see your current display name. Click the “Edit” button to change it.
- Type your new desired display name.
- Click the “Review Change” button.
- Confirm the change by clicking “Save Changes.”
Your new Facebook display name should now be updated on your profile and visible to other users on Facebook. The change should take effect immediately after saving the changes.
Changing Display Name Frequency
You can change your Facebook display name up to 5 times within a 90 day period. If you attempt to change it more frequently than that, you may encounter an error message stating:
“You can only change your name a few times within a 90-day period.”
If this occurs, you will need to wait until the 90 day period passes before attempting to update it again. There is no way around this limit if Facebook has flagged your account.
How to Change Facebook Display Name on Mobile
The process for changing your display name via the Facebook mobile app is very similar:
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.
- Tap the three line “hamburger” menu icon in the top right corner.
- Choose “Settings & Privacy” from the menu.
- Select “Settings.”
- Tap “Personal and Account Information.”
- Tap “Name.”
- Tap “Edit” next to your current display name.
- Enter your new desired display name.
- Tap “Review Change.”
- Confirm the change by tapping “Save Changes.”
Once saved, your updated display name will be visible on your Facebook profile on mobile and desktop.
Display Name Character Limits
When selecting a new Facebook display name, you can use a maximum of 50 characters. This includes spaces and punctuation.
If you attempt to enter a display name longer than 50 characters, you will receive an error message stopping the change. Consider shortening your name or using initials if needed to meet the 50 character requirement.
Your Actual Facebook Profile URL Will Not Change
It’s important to note that when you change your Facebook display name, it does not change the actual URL for your profile page.
For example, if your profile URL is:
https://www.facebook.com/john.doe
And you change your display name to “Johnny Doe” – your profile URL will remain as:
https://www.facebook.com/john.doe
The name in your profile URL is your original account name set when you created your Facebook account. This cannot be altered. Only the display name seen by your friends and followers will be updated.
Display Name vs Username
Facebook actually has two different name fields:
- Display Name – This is the full name shown on your profile.
- Username – This is the name after the forward slash in your profile URL (example: facebook.com/username)
You can change your display name but not your username. Usernames are unique identifiers tied to your account.
So in summary:
- Display Name – Can be changed
- Username – Cannot be changed
Special Characters in Display Name
When selecting a new Facebook display name, you can include most special characters and emojis. This includes:
- Hyphens – Ashley-Marie
- Apostrophes – O’Reilly
- Periods – J.K.
- Parentheses – Martin (Marty)
- Emojis – ❤️ 😊 👍
However, you cannot include certain special characters in your display name like:
- Hashtags – #name
- At signs – @name
- Percent signs – %name%
- Ampersands – Name&Name
- Carets – Name^Name
If you attempt to save a display name with one of those characters, you’ll receive an error from Facebook. Stick to plain text, standard punctuation, and emojis only.
Can I Change My Display Name Back?
Yes, you can change your Facebook display name back to a previous name anytime. There is no limit on changing it back to a name you have used before.
Just follow the same steps above to update your display name again:
- Go to “Settings” and then “Profile.”
- Click “Edit” next to your current display name.
- Enter your old display name.
- Click “Review Change” and then “Save Changes.”
Your previous display name will now be visible on your profile again.
Does Display Name Change Impact Tagging?
When you change your Facebook display name, it does not automatically update tags people have added to photos or posts using your previous name.
For example, if you changed your name from “Alex Johnson” to “Alexis Johnson” – any old tags by friends with the name “Alex Johnson” will not automatically change.
However, if someone new tries to tag you after the name change, they should be prompted to use the new display name. Name changes impact new tags only, not existing ones.
Conclusion
Changing your Facebook display name is simple and can be done right from the Facebook website or mobile app settings. While your profile URL remains the same, updating your display name allows you to change how your name appears to friends on Facebook.
Remember that the name change is for display purposes only – it does not legally change your name everywhere. It simply updates how your name appears on your Facebook profile.
Be aware of the 5 times per 90 day limit or you may encounter errors trying to change it too frequently. Have fun picking out a new display name!