There are a few reasons why you may see the word “Friend” appear under someone’s name on Facebook:
They are a Facebook Friend
The most common reason is that the person is one of your Facebook friends. When someone is your friend on Facebook, the word “Friend” will appear under their name when you see their profile or interact with them.
Facebook uses this label to indicate that you are connected to this person on the platform. It helps distinguish friends from other people you may interact with like friends of friends or public figures. So if you see “Friend” it means they are in your network of Facebook friends.
They are a Close Friend
In addition to the generic “Friend” label, Facebook has options to indicate your closest friends. You can designate someone as an Acquaintance, Close Friend, or Best Friend on Facebook. If you choose Close Friend or Best Friend for someone, it will say “Close Friend” or “Best Friend” under their name instead of just “Friend.”
This allows you to differentiate your inner circle from your wider network. It also gives those people slightly higher visibility and priority in content you are tagged in or share. But essentially it works the same as the generic friend label.
They are a New Friend
If you just added someone as a friend on Facebook very recently, it may temporarily say “New Friend” under their name. This is to indicate that this is a brand new connection.
Typically after a few weeks it will revert to the regular “Friend” label. So this label is mostly used to highlight your latest additions to your friend network.
They are Suggested Friends
Facebook may also use the word “Friend” under someone’s name if they are being suggested to you as a potential friend. Facebook’s algorithms determine people you may know and want to connect with based on mutual friends, networks, organizations, and other factors.
If Facebook suggests a new friend connection to you, it will display “Friend” under their name even though you are not yet connected. This is to indicate that Facebook is recommending them based on their algorithm.
They are Friends of Friends
Similarly, when you are viewing the profile or posts of a “friend of a friend” on Facebook, it may label them as “Friend.” This means you don’t know them directly but you share mutual friend connections.
Again this helps Facebook classify your relationship and indicate that you have overlapping social networks even if you are not directly connected yourself.
It’s a Glitch or Error
In some cases, the word “Friend” appearing under someone’s name on Facebook may simply be an error or glitch. Technology isn’t perfect, so social media can sometimes have bugs or inconsistencies in how things display.
If you see the label applied to someone you are certain is not your Facebook friend, it may just be a minor display issue. Trying refreshing the page and it may disappear if it’s just a small glitch.
How to Change or Remove the Friend Label
In most cases, the “Friend” label cannot be removed manually. It is programmed by Facebook’s system based on your connections.
But here are a few ways you may be able to influence it:
- If you don’t want someone to be designated a Close Friend anymore, you can manually change it back to a regular Facebook Friend connection.
- Unfriend or block the person if you don’t want any label showing.
- Ask the person to remove you as a friend if it is incorrectly displaying.
- Report the issue to Facebook if you believe it’s a technical glitch.
Besides these options, there is no setting or option to directly toggle it on or off. It’s determined algorithmically by Facebook.
Conclusion
In most cases, seeing “Friend” under a name on Facebook simply means you are connected as friends on the platform in some capacity. It is the network’s way of labeling your relationship. Specific variations like “New Friend” or “Close Friend” indicate more details about the friendship.
It’s typically nothing to worry about and is just Facebook’s way of classifying connections in the social graph. But in rare cases it may also be due to a glitch or error. If you see it incorrectly displaying, you can report the issue or unfriend the profile.
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Friend | Standard Facebook friend connection |
| Close Friend | Designated inner circle friend |
| New Friend | Recently added friend |
| Suggested Friend | Recommended by Facebook to connect |
| Friend of Friend | No direct connection but share mutual friends |
Other Key Facts About Facebook Friends
- The average Facebook user has 338 friends on the platform.
- There is a 5000 friend limit per account.
- 22% of users say they have no idea who some of their Facebook friends are.
- You can divide friends into Close Friends, Acquaintances, and Restricted groups.
- Friends get slightly higher priority and visibility on your content and profile.
- Friends can post on your Timeline and tag you in posts.
- Removing someone as a friend requires clicking the Friends button and selecting Unfriend.
Types of Facebook Friend Requests
Beyond confirmed friends who show up under your name, Facebook has a few other relationship classifications when it comes to friend requests:
- Awaiting Approval – You have sent someone a friend request but they have not yet confirmed it.
- Confirm Request – Someone has sent you a friend request that you have not yet approved or denied.
- Already Friends – This appears if you try to send a request to someone already in your friend network.
Friend requests remain pending until the recipient takes action to confirm and accept the request. You can see pending friend requests in your account under the Friends section.
Following Someone You’re Not Friends With
It’s also possible on Facebook to follow someone you are not friends with. This means you can subscribe to their public content without being connected as friends.
In this case, no “Friend” label will appear. You’ll simply see their name without the tag since you are not linked as friends.
Other Facebook Relationship Statuses
In addition to general friends, other relationship statuses you may see on Facebook include:
- Single
- In a relationship
- Engaged
- Married
- In a civil partnership
- In a domestic partnership
- In an open relationship
- It’s complicated
- Separated
- Divorced
- Widowed
These indicate romantic relationship status outside of platonic friend connections. They can be updated, hidden, or removed in the About section of your profile.
Setting Your Own Friend Label Visibility
If you don’t want your own “Friend” tag showing up on your profile, you can control the visibility in your settings:
- Go to your Facebook Profile
- Click the three dots icon in the top right
- Choose Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Click on the Audience and Tagging menu
- Edit the option for “Who can see friend list” and save changes
This allows you to hide the label from public view if desired for your account.
Table of Friend Label Meanings
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Friend | Standard Facebook friend |
| Close Friend | Inner circle friend |
| New Friend | Recently added friend |
Troubleshooting Tips
If you are seeing the “Friend” label appear incorrectly or have other issues, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Refresh the page – this can clear temporary glitches
- Log out and back into Facebook – this can reset any bugs
- Clear your cache and cookies
- Update to the latest version of the Facebook app
- Check your friend settings and lists
- Report the problem to Facebook
In most cases, a quick refresh will clear up any incorrect friend labels. But you can also submit feedback to Facebook if the issue persists.
Facebook Friendship Statistics
Here are some interesting statistics on Facebook friends:
- The median number of Facebook friends per user is 155.
- Facebook has 2.45 billion monthly active users worldwide.
- On average, only 26% of your Facebook friends actively like or comment on your posts.
- Those aged 30-49 have the most Facebook friends on average.
- Just over half of Facebook users have more than 200 friends.
- On average, regular Facebook users have approximately 338 friends.
- 22% of users say they have at least one Facebook friend they have never actually met.
These statistics give insight into typical Facebook behavior and connections.
Summary of Key Points
- The “Friend” label on Facebook indicates a standard friend connection between users.
- Variations like “Close Friend” designate your inner circle.
- It’s typically added automatically based on confirmed friendships.
- The label helps Facebook classify relationships in their social graph.
- If incorrect, it may be due to a glitch or error.
- You can remove specific friend designations in your settings.
Understanding the meaning behind Facebook’s different friend tags gives insight into your network and connections on the platform.