The quickest way to change your Facebook profile name
Open Facebook on any device, click the downward arrow in the top right corner, and select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Personal information. Next to your name, click Edit. Type your new name in the fields provided — Facebook separates first name, middle name, and last name — then click Review change and confirm. The change takes effect when ready, though it may take a few minutes to appear everywhere on your account.
If you are on a phone, the steps are the same: tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and privacy, tap Settings, tap Personal information, tap the name field, and save your changes.
Facebook limits how often you can change your name. You can change it once every 60 days. If you try to change it more frequently, Facebook will tell you when you can change it again. This limit exists to prevent account takeovers and impersonation.
Key Takeaways
- You can change your Facebook name through Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information > Edit next to your name.
- Facebook allows one name change every 60 days, and the change appears when ready on your profile.
- Your name change is visible to everyone on Facebook unless you have restricted who can see your profile.
- If you want to use a name Facebook rejects, you may need to appeal or contact Facebook support with identification.
What names Facebook will and will not accept
Facebook has rules about what counts as a valid name. Your name cannot contain numbers, symbols, or excessive punctuation. It cannot be all capital letters. It cannot include words that Facebook's system flags as offensive or impersonation attempts — for example, you cannot use "Facebook" or "Admin" in your name, and you cannot use a name that looks like a famous person's name if your profile does not clearly belong to that person.
If you want to use a name that does not fit these rules — perhaps a stage name, a name with a special character, or a name in a non-Latin alphabet — Facebook has a separate option called a username. Your username is different from your profile name. It is what appears in your Facebook URL (facebook.com/yourname) and is what people use to search for you or tag you in comments. You can set a username even if your profile name is something else.
If Facebook rejects your name change, the system will tell you why. Common reasons are that the name looks fake, contains symbols Facebook does not allow, or appears to impersonate someone. You can appeal the decision by clicking the option to request a review, though this can take several days.
The difference between your profile name and your username
Your profile name is what appears on your profile page and in comments you post. Your username is the handle people use to find you and the text that appears in your Facebook URL. You can have a profile name like "Sarah Mitchell" and a username like "sarahmitchell1985". They do not have to match.
To set or change your username, go to Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information. Scroll down to find Username and click Edit. Type the username you want. Facebook will tell you if it is already taken. Usernames can contain letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, but they cannot have spaces. You can change your username once every 60 days, the same as your profile name.
If you want people to find you by a particular name but Facebook will not accept it as your profile name, using a username is often the solution. For example, if you perform under a stage name with special characters, you can keep your legal name as your profile name and use the stage name as your username.
How to change your name back to what it was before
If you changed your name and want to revert to a previous name, you can do so the same way you changed it the first time — through Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information > Edit. However, you are still subject to the 60-day waiting period. If you changed your name three days ago and want to change it back, you will have to wait 57 more days.
Facebook keeps a record of your name changes, but this record is private and only visible to you. Other people cannot see your name history. If you are concerned about privacy, know that changing your name does not delete old posts or comments — they remain under your new name.
What happens to your old name when you change it
When you change your name, your old name disappears from your profile when ready. However, any posts, comments, or messages you made under your old name still exist — they just now show your new name as the author. Friends who have you in their contacts under your old name will see your new name the next time they open Facebook.
If you tagged yourself in photos under your old name, those tags now show your new name. If someone else tagged you in a photo, the tag updates to your new name as well. There is no way to keep your old name visible on old posts — Facebook updates all of them automatically.
If you are changing your name for safety reasons — for example, to distance yourself from an old identity — understand that people who knew you under your old name may still remember it. Changing your Facebook name alone does not erase your history on the platform or elsewhere online.
Troubleshooting: when the name change does not work
If you click Review change and nothing happens, or if you get an error message, try these steps. First, refresh the page or close the app and open it again. Second, make sure you are using the name you want — Facebook sometimes rejects names that are too similar to your current name. Third, check that your name does not contain numbers, symbols, or all capital letters.
If the problem continues, clear your browser cache (or the app cache on your phone) and try again. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Facebook > offload the app, then reinstall it. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Storage > Clear Cache. On a computer, the steps depend on your browser — search for "clear cache" and your browser name for exact instructions.
If you still cannot change your name after trying these steps, contact Facebook through the Help Center. Go to Settings and privacy > Help Center, search for "change name", and look for the option to report a problem. Facebook support can sometimes override the name rules if you provide identification or explain your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my name without my friends seeing it?
No. When you change your name, the change is visible to everyone who can see your profile. There is no way to hide a name change from specific people or to make it private. If you want to keep a name change quiet, you would need to limit who can see your profile using privacy settings, but that is a separate step from changing your name.
What if Facebook says my name is fake?
Facebook's system sometimes flags names that look unusual or that do not match common naming patterns. If this happens, you can request a review by clicking the option Facebook provides. You may be asked to provide identification — a driver's license, passport, or other government ID — to prove the name is real. Upload the document through the form Facebook gives you, and wait for a response, which usually takes a few days.
Can I use a nickname or stage name as my profile name?
It depends on the name. If your nickname or stage name looks like a real name and does not contain numbers or symbols, Facebook will usually accept it. If it contains special characters or numbers, use it as your username instead and keep a legal-sounding name as your profile name. This way, people can still find you by your stage name when they search.
Does changing my name affect my Facebook login or password?
No. Your login email address and password do not change when you change your name. You still log in the same way you always have. Your username may affect how people search for you, but it does not affect how you log in to your own account.
How long does it take for my new name to show up everywhere on Facebook?
Your new name appears on your profile when ready, but it may take a few minutes to update in search results, in other people's friend lists, and in old comments and posts. If your new name has not appeared everywhere after an hour, refresh the page or close and reopen the app.