Where to find your username in Word

Your username in Microsoft Word is the name that appears in the top right corner of the screen and on comments and tracked changes you make to documents. To see it, open Word and look at the circle or initial in the upper right. Click that circle to see your full account name.

This name comes from your Microsoft account — the email address and password you use to sign into Word. If you want to change how your name appears in Word, you are actually changing the name associated with your Microsoft account, not a separate Word setting.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Word username is tied to your Microsoft account, so changing it means updating your account profile, not a Word-specific setting.
  • You can change your display name through the Microsoft account website without changing your email address or password.
  • The change takes effect the next time you open Word, though you may need to sign out and back in for it to show when ready.
  • If you use Word at work, your company may control your account name, and you will need to contact your IT department to change it.

Changing your display name through your Microsoft account

Go to account.microsoft.com in your web browser and sign in with the email and password you use for Word. Once you are signed in, click Your info in the left menu.

On the Your info page, you will see your current name displayed. Click Manage your Microsoft account or the edit button (pencil icon) next to your name. Type in the new name you want to use, then click Save. Microsoft will ask you to confirm the change.

The new name will appear in Word the next time you open it. If the old name still shows, sign out of Word completely, then sign back in. Go to File > Account > Sign out, close Word, reopen it, and sign in again.

What happens to your old name in documents

Any comments or tracked changes you made under your old name will keep that old name attached to them. The change only affects new comments and edits you make going forward. If you need to update who gets credit for past work, you will have to manually edit those comments in the document.

If you are sharing a document with others, let them know about the name change so they do not think a new person is making edits. The change is when ready on your end, but they will only see the new name on edits you make after the change takes effect.

Changing your name if you use a work account

If you signed into Word with a work email address (usually something like yourname@company.com), your account is managed by your employer, not by you directly. You cannot change the name through the Microsoft account website the same way you would for a personal account.

Contact your company's IT department or help desk and ask them to update your display name in your work account. They have the tools to make this change on the server side. Provide them with the exact name you want to appear in Word and other Microsoft programs.

Fixing a name that will not update in Word

Sometimes Word caches your old name and does not refresh it right away. If you changed your name but it still shows the old one in Word, try these steps: First, sign out of Word by going to File > Account > Sign out. Close Word completely.

Open Word again and sign back in. If the name still has not changed, restart your computer. This clears Word's memory of the old name. After restart, open Word and check the top right corner again. The new name should now appear.

If you are using Word on multiple devices, you may need to sign out and back in on each one. The name change happens on Microsoft's servers, but each device needs to refresh its connection to see it. This is especially common if you use Word on both a desktop computer and a laptop, or if you access Word through the web version at office.com.

Changing your name on Word Online

If you use Word through your web browser at office.com instead of the desktop version, the process is the same. Your display name is controlled by your Microsoft account, not by the version of Word you are using. Sign into account.microsoft.com, go to Your info, and update your name the same way.

The change will show up in Word Online the next time you refresh the page or open a new document. You do not need to sign out and back in for the web version, though refreshing your browser will speed up the change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my name in Word change my email address?

No. Your display name and your email address are separate. You can change how your name appears without touching the email you use to sign in. Your email stays the same unless you specifically change it in account settings.

Can I use a nickname or different name than my real name?

Yes. Microsoft does not require you to use your legal name. You can enter any name you want as your display name. This is the name that will show on your comments and edits in Word.

What if I forgot which email I used to sign into Word?

Look at the top right of Word and click the circle with your initial. It will show the email address associated with your account. You can also go to File > Account to see which account you are signed into.

Does my username change affect other Microsoft programs like Excel or Outlook?

Yes. Your display name is tied to your entire Microsoft account, so changing it affects Word, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive, and any other Microsoft program you use with that account. The change happens across all of them.