The quickest way to change your Facebook 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, then click the pencil icon next to your name. Type your new name and click Review change. Facebook will show you how your new name appears across the platform — click Save changes to confirm.

The whole process takes about two minutes. Your new name appears immediately on your profile, posts, and comments. Facebook does not require you to use your legal name, so you can change it to a nickname, stage name, or any variation you prefer.

If you are on a phone, the steps are the same: tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to Settings and privacy, tap Settings, tap Personal information, and tap the pencil next to your name.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Facebook name through Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information, then click the pencil icon next to your name.
  • Facebook does not require your legal name — you can use a nickname, stage name, or any other variation you want.
  • Your new name takes effect immediately across your profile, posts, comments, and messages.
  • You can change your name once every 60 days, so plan ahead if you want to make multiple changes.
  • If Facebook rejects your name for violating community standards, you will see a reason and can appeal or try a different name.

What names Facebook will and will not accept

Facebook has rules about what counts as a valid name. The platform rejects names that include numbers (except in rare cases like "2Pac"), excessive punctuation, repeated characters, or symbols. It also blocks names that look like they are trying to impersonate someone else, advertise a business, or include offensive language.

If your name contains an apostrophe, hyphen, or accent mark — like O'Brien, Mary-Jane, or José — Facebook usually accepts it. If you use a stage name, pen name, or cultural name that differs from your legal name, Facebook allows that too. The platform is designed to let you use the name you actually go by, not necessarily the name on your birth certificate.

If Facebook rejects your name, you will see a message explaining why. You can either try a different name or appeal the decision by clicking the link in the rejection notice. Appeals usually take a few days, and Facebook will tell you whether your original name was approved.

The 60-day waiting period between changes

Once you change your name, you cannot change it again for 60 days. This limit exists to prevent spam and impersonation. If you try to change your name before 60 days have passed, Facebook will show you a message saying when you can change it next.

The 60-day timer starts from the date you made your last change, not from when Facebook approved it. So if you change your name on January 15, you cannot change it again until March 16. Plan your name changes carefully if you think you might want to adjust it soon after.

Changing your name on mobile versus desktop

The process is nearly identical on phones and computers, but the menu locations are slightly different. On desktop, you click the downward arrow in the top right. On mobile, you tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right of the screen on iPhone or at the top right on Android.

Both routes lead to the same Settings and privacy menu. From there, the steps are identical: tap or click Settings, then Personal information, then the pencil icon next to your name. The change syncs across all your devices instantly, so you do not need to repeat the process on multiple phones or computers.

What happens to your old name after you change it

When you change your name, your old name disappears from your profile and all your posts. People who search for your old name will not find you — they will only find you if they search your new name or your username. Your friends will see your new name on their friend list and in notifications about your activity.

The change is permanent in the sense that Facebook does not keep a public record of your previous names. However, Facebook's internal systems do track name changes for security and spam prevention. If someone reports you for impersonation or fraud, Facebook can see your name history.

Your username (the custom URL that appears in your profile link) is separate from your display name and does not change automatically. If you want to update your username to match your new name, you can do that through the same Personal information section, though usernames have their own rules and change limits.

Changing your name if you have a Facebook Page or Creator Account

If you manage a Facebook Page (for a business, organization, or public figure), changing your personal profile name does not change the Page name. Pages have their own separate names that you change through Page Settings, not Personal information.

To change a Page name, go to your Page, click Settings in the top menu, click General on the left, and look for the Page name field. You can edit it there. Page names have different rules than personal names — they can include numbers and symbols more freely because they represent businesses or organizations rather than people.

If you have a Creator Account (which gives you access to monetization tools and analytics), your creator name and your personal profile name are linked but can be different. You change your creator name through the same Personal information section, and it updates how you appear to your audience.

Troubleshooting if your name change does not go through

If you click Save changes and nothing happens, or if you see an error message, first check that you are not within 60 days of your last name change. If you are, you will need to wait until the timer expires.

If the error says your name violates Facebook's community standards, try removing numbers, symbols, or repeated characters. If you are using a name in a non-Latin alphabet (Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, etc.), make sure you are typing it correctly — Facebook accepts these scripts, but typos can trigger rejection.

If you still cannot change your name after troubleshooting, try logging out and back in, or use a different browser or device. If the problem persists, you can report the issue to Facebook through Settings and privacy > Help and support > Report a problem. Describe what happens when you try to change your name, and Facebook will investigate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my name back to what it was before?

Yes, but you still have to wait 60 days between changes. If you changed your name from "Sarah" to "Sara" and want to change it back, you cannot do so for 60 days after the first change. Once the 60 days are up, you can change it back to "Sarah" or to any other name you want.

Will my friends be notified when I change my name?

Your friends will see your new name the next time they look at your profile or see your activity in their feed. Facebook does not send a notification saying "Your friend changed their name." However, if you have a lot of friends, some may notice the change and comment on your profile about it.

Can I use special characters or emojis in my Facebook name?

Facebook does not allow emojis in your display name. It blocks most special characters except apostrophes, hyphens, and periods in certain contexts. Accented letters (like é or ñ) are allowed. If you try to use a character Facebook does not accept, you will see an error message when you try to save.

What if someone else is using the name I want?

Multiple people can have the same display name on Facebook — the platform does not require names to be unique. So if you want to change your name to "John Smith," you can do so even if thousands of other people are already named John Smith. Your username (the custom URL) must be unique, but your display name does not have to be.

Does changing my name affect my Facebook login or password?

No. Your login email address and password stay the same no matter what name you use on your profile. Changing your display name does not log you out or require you to update your login information. You sign in the same way before and after the change.