Your Gmail display name is as essential as the email address. It's the first thing the recipient sees when you send an email via Gmail on a desktop, phone, or premium Chromebook. But a lot can change over time, including your last name, organization, or company role. If your current email display name no longer reflects your identity, here's how to change it through the Gmail app on your smartphone or the web version on your computer.

The difference between your email display name and username in a Gmail account

Let's clear up some confusion. Your Gmail display name and Gmail username are two different things. Your Gmail username is associated with your email address. If your email address is xyz@gmail.com, you can't edit it. It's your primary email address across Google services. There's no way to change it.

Google only allows you to edit the recovery email, contact email, or alternate email associated with your primary Gmail ID. However, you can change your Gmail name (or the display name) that goes with every email you send through Gmail.

Check email name in Gmail

To check your email account name and username, open your email in a browser and hover the cursor on the circular account profile picture in the upper-right corner. You'll see your account's name (email name) and username (email address). It should be the same across other Google services if you haven't altered your Gmail display name. Either way, changing it is relatively easy.

Change your Gmail name from the Google account

There are two ways to modify your Gmail identity: change your Google account name or create a unique name that appears on the emails you send. Changes made to the former will reflect across all Google apps, and you can do it through any Google app on Android and iOS or via the web.

Change your Gmail name on Android

  1. Open the Google app or Gmail on your Android phone.
  2. Tap your circular account picture in the upper-left corner.
  3. Select Manage your Google Account.
  4. Slide to Personal info and open the Name menu.
  5. Tap the pencil icon beside your name.
  6. Change your display name from the following menu and tap the Save button.

It might take a while to see the updated display name in Gmail and other Google apps.

You can check your Google storage breakdown from the same menu. If you're running out of storage, consider subscribing to one of the Google One plans.

Change your name in Gmail on your iPhone or iPad

The Google app doesn't come preinstalled on your iPhone or iPad. You must download it from the App Store and follow these steps to change your name in Gmail.

  1. Download and install the Google app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Open the Google app and sign in with your account details.
  3. Select the account picture in the upper-right corner and open Manage your Google Account.
  4. Move to the Personal info tab.
  5. Select Name.
  6. Tap the edit button beside the current name and authenticate your account again. You can set your nickname from the same menu.
  7. Change your first and last name and tap the Save button.

Change your Gmail name on a computer

  1. Log in to your Google account on your favorite browser.
  2. Select Personal info from the left sidebar.
  3. Click Name.
    Google account settings page highlighting where to edit your display name
  4. You'll see options to change your name and nickname. Click the pencil icon next to your name to edit it.
    The pencil icon is hightlighted showing how to edit Google account name
  5. Enter your new first and last name, then click the Save button.
    Modifying and saving new Google account name

How to change your display name in Gmail

Modifying your Google account display name will reflect on all Google apps, including Gmail. But if you want to carry a different identity on the emails you send (and what people see when they mail you), change your display name in Gmail. It only takes a few steps to make the necessary changes, but you'll need the desktop version, as you can't do it through the Gmail mobile app.

  1. Open Gmail on a desktop browser and sign in.
  2. Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
  3. Select See all settings.
    Opening Gmail settings interface.
  4. Move to the Accounts and Import tab.
  5. Go to the Send mail section and check your email name and address.
  6. Select edit info. This action opens a new window to edit information for your email address.
    Editing your information in Gmail
  7. Click the radio button beside the blank box and type a new name.
  8. Click the Save Changes button, and your new display name is ready to use.
    Editing Gmail display name on the web.

If you change your mind, you can edit the display name again or revert to the original email name from the same menu. Changing your Google account name in the future won't reflect on your new Gmail display name unless you revert to the original email name.

If you don't have access to a computer, open Gmail as a desktop site in your mobile browser to change the display name.

Why does my Gmail name not change?

If your company turned off the option to change your Gmail name, you can't edit it on the desktop or mobile apps. Also, don't change your Gmail name frequently. Sometimes, it takes 24 to 48 hours for your new name to become live on Gmail, and it may remain the same if you edited it recently.

What if someone uses my trademark in their Gmail address?

If you think someone created a new email address using your trademarked name, contact the person to fix the issue. Google doesn't verify or control email addresses created by users. You can also sign up for one of the Google Workspace Business plans and create a custom email address for your profession, business, or brand. Read our dedicated post to learn everything about Google Workspace.

Keep your email name in the check

A lot can change over the years, including your name or organization. Make sure yours is up-to-date so that the emails you send have the correct credentials. You can create a new Gmail account if you want to change your email address. But if that means dealing with multiple accounts, remember to set your primary Google account as the default on Android and the web.