How to Change Your Facebook Profile Name on Desktop and Mobile

To change your Facebook profile name, select your profile picture, then Settings & privacy > Settings > Accounts Center > Profiles. Pick your Facebook profile, select Name, enter the new name, select Review change, and then Save changes. Facebook lets you change your name once every 60 days, so check the spelling before you save.

This guide covers Facebook on a computer and the Facebook app on iPhone and Android. It explains the name rules, the steps on each device, how a profile name differs from a nickname, username or Page name, and what to do when Facebook won’t accept the change. Steps follow Facebook’s Help Center, checked in October 2026. Facebook says it is gradually moving people to Meta Account settings, so you may see that label instead of Accounts Center.

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Illustration of the steps to change your name on Facebook — Illustration: changing your Facebook name on a computer.

Before You Change Your Name

Facebook’s name standards say your profile should use the name people call you in everyday life, and that name should also appear on an ID or document from Facebook’s accepted list. Facebook doesn’t allow:

Symbols, numbers, unusual capitalization, repeating characters or punctuation
Characters from more than one language
Titles of any kind, such as professional or religious titles
Words or phrases in place of a name
Offensive or suggestive words

Nicknames are allowed as a first or middle name if they’re a variation of your real name, such as Bob instead of Robert. A made-up name is not an option; see whether you can create an anonymous Facebook account. If you only want to show a maiden name or nickname alongside your name, add it as an other name instead (covered below). That way you don’t use up a name change.

How to Change Your Facebook Name on a Computer

These steps match Facebook’s name change help page.

Select your profile picture in the top-right corner of Facebook. Result: the account menu opens.
Select Settings & privacy, then Settings. Result: the Settings page opens.
Select Accounts Center. Result: Accounts Center opens, showing your connected Meta profiles.
Select Profiles, then the Facebook profile you want to change. If you have Instagram linked, make sure you pick the Facebook account. Result: that profile’s details open.
Select Name. Result: your current first, middle and last name fields appear.
Enter the new name and select Review change. Result: Facebook shows a preview of how the name will look.
Check it carefully, then select Save changes. Result: your new name appears on your profile.

Facebook may show a few versions of your name to choose from on the review screen, and some accounts may be asked to confirm with a password. Your account may also get a separate security check.

How to Change Your Facebook Name in the App

Facebook’s iPhone app instructions use the same path:

Tap Menu. Facebook’s help page places it in the top left; some guides show it at the bottom right on iPhone and iPad. Result: the menu opens.
Scroll down and tap Settings & privacy, then Settings. Result: the Settings screen opens.
Tap Accounts Center (or See more in Accounts Center). Result: Accounts Center opens.
Tap Profiles, then your Facebook account. Result: the profile details open.
Tap Name, enter the new name, and tap Review change. Result: the preview appears.
Tap Save changes. Result: the name updates.

If your menu shows Meta Account settings instead of Accounts Center, open it and look for your profiles and the Name option there.

Profile Name, Other Name, Username or Page Name?

Facebook has several “names,” and each one is changed in a different place. Pick the right one before you save, since Facebook’s 60-day limit applies to your profile name.

Illustration: where each Facebook name setting lives.

Profile name: the main name on your personal profile. Use the steps above.
Other name: a maiden name, nickname or professional name shown in addition to your main name. See the next section.
Username: the identifier in your profile link. Facebook treats it as a separate setting, so changing your name doesn’t change your link.
Page name: the name of a business or organization Page. Pages have their own rename process, covered below.

Add a nickname or maiden name

Facebook’s other names page says you can list a name that’s different from the one on your ID:

Select your profile picture, then your name, to open your profile. Result: your profile opens.
Select About, then Names. Result: your name details appear.
Select Add other names below Other names, choose a Name type, and enter the name. Result: the new name is filled in.
Check Show at top of profile if you want it next to your full name, then select Save.

Even if you don’t show it at the top, Facebook says the other name still appears in your About section and in search results.

Rename a Facebook Page

For a business Page, Facebook’s Page name help page says you need full Facebook access to the Page. Switch into the Page from your profile picture (See all Profiles), then go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Page setup > Name, select Edit, enter the new name, select Review Change, enter your password, and select Request Change. Changing a Page name doesn’t affect its username. If you’re thinking about moving a profile to a Page, see whether you can convert a Facebook profile to a Page.

Why Facebook Won’t Let You Change Your Name

Facebook’s troubleshooting page lists the usual reasons:

You changed it in the last 60 days. Wait until the 60 days are up.
The name breaks the standards. Remove symbols, numbers, titles, extra punctuation or unusual capitalization.
Facebook wants to confirm your name. You may be asked to confirm it, and Facebook says your name should match the name on an ID.
You picked the wrong profile. In Accounts Center, make sure you selected your Facebook profile, not a linked Instagram account.
The Name option has moved. Look in Meta Account settings if you don’t see Accounts Center.

If you have only one name, Facebook’s mononym page says you can request a one-word name using its Changing Your Name contact form, entering the same name in both the first and last name fields.

If you still can’t change it, use the “let us know” link on Facebook’s name help page. Don’t call a “Facebook support” number from search results or give your login code to anyone who offers to fix your name.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often can I change my name on Facebook?

Once every 60 days, according to Facebook’s help pages. That includes changing it back, so a typo can leave you waiting.

Will my friends be notified when I change my name?

Facebook’s help pages don’t say that friends get a notification. Your new name simply appears on your profile and posts.

Does changing my Facebook name change my Instagram name?

Facebook’s steps have you pick one profile in Accounts Center, and the name is changed for that profile. Facebook notes that using the same first and last name on both accounts can help people find you through recommendations.

Can I use a nickname as my Facebook name?

Only if it’s a variation of your real name, like Bob for Robert. Otherwise, add it as an other name.

For more Facebook settings, see how to find your Facebook ID and how to turn off Active Status on Facebook.

Matthew Burleigh

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.