How to Change Your Name on Facebook

There are many reasons you may want to learn how to change your name on Facebook. Maybe you legally changed your name, maybe you want to make it easier to find you, whatever the reason, it’s pretty easy to do. We’ll cover the different methods, including on mobile and desktop, as well as some particulars about Facebook’s name policies.  

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Facebook Name Change Policy

Facebook has specific guidelines on what factors they allow in your profile name. Here are some good tips to know regarding Facebook’s name policy: 

• Characters from multiple languages are prohibited
• No usage of unusual capitalization, numbers, symbols, or repeating punctuation or characters
• No titles at all, including professional or religious titles
• No phrases or words that are not a name
• No profanity or offensive language
• You can use another name on your account, such as a maiden name or professional name
• Your name should be your real, documented name or some variation that is legally accurate
• Impersonating someone else is prohibited
• You can only change your name once per 60 day interval 

How to Change Name on Facebook

Now that you have an idea of the rules, here are the methods to change your name. Note, the steps are the same as to how to change your last name on Facebook. 

Using an iPhone or Android

For the mobile app on either iOS or Android, the steps for how to change your name on Facebook are basically the same. Here’s what to do: 

1. Sign into your Facebook account on your mobile device
2. Tap the three horizontal lines on the lower right of the screen (hamburger menu)
3. Tap Settings and Privacy
4. Tap Settings
   

5. In the Meta Accounts Center section, tap anywhere to open this up
6. Tap Profiles
7. Tap the profile you want to change
8. Tap name
9. Update your name
   
10. Review Change
11. Save Changes

Using Desktop

For desktop Facebook users, here are the steps to changing your name:

1. Sign into your Facebook account
2. On the top right of the screen, click your profile image
3. Click Settings and Privacy
   
4. Click Settings
5. On the left side of the screen you’ll see the Accounts Center section
   
6. Click anywhere in that section to open up the full Accounts Center
7. Click on the profile you want to update
8. Click on Name
9. Update your name
   
10. Click Review Change
11. Save Changes

How to Add a Nickname on Facebook

You are allowed to add nicknames on Facebook but the platform still wants them to be a variant of your actual, legal name. For instance, Kathy instead of Katherine.

1. Go to your profile by clicking on your profile image
2. Click About on your profile page
3. Click Details about you
4. Click Other names to open up options to add a nickname. Note, there is a dropdown menu that also lets you choose to add a maiden name, alternate spelling, etc. 
   
5. Fill in the field with your nickname. You can choose to show this at the top of your profile if you select the box
6. Click Save

FAQs

How can I change my name on Facebook business page? 

When it comes to how to change your name on Facebook, your business page name can be a little trickier. Here’s how: 

1. Sign into Facebook and select your profile picture on the upper right of the screen
2. Click See all Profiles and choose the Page you want
3. Click your Page picture
4. Go to Settings and Privacy
5. Click Settings
6. Click View
7. Find the General Page Settings and click Edit
8. Update your business page name and choose Review Change
9. You may be prompted to re-enter your password
10. Select Request Change
11. Note, if you only have Task Access to a business page, you won’t have the authority to change the page name 

Why can’t I change my name on Facebook?

It could be that your name isn’t allowed per the Facebook name policy. Or, if you’re updating a business page name, you may not have the authorization to. You also can’t change your name more than once per 60 days, or you may need to wait until you can confirm your identity to Facebook via legal documentation. 

The reason for these strict guidelines is to prevent identity fraud and other identity related scams. Considering how frequently there are impersonations or password hacks, this is an unfortunately necessary move. If you’re making a big change to your name, don’t be surprised if Facebook requires documentation before they let you update your identity. 

Is there a limit on Facebook page name change?

There isn’t currently an overall limit on Facebook name changes, so long as you abide by the only once per 60 days rule.