Troubleshoot issues with Gmail display names

A display name is the name that shows in the To: field when you compose a new message in Gmail. When you send a message, display names in the message are visible to all message recipients. 

A display name can be different from a Google username and Gmail email address. For example, someone might have a Gmail address that's about a personal interest, such as [e-mail], and a display name that is their actual name, for example Lisa Brown.

This article helps you solve issues with display names in emails you get from contacts, and for emails you send to contacts. For example, when you compose a new message in Gmail, an outdated display name might show for a contact. Or, people who get Gmail messages from you tell you your name is incorrect in your emails.

Issues with display names typically happen when you’ve recently changed your name. For example, if you get married, you could change from "Lisa Brown" at [e-mail] to "Lisa Jones" at [e-mail]. 

Common display name issues and solutions

Display name is incorrect

A display name can appear incorrectly in messages you get from contacts, and in messages you send to contacts. Below are some recommended ways to fix this problem.

Update the display name for messages from a contact

If messages from a contact have an incorrect display name, the contact might be using a custom name in their Gmail Send mail as setting. You can’t update a contact’s Send mail as setting, but you can update the contact’s display name in your own Google Contacts. 

When you update the contacts display name in Google Contacts, you’re the only person who sees that display name when composing a Gmail message to the contact. Other people who get messages from this contact will see the name in the contact’s Send mail as setting. New messages you compose to the contact will use the updated display name in your Google Contacts. However, future messages from the contact will continue to show the name they use in their Gmail Send mail as setting. When you send a message, the display names shown in the To: field, which can be populated from your Google Contacts, are sent to message recipients as part of the message.

To edit a contact name:

1. Go to Google Contacts.
2. Click a contact's name.
3. At the top right, click Edit .
4. Edit the information.
5. Click Save.

Important: You can't change details that automatically come from:

• Your contact's Google profile
• Your contact’s work, school, or organization
• Google Maps, if your contact is a business

For more details, visit Edit or delete contacts.

Update your name in Gmail’s “Send Mail As” setting

If people who get your Gmail messages tell you your name is incorrect in your messages, check and update your name in Gmail’s Send mail as setting. 

When contacts get a message from you, the display name in the message is the name in your Gmail Send mail as setting. However, when a contact composes and sends you a message, the display name in their message is the name they added for you in their Google Contacts. 

Important: You can’t change your name from the Gmail app.

1. On your computer, open Gmail.
2. In the top right, click Settings   See all settings. 
3. Click the Accounts and Import or Accounts tab.
4. Under "Send mail as," click Edit info.
5. Enter the name you want to show when you send messages.
6. At the bottom, click Save changes.

For more details, visit Change the name on your Gmail account.

After you update a display name in Google Contacts, you must wait up to 24 hours to see the change when you compose a message in Gmail.

Display name recently updated in Google Contacts

Wait 24 hours

If a display name was recently changed in Google Contacts, you must wait up to 24 hours to see the change when composing or replying to a message in Gmail.

Display name is incorrect in Google Workspace

If you use Gmail for work or school, your administrator can control the display names in Google Contacts for your organization. Admins can also let people in their organization manage the display name for their own Gmail account.

In Google Workspace, display names are also called profile names.

Admins: Update a user's profile name

If most people in your organization see an outdated or incorrect display name, the admin might not have updated the display name to the current name. Admins can change a user’s profile name. 

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. In the Admin console, go to Menu  DirectoryUsers.
3. In the Users list, find the user. Learn how to find a user account.
4. Point to the user and click Update user.
5. Change the First name or Last name—The name that shows up in emails they send, calendar invites, and other Google services.
6. Click Update User.
7. Click Done.

For more details, visit Change a user’s profile name.

Admins: Let people update their profile name

Administrators can let people in their organization edit their own profile name.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. In the Admin console, go to Menu  DirectoryUsers.
3. At the top-right corner, click More optionsselect Allow users to edit profile.
4. To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit or a configuration group.
5. Under Profile editing, check the Name box.
6. Click Save. If you configured an organizational unit or group, you might be able to either Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit, or Unset a group.

The profile name and nickname are in Google Workspace apps, including Gmail, Contacts, shared docs, and calendar invites. When a user edits either their profile name or nickname, it overrides the admin-set names. Only the User details page in the Google Admin console shows the admin-set names.

If you uncheck Name, user-modified names and nicknames are deleted, and names are reverted to the admin-set names.

For more details, visit Allow Directory users to change their profile and photo.

Gmail users: Update your own profile name

If your admin allows it, you can change your own profile name.

1. Sign in to your Google Account.

2. Under Personal info, click Name Edit .

3. Follow the steps on the screen.

For more details, visit Change your Google Account picture, name & other info. 

Gmail users: Update the display name for a contact

You can change the contact’s display name for people in your organization. When you change a name in your Contacts, you’re the only person in your organization who sees the updated name. Other people in your organization see the display name that your admin entered and manages.

1. Go to Google Contacts.
2. Click a contact's name.
3. At the top right, click Edit .
4. Edit the information.
5. Click Save.

Important: You can't change details that automatically come from:

• Your contact's Google profile
• Your contact’s work, school, or organization
• Google Maps, if your contact is a business

For more details, visit Edit or delete contacts.

Related topics

Gmail users:

• Edit or delete contacts
• Change the name on your Gmail account.
• Change your Google Account picture, name & other info

Google Workspace admins:

• Change a user’s profile name
• Allow Directory users to change their profile and photo