What you're actually changing

When you change your name in Gmail, you're changing the name that appears to other people when you send them email — not your email address itself. Your address (the part before @gmail.com) stays the same. The name change takes effect the next time you send a message, and it shows up in the recipient's inbox and in their reply thread.

Gmail stores this name separately from your Google Account name, so changing it here won't affect other Google services like YouTube or Google Drive unless you change your account name there too. Most people only need to do this once, but you can change it back anytime.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Gmail display name is separate from your email address and changes only what other people see when you send them mail.
  • You change it in Gmail Settings under the "Accounts and Import" tab, not in your Google Account settings.
  • The change takes effect on your next outgoing email and does not affect emails you've already sent.
  • If you have multiple email addresses in Gmail, each one can have its own display name.

Steps to change your Gmail display name

Open Gmail in your web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. Click the "Accounts and Import" tab at the top of the settings page.

Under the section labeled "Send mail as," you'll see your email address and your current display name in parentheses. Click "Edit info" next to your email address. A box will pop up with a text field containing your current name. Delete the old name and type the new one you want to use. Click "Save changes" at the bottom of the box.

Gmail will ask you to confirm the change by sending a verification email to your address. Open that email and click the confirmation link inside it. Once you confirm, the new name is active and will appear on all emails you send from that point forward.

If you have multiple email addresses in Gmail

If you've added other email addresses to your Gmail account (so you can send from them without switching accounts), each address can have its own display name. Follow the same steps above, but in the "Send mail as" section, you'll see multiple entries — one for each address you've added.

Click "Edit info" next to the specific address whose name you want to change. The process is identical: update the name, save, and confirm via the verification email sent to that address. This is useful if you use one Gmail account for both personal and work email, or if you manage multiple addresses for different purposes.

What happens to emails you've already sent

Changing your display name does not change how your name appears in emails you've already sent. If someone looks back at an old email from you, it will still show your old name. The new name only appears on emails you send after making the change.

This also means that if someone has your old emails in their inbox and they reply to one of them, your new name will appear on your response, but the original email thread will still show the old name at the top.

Changing your name back or making a different change

You can change your display name as many times as you want using the same process. Go back to Settings, find "Send mail as," click "Edit info," and type a new name. Gmail will send another verification email to confirm the change.

There's no limit to how often you can do this, and no waiting period between changes. If you made a typo or want to try a different name, just repeat the steps.

If the change isn't showing up

After you confirm the change, it can take a few minutes to show up on outgoing emails. If you send an email right away and the old name still appears, wait a few minutes and try again. Gmail sometimes caches the old information briefly.

If the old name is still showing after an hour, sign out of Gmail completely, close your browser, and sign back in. This clears your browser's cache and forces Gmail to reload your current settings. If it's still not working after that, try a different browser to rule out a browser-specific issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my Gmail name change my email address?

No. Your email address (the part before @gmail.com) never changes. Only the display name — what people see next to your address — changes. If you want a different email address, you would need to create a new Gmail account.

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

Gmail allows most letters, numbers, spaces, and common punctuation marks. Emojis and some special characters may not work or may display differently on different devices and email clients. Stick to standard letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes for the most reliable appearance.

Will my contacts see the name change immediately?

Your contacts will see the new name the next time you send them an email. They won't receive a notification about the change. If they have you saved in their contacts with your old name, that won't update automatically — they would need to edit it themselves.

What if I forgot my current display name?

Go to Settings, click "Accounts and Import," and look at the "Send mail as" section. Your current display name is shown in parentheses next to your email address. You don't need to remember it to change it — just click "Edit info" and you'll see what it currently is.

Can I have a different name for each recipient?

No. Your display name is the same for everyone you email. If you need to send from different addresses with different names, you can add multiple email addresses to your Gmail account and set a different display name for each one, then choose which address to send from when composing a message.