How to Change the From: Name in Your Email

Update your name on Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, Yandex Mail and Zoho Mail

change name in email
Changing your email name in Gmail, Outlook and other popular services just takes a few key strokes and a click of the mouse. skynesher / E+ / Getty
by Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen is a tech writer drawing from experience as a technology ghostwriter and as the creator of a popular blog and a video game startup.
Updated November 21, 2018

When you sign up for a new email account, the first and last name that you enter aren't just for identification purposes. By default, with most email accounts, that first and last name will appear in the "From:" field every single time you send an email.

If you prefer to have a different name show up, whether it's a nickname, a pseudonym, or anything else, it is totally possible to change it up whenever you want. The process is different from one service to the next, but all of the major webmail service providers offer the option.

It is important to note that there are two different kinds of names that are related to sending mail. The one you can change is the name that appears in the "From:" field when you send email. The other is your email address itself, which usually can't be changed.

Even if you use your real name in your email address, changing your email address usually requires you to sign up for a whole new account. Since most webmail services are free, signing up for a new account is usually a viable option if you really want to change your email address. Just make sure to set up email forwarding so that you don't miss any messages.

Here are instructions on how to change your email name for five of the most popular email services on the internet (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, Yandex Mail, and Zoho Mail).

Change Your Name in Gmail

Change name gmail
  1. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Go to Accounts and Import > Send mail as > edit info
  3. Enter a new name in the field that is located just below your current name.
  4. Click on the Save Changes button.

Change Your Name in Outlook

Change your name in outlook.com mail
Changing your name in Outlook.com mail is a little more complicated than others, but there are two ways to do it. Screenshot

There are two ways to change your name in Outlook, since Outlook makes use of a profile that gets used in all of Microsoft's different online products.

If you are already logged into your Outlook.com mailbox, the easiest way to change your name is to:

  1. Click on your avatar or profile picture at the top right corner. It will be a generic gray icon of a person if you have not set a custom profile picture.
  2. Click edit profile.
  3. Go to My profiles > Profile
  4. Click where it says Edit next to your current name.
  5. Enter your new name into the First name and Last name fields.
  6. Click on Save.

The other way to change your name in Outlook involves navigating directly to the page on which you can change your name.

  1. Navigate to profile.live.com
  2. Log in using your Outlook.com email and password if you aren't already logged in.
  3. Click where it says Edit next to your current name.
  4. Enter your new name into the First name and Last name fields.
  5. Click on Save.

Change Your Name in Yahoo! Mail

changing name yahoo mail
  1. Click or mouse over the gear icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Click on settings.
  3. Go to Accounts > Email addresses > (Your email address)
  4. Enter a new name into the your name field.
  5. Click on the Save button.

Change Your Name in Yandex Mail

change name in yandex mail
  1. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Click on Personal data, signature, picture.
  3. Type a new name in the your name field.
  4. Click on the Save Changes button.

Change Your Name in Zoho Mail

change name in Yandex mail
Changing your name in Zoho mail can be tricky since you have to go through two screens and look for a small pencil icon. Screenshot
  1. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Go to Mail Settings > Send Mail As.
  3. Click the pencil icon next to your email address.
  4. Type a new name in the display name field.
  5. Click on the Update ​button.