So, you’ve decided it’s finally time to ditch that high school nickname or maybe you just got married and need your profile to reflect reality. Honestly, figuring out how to change your name on Facebook 2024 edition is way more of a headache than it used to be. Meta—the parent company that now owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—has been moving everything into this centralized "Accounts Center." It’s supposed to make our lives easier. It usually doesn't.
If you haven't looked at your settings in a year or two, you’re going to feel lost. The old sidebar menus are gone. Everything is buried under layers of "Account Settings" and "Personal Details." You might find yourself clicking in circles, landing on your Instagram profile when you meant to stay on Facebook. It's a bit of a mess.
Let’s get into the weeds of how this actually works.
Where the Name Change Button Actually Lives Today
First off, forget everything you remember about the old "General Account Settings" tab. To handle your name change on Facebook 2024 style, you need to head straight for the Meta Accounts Center.
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If you’re on a desktop, click your profile picture in the top right. Then, hit Settings & Privacy, followed by Settings. Right there, at the top left of the sidebar, you’ll see a box labeled Accounts Center. Click that. It opens an entirely different interface that looks a lot like the mobile app. From here, you click on Profiles, select the specific Facebook profile you want to edit (especially if you have multiple pages or accounts synced), and then click Name.
Mobile is a similar journey. You tap the menu icon (the three lines), hit the gear icon for settings, and then tap the Accounts Center banner. It feels like Meta is trying to hide these settings behind a curtain, doesn't it?
One weird thing I’ve noticed is that if your Facebook and Instagram accounts are synced, changing your name on one might trigger a prompt to change it on the other. You don't have to do it. You can keep them separate, but you have to be careful not to just click "Update All" by accident. If you do, you're stuck with that name for a while.
The 60-Day Rule Is Still a Total Pain
Here is the kicker. Facebook has this strict policy: once you change your name, you cannot change it again for 60 days.
Think about that for a second. If you make a typo—say you type "Jone" instead of "Jane"—you are Jone for the next two months. No exceptions. Meta’s help center is pretty clear about this, and their support team almost never grants waivers for "oops" moments. People often try to bypass this by deactivating their account or reporting themselves, but it rarely works. The system is automated.
What You Can and Can’t Actually Call Yourself
Facebook isn't a "free-for-all" when it comes to names. They still enforce their "Real Name" policy, though it's slightly more relaxed than it was a decade ago. You can’t just use symbols, numbers, or "unusual capitalization." If you try to change your name to "J4ne D0e," the system will flag it instantly and block the update.
They also hate professional titles. You can't officially be "Dr. Smith" or "Officer Miller" in your primary name field. Meta argues that titles shouldn't be part of your personal identity on a social network. It's annoying for academics and medical professionals, but that’s the rule.
You also can't use offensive or suggestive words. Obviously. But what's less obvious is that you can't use words that represent organizations or "entities." If you try to change your personal profile name to "Best Local Pizza Shop," Facebook’s AI will likely catch it and tell you to create a Page instead.
The Verification Trap
Sometimes, out of nowhere, Facebook might ask you to prove who you are. This usually happens if you’re changing your name to something significantly different from your previous one.
If you go from "Sarah Jenkins" to "Moonlight Butterfly," the algorithm is going to scream "identity theft" or "bot activity." At that point, you might get locked out until you upload a photo of a government-issued ID. According to Meta's official documentation, they accept passports, driver's licenses, or even a couple of "non-photo" IDs like bank statements or library cards, provided the names match.
The problem is that if you're trying to use a pseudonym for privacy reasons—maybe you're a teacher or someone who needs to hide from a stalker—this policy is a nightmare. Many people use "Middle Name + Last Name" or a variation to stay under the radar. Just know that if you get flagged, you’ll need some form of documentation that matches what you’ve typed into that box.
Changing Your Name on Facebook 2024: Step-by-Step for Mobile Users
Since most of us are staring at our phones, let’s talk about the specific tap-path for the app. It's slightly different on iOS versus Android, but the Meta Accounts Center has unified most of it.
- Open the Facebook app and tap the Menu (bottom right on iPhone, top right on Android).
- Tap the Gear Icon near the top.
- Tap the See more in Accounts Center blue link.
- Tap Profiles and select your Facebook account.
- Tap Name.
- Type in your new First, Middle, and Last name.
- Hit Review Change.
Facebook will then give you a few options for how your name appears (e.g., "Jane Doe" or "Doe Jane"). Pick one and hit Save Changes.
You’ll notice there’s also an option for "Manage other names." This is where you put your maiden name or your professional title if you really want it on your profile. These "Other Names" are searchable, which is super helpful if old friends are looking for you under a name you no longer use.
Why Your Request Might Get Rejected
It happens. You hit save and get an error message. Usually, it's one of these three things:
Your name doesn't follow the "standard" format. Too many caps, too much punctuation, or characters from multiple languages (like mixing English and Cyrillic) will get you rejected.
You’re changing your name too often. Even if you haven't hit the 60-day limit, if you’ve changed it multiple times in a single year, you might get a "manual review" flag.
The name you’re choosing is on a "blocked" list. Certain names of famous people or historical figures are restricted to prevent impersonation. You probably can't change your name to "Mark Zuckerberg" tonight. Sorry.
The Business Side: Pages vs. Profiles
It is super important to distinguish between your personal profile and a Facebook Page. If you are a creator or a business owner, you shouldn't be changing your personal name to your brand name.
To change a Page name, you have to switch into that Page’s profile first. Then go to Settings > New Pages Experience > Page Setup. Page name changes also have a review period, usually about 3 days, and you can’t change it again for 7 days. It’s a different set of rules than the personal 60-day lockout.
Privacy Implications of a Name Change
When you change your name, it is a public-facing move. While Facebook doesn't blast out a notification to all your friends saying "HEY, JANE CHANGED HER NAME," the change is immediate on all your old posts and comments.
If you’re changing your name to hide from someone, remember that your User ID (the string of numbers associated with your account) stays the same. If someone has a direct link to your profile, your new name won't stop them from finding you. You might want to consider changing your Username (the custom URL, like facebook.com/yourname) at the same time. You can do that in the same Accounts Center menu where you changed your name.
Actionable Next Steps for a Smooth Name Change
Before you go clicking around, do these three things to make sure you don't get locked out or stuck with a name you hate.
- Double-check your spelling. I cannot stress this enough. Read it three times. Have a friend look at it. One typo and you are stuck for 60 days.
- Decide on your "Other Names" first. If you’re changing your name due to marriage or transition, decide if you want your previous name to remain searchable. If so, add it to the "Other Names" section before you change your primary name.
- Check your linked apps. Changing your Facebook name can sometimes mess with third-party apps where you use "Login with Facebook." Usually, it updates automatically, but if you use Facebook for work-related tools, just be prepared to re-sync.
If you’re ready, head over to the Meta Accounts Center. It’s the gatekeeper for everything now. Just take it slow, watch out for those auto-fill errors, and remember that once you hit "Save," the clock starts ticking on those 60 days.