How To Change your Last Name on Facebook

There might be a couple of reasons someone would choose to change their last name. The most obvious reason would be those recently married. Another might be that they simply want to go by something else. There are also those individuals who no longer have, or were never given a last name and prefer to use a mononym like Sting or Prince.

Whatever your reason, you’ll want to know how to update it for your social media profiles. For this article, we’ll be taking a look into how you can go about changing your last name on Facebook.

Changing Your Last Name On Facebook

Changing either of your names on Facebook is rather quite simple. You can do so from either your computer or mobile phone and it takes barely any time at all. Before you change your last name, you should go over Facebook’s name standards to ensure everything goes through smoothly. Would hate for you to have to change it again later, or worse, you get banned for not following the rules.

To change your name on Facebook using a PC:

1. Launch your preferred browser and head on over to facebook.com.
2. Log in with your username/email and password.
3. From the main page, click on the downward arrow at the top-right portion of the screen.
4. With the drop-down pulled up, click on Settings.
5. In the “General” tab (the default tab), click on Name in the right side window.
6. Enter in the name you want into the corresponding box.
7. Once the name has been entered, click Review Change.
8. Type your account password into the appropriate box and click Save Changes.
   • If the name is not allowed according to Facebook’s name standards, it will provide you with an error. The name you provide must be your real name. If you feel that Facebook is wrong in denying your name choice, you can fill out this form and let them know.
   • A name change can only take place once every 60 days, so be sure the change is what you really want before committing to it.

To change your name on Facebook using a mobile device:

1. Using the browser app on your phone, go to m.facebook.com.
2. Log in with the appropriate credentials for your account.
3. Tap on the Menu icon (three stacked vertical lines).
4. Scroll down and tap on Settings.
5. Then tap on Personal Information.
6. Tap on Name and enter the new name.
7. Once the name has been entered, tap on Review Change.
8. Type in your account password and finish by tapping Save Changes.

Maiden Name

Specifically for those who’ve been recently married, changing your last name on Facebook might cause confusion among some of your friends. This is even more likely for estranged friends and relatives who may want to seek you out on Facebook. They’re likely to look for you using your maiden name as opposed to the new one you took on after saying “I do.”

Don’t worry. There is still a way to keep your new last name on Facebook while allowing others to search for you using your maiden name. The initial steps are exactly like those found in the previous section. The only real difference takes place prior to selecting Review Change.

After you’ve changed your last name to the current one:

1. Just below the:
   
   You’ll see Other names followed by the link Add or change other names. Click on this link.
2. From the “Details About You” tab on the left side menu, find the “Other Names” section on the right.
3. In the “Other Names” section, click on the + add a nickname, a birth name… link.
4. Click on the “Name Type” drop-down and select Maiden Name.
5. There are other choices from which to choose if they more closely match your name change reasoning.
6. Type your full maiden name (first and last) into the Name box.
7. Click Save Changes.
   • You can choose to have the maiden name shown at the top of your profile alongside your newly changed name. Just check the box for Show at top of profile.

Now everyone who looks you up by your birth name will be able to find you even while you’re using your married name.

Single Word Names (Mononyms)

So you fancy yourself a superstar? If you already have an account, you can request a mononym by filling out this form. For those who don’t yet have an account and would like to create one using a mononym, you’ll have to fill out this form instead.

Don’t be too surprised to see that they require a first and last name on either of the forms. All you’ll have to do is put in the same name you want to use in both spots. So if you want to be known as Sinbad, you’ll have to type it into New first name as well as New last name when submitting your request.

Once Facebook receives the request, they’ll work with you in order to place your mononym onto your account.

Issues With Your Name Change

To avoid becoming a victim of impersonation, scams, and phishing, Facebook has made it a policy that you must use your real name on your account. This is their way of ensuring the community remains safe from those who would do you and others harm through the use of the social networking platform.

The primary reasons you’d have any issues when attempting a name change would be:

• Your name doesn’t follow Facebook’s name policy. This one is especially important as you’ll be immediately denied should any portion of the policy not be met.
• Changing your name too frequently can cause problems. Facebook only allows you to change your name once every 60 days. Be sure the name you choose is the one you want before clicking the Save Changes button to avoid this becoming an issue.
• You may have already been issued a confirmation email requesting that you confirm the name you’ve entered is the one you want. So check your inbox for messages from Facebook.
• When wanting to confirm that the account you’re attempting to access is, in fact, your own, the name must match the one on your photo ID. This is put in place to protect your information and account from scammers. The name provided must match the name that appears on the item you provided them. To know which forms of ID are accepted, you can check out Facebook’s ID list.

If you’re still having trouble changing your name, you can fill out this form to request a name change and confirm your name.