Windows 11 · Windows
Change a User Account Name in Windows 11
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Change a Microsoft-account name online, or update a local account's display name through the supported account controls. Work or school names may require an administrator.
Identify the account type
Open Settings > Accounts > Your info and identify whether Windows is displaying a personal Microsoft account, a work or school account, or a local account. The correct edit location depends on this type.
Change a Microsoft-account name
For a personal Microsoft account, open Microsoft's Your info page, choose Edit name, enter the requested verification characters, and save. Microsoft says the new display name can take up to 24 hours to appear everywhere.
Change a local-account name
For a local account, open Start, search for Control Panel, then select User Accounts > Change your account name. Enter the new display name and confirm it.
Use the organization process
For a work or school account, sign in to the organization's account page. If editing is unavailable, the organization controls the name and its administrator must change it.
Check what changed
Sign out and sign back in, then check the displayed account name. This procedure changes the display name; it does not rename the Windows profile folder, and a Microsoft-account name change does not change an Xbox gamertag.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If the old Microsoft-account name still appears, allow the documented 24-hour propagation period before repeating the edit. If a managed account offers no edit control, contact the organization's administrator rather than creating a second identity.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows.
Microsoft currently documents separate name-change paths for personal Microsoft, work or school, and local Windows accounts.