Windows 11 · Windows
Change your account name in Windows 11
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Change a Microsoft account name online, a local account name in Control Panel, or ask the administrator to change a managed work or school account.
Identify the account type
Open Settings > Accounts > Your info. Check whether Windows shows a Microsoft account, a work or school account, or a local account, because each type has a different name-change path.
Change a Microsoft account name
Open Your info on the Microsoft account website, sign in, select Edit name, enter the requested verification characters, and select Save. Microsoft says the new display name can take up to 24 hours to appear everywhere.
Change a local account name
Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Change your account name, enter the new name, and save.
Allow time or contact the admin
For a work or school account, sign in to the account's Your info page. If the organization does not allow name changes, contact its IT administrator. Allow up to 24 hours for an accepted change to appear everywhere.
Check the displayed name
Sign out and back in, then check the account name on the Windows sign-in screen. This changes the display name; it does not rename the user-profile folder, change sign-in credentials, or change an Xbox gamertag.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If a personal Microsoft account still shows the previous display name, sign out and allow up to 24 hours for the change to appear across Microsoft services before editing it again.
- A display-name change does not rename the Windows profile folder or Xbox gamertag. For a managed work or school account, ask the organization administrator to change the directory record.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.