How to Change Your Display Name in Windows 11

Why Change Your Display Name?

Method 1Using Netplwiz

You open it from the Run box, pick your account, open its properties and edit the Full name field. You need to be signed in as an administrator to change another user’s account.

If you sign in with a Microsoft account, Windows may keep showing the name from your Microsoft profile. In that case, change the name on the Microsoft account website instead.

1. Press Win+R on your keyboard. The Run window opens in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
2. Type Netplwiz in the Open box and press Enter. You can also search for “Netplwiz” in Windows search and open it from the results. The User Accounts window should now appear.

3. Look at the list of user accounts on the Users tab and click the account you want to rename. The row is highlighted when it is selected. If you only see your own account, that is normal on a single-user PC.
4. Click the Properties button. A small properties window for that account opens. If the button is greyed out, you have not selected an account yet.

5. On the General tab, find the box labeled Full name. Delete the current name and type your new display name. Leave the User name box alone. That is the account name Windows uses internally, and it is not the name shown on screen.
6. Click OK to save your changes. Then click OK again in the User Accounts window if it is still open. The new name should show up on the sign-in screen and in the Start menu ⊞. If it does not, sign out and back in. To undo the change, repeat these steps and type the old name.

Method 2Using Local Users and Groups Console

If you run Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education, you can also change the name in the Local Users and Groups console. This console is not included in Windows 11 Home. On Home, the Run command either fails or reports that the snap-in is unavailable, so use Netplwiz or the Control Panel 🎛️ instead. The console works with local accounts. It will not change the name of a Microsoft account, which comes from your online profile.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run window.
2. Type lusrmgr.msc and press Enter. The Local Users and Groups console opens. If Windows asks for permission, click Yes. If you see an error saying the snap-in cannot be found, you are on Windows 11 Home.

3. In the left panel, click the Users folder. The right panel then lists every local account on the PC, with its name and full name.
4. Find the account you want to change and double-click it. The properties window for that account opens on the General tab.
5. Find the Full name field, delete the current name, and type your new display name. Do not rename the account in the list itself. The Full name field is the one that sets the display name.
6. Click OK to save your changes. The Full name column in the list should now show the new name. To undo the change, open the same account again and put the old name back.

What Happens After You Change Your Display Name?

The new display name should appear across Windows right away. The sign-in screen, the Start menu ⊞ and the Settings ⚙️ app all pick up the update, and so do other people who share the machine. You do not need to restart. If an old name still shows somewhere, sign out and sign back in, and restart the 🔄 PC if it persists.

If the old name comes back, or the sign-in screen still shows a different name, check whether the account is a Microsoft account. Those names come from your Microsoft profile online, so change the name there. The new name then syncs to the PC the next time you are online.

Summary