Names on Facebook
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Facebook.com on mobile browsers is in the process of being updated. We’ll be adding updated instructions to the Help Center for features that are available on mobile browsers. Check back over the coming months. See less
To make sure people know who they're connecting with, we ask everyone to use the same name on Facebook that they use in everyday life. We may ask you to confirm
that the name on your Facebook account is the name you're known by.
Confirming your name
If you see a message when you log in asking you to confirm your name, you may be temporarily unable to access certain Facebook features while we work with you to confirm or edit the name on your account.
To confirm or edit your name, log in to your Facebook account and follow the on-screen instructions. You may be asked to upload an ID or something else from our ID list (ex: membership cards, mail) that shows the name you use in everyday life.
Acceptable IDs
Types of IDs that Facebook accepts
Types of IDs that Facebook accepts
Try Guided Help
Our guided help tool can walk you through the steps to resolve your issue.
If you need to confirm your name on Facebook, or if you've lost access to your account, you may be asked to send us a copy of something with your name on it. You have several different options for this, including photo IDs issued by the government, IDs from non-government organizations, official certificates or licenses that include your name or other physical items like a magazine subscription or a piece of mail.
In some cases, such as authorization for advertisers running ads about social issues, elections or politics, there may be special ID requirements.
Please only submit the required documents. Submitting more documents than necessary may delay the review process.
You can also learn more about what happens to your ID
after you send it to Facebook.
Don't digitally conceal ID information
To help us prevent fake IDs and other abuses, we don't accept photos that have been digitally modified to hide information.
You can also physically cover any non-essential information on your ID, before you take a photo of the document.
Government IDs
You can send us 1
government ID to confirm your name or regain access to your account.
Anything that you send us should contain either:
Your name and date of birth, or
Your name and a photo.
Some examples of government IDs we accept include:
Driver’s license
National identity card
Passport
Birth certificate
Non-Government IDs
We understand that your authentic name may not be represented on an official, government-issued ID, or you may not have access to this type of document.
If you can't provide a government ID, you can send us 2
different non-government IDs instead.
Keep in mind:
Anything that you send us must include your name.
At least 1 of the 2 documents should include your date of birth and/or photo.
The name on the items that you send must be the same name that you want to show on your profile.
If you've lost access to your account, you may be asked to provide something from the list that also shows a photo or date of birth that matches the details on your Facebook account. This extra precaution helps us ensure that only you have access to your account.
Examples of non-government IDs we accept:
Student card
Library card
Refugee card
Employment verification
Diploma
Loyalty card
ID Requirements for Ads About Social Issues, Elections or Politics
If you want to run ads about social issues, elections or politics:
Your ID must be from the country where you want to run ads, and the name of that country must appear on your ID.
If your ID has an expiration date, the ID must not be expired.
Accepted ID types differ by country. Check which forms of identification
are accepted in the country you wish to run ads.
Visit the Business Help Center to learn more about ads with political content
.
Using your name on Facebook
We understand that the name you use in everyday life might be different from your legal name. We want you to be able to use the name you most identify with on your Facebook profile.
Names allowed on Facebook
Names allowed on Facebook
Facebook is a community where everyone uses the name they go by in everyday life. This makes it so that you always know who you're connecting with.
What isn't allowed?
Symbols, numbers, unusual capitalization, repeating characters or punctuation.
Characters from multiple languages.
Titles of any kind (example: professional, religious).
Words or phrases in place of a name.
Offensive or suggestive words of any kind.
If your name follows our standards and you're still having trouble changing it, find out why
.
Things to keep in mind
The name on your profile should be the name that your friends call you in everyday life. This name should also appear on an ID or document from our ID list
.
Nicknames can be used as a first or middle name if they're a variation of your authentic name (like Bob instead of Robert).
You can also list another name
on your account (example: maiden name, nickname, professional name).
Profiles are for individual use only. You can create a Page for a business, organization or idea.
Pretending to be anything or anyone isn't allowed.
Which name to use on Facebook when you're in the process of changing your name
Which name to use on Facebook when you're in the process of changing your name
You can only change the name on your Facebook account once every 60 days.
You should use whichever first and last name you most identify with and use in everyday life for your Facebook account
. If you're asked to confirm your name, you can submit something from our ID list
.
Keep in mind that you don't need to have a government-issued ID to confirm your name. Facebook can accept combinations of things like a magazine subscription and a utility bill, or a piece of mail and a credit card statement.
Edit a language-specific name on Facebook
Edit a language-specific name on Facebook
Language-specific names are only available in a few languages. Learn how to add or edit another name
(example: nickname, maiden name) to your profile.
A language-specific name is your Facebook name translated into another language. If someone uses Facebook in the same language as your language-specific name, they'll see your language-specific name in your profile, search results, posts, comments and photo tags. You'll also see your language-specific name if you use Facebook in that language.
Languages that support language-specific names
Languages that support language-specific names
You can use language-specific names in these languages:
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Ukranian
Serbian
Belarusian
Greek
Arabic
Hebrew
Thai
Examples of language-specific names
Examples of language-specific names
Here are some examples of language-specific names:
Facebook Name
Hanako Yamada
Language-Specific Name
山田花子
Facebook Name
Chen WeiJie
Language-Specific Name
陳偉傑
Facebook Name
Young Hee Kim
Language-Specific Name
김영희
Facebook Name
Marina Petrova
Language-Specific Name
Марина Петрова
Add or edit a language-specific name
1.
Tap 
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.2.
Select Settings & Privacy
, then tap Settings
.
3.
Select Accounts Center
then select your profile.
4.
Tap Name
, then tap Manage other names
.
5.
Select your name type and add another name to your Facebook profile.
6.
Tap Save
.
Delete your language-specific name
1.
Navigate to your Facebook profile and tap See your About info
.
2.
Under Other names, tap next to your name and select Delete name
.
If you're having trouble adding your language-specific name, it might be because the name you requested doesn't follow our name standards
. Keep in mind that the language-specific name should be the name you go by in everyday life. Your language-specific name should also look the same on Facebook as it does on things like a magazine subscription, ID or membership card.
If you've read our name policies and think that your name was rejected by mistake, let us know
.
What you can do if you have one name instead of a first and last name
What you can do if you have one name instead of a first and last name
This article is for people with one name instead of a first and last name. To change your first and last name on Facebook, visit this help center article
.
If you already have an account, you can request a one-word name (mononym) by completing the Changing Your Name contact form
.
If you're trying to register for a new account using a mononym, please complete the My Name Wasn't Accepted contact form
.
Both forms ask you to include both a first and a last name. If you only have one name, you can enter the same name for both New first name
and New last name
to submit your request.
Once we receive your request, we'll work with you to place the mononym on your account.
Changing your name or adding additional names
You can also change your name or add additional names (ex: nickname, maiden name) to your profile. Keep in mind that you can't change your name more than once in 60 days.
How to change your name on Facebook
How to change your name on Facebook
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
Change your name on Facebook on your phone's mobile browser
1.
Review our name standards
.
2.
Go to m.facebook.com
on your mobile browser.
3.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.4.
Scroll down and tap Settings
, then tap Personal and account information
.
5.
Tap Name
.
6.
Enter your name and tap Review change
.
7.
Enter your password and tap Save changes
.
Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
1.
Review our name standards
.
2.
Tap 
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.3.
Scroll down and tap Settings & privacy
, then tap Settings
.
4.
Tap Accounts Center
.
5.
Tap Profiles
, then tap your account.
6.
Tap Name
.
7.
Enter your name and tap Review change
.
8.
Tap Save changes
.
If you're having trouble changing your name, please fill out this form
to let us know. You can only change your name every 60 days.
How you can add another name (example: nickname, maiden name) to your Facebook account
How you can add another name (example: nickname, maiden name) to your Facebook account
You can list a name on your account that's different from the name on your ID (example: maiden name, nickname, professional title).
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
Add another name
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap See your about info
.
3.
Scroll down and tap Add a nickname, a birth name...
below OTHER NAMES
.
4.
Select the type of name you want to add next to Name type
.
5.
Enter your other name next to Name
.
6.
Check Show at top of profile
to have your other name listed on your profile.
7.
Tap Save
.
Edit or delete another name
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap See your about info
.
3.
Scroll down to OTHER NAMES
.
4.
Tap 
to the right of the name you'd like to edit or delete.
to the right of the name you'd like to edit or delete. Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
Add another name
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.2.
Tap Settings
.
3.
Tap Personal Information
below Account Settings
.
4.
Tap on your name.
5.
Tap Add a nickname, a birth name...
below Other Names
.
6.
Select the type of name you want to add next to Name type
.
7.
Enter your other name next to Name
.
8.
Check Show at top of profile
to have your other name listed on your profile.
9.
Tap Save
.
Edit or delete another name
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap See more about yourself
.
3.
Scroll down to Other names
.
4.
Tap 
to the right of the name you'd like to edit or delete.
to the right of the name you'd like to edit or delete.Learn more about our other name policies
.
Keep in mind, if you don't check the box to have your other name listed at the top of your profile, it'll still be visible in the See your about info
section of your profile and in search results.
Reasons why you can't change your name on Facebook
Reasons why you can't change your name on Facebook
Facebook is a community where people use the name they go by in everyday life. Always knowing who you're connecting with helps keep you and the rest of our community safe from impersonation
, scams
and phishing
.
If you don't want someone to be able to see your profile (including your name), learn how to block them
.
Change your name
Change your name on Facebook on your phone's mobile browser:
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
1.
Review our name standards
.
2.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.3.
Scroll down and tap Settings
, then tap Personal and Account Information
.
4.
Tap Name
.
5.
Enter your name and tap Review Change
.
6.
Enter your password and tap Save Changes
.
Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
1.
Review our name standards
.
2.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.3.
Scroll down and tap Settings & privacy
, then tap Settings
.
4.
Tap Accounts Center
.
5.
Tap Profiles
, then tap your account.
6.
Tap Name
.
7.
Enter your name and tap Review change
.
8.
Tap Save changes
.
If you're having trouble changing your name, please fill out this form
to let us know. You can only change your name every 60 days.
You may have trouble changing your name if
Your name doesn't follow our name policy.
You changed your name in the last 60 days, or you tried to change it too frequently.
You were previously asked to confirm your name on Facebook.
Your name doesn't match the name that appears on an item from our 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.
Managing your privacy
If you're concerned about using your name on Facebook, we have tools that can help you manage what information people can see about you.
Public information on Facebook
Public information on Facebook
Something that’s public can be seen by anyone. That includes people who aren’t your friends, people off of Facebook and people who use different media such as print, broadcast (example: television) and other sites on the Internet. For example, if you use our services to provide a real-time public comment to a television show, that may appear on the show or elsewhere on Facebook.
Information that's public
Information you share that is always public:
Some of the information you give us when you fill out your profile is public, such as your age range, language and country. We also use a part of your profile, called your Public Profile, to help connect you with friends and family. Your Public Profile includes your name, gender, username and user ID (account number), profile picture, and cover photo. This info is also public. Some of the ways this helps us connect you are:
Your name, profile picture and cover photo help people recognize you.
The pronoun Facebook uses when referring to you helps us describe you.
Listing your networks (example: school, workplace) allows others to find you more easily.
Username and user ID (example: your account number) are in the URL of your profile.
Age range helps provide you with age-appropriate content.
Language and country help us provide appropriate content and experiences.
Information you share publicly:
When you choose to share something with Public
(example: when you select Public
from the audience selector), it’s considered public information. If you share something and you don’t see an audience selector or another privacy setting, that information is also public. Learn more about editing who can see your basic info on your Facebook profile
and using the audience selector
to control who you share with when you post to Facebook.
Stuff other people share:
If other people share info about you, even if it’s something you shared with them but did not make public, they can choose to make it public. Also when you comment on other people’s public posts, your comment is public as well.
Posts on Facebook Pages or public groups:
Facebook Pages and public groups are public spaces. Anyone who can see the Page or group can see your post or comment. Generally, when you post or comment on a Page or to a public group, a story can be published in Feed as well as other places on or off Facebook.
Remember that public information can:
Be associated with you, even off Facebook.
Show up when someone does a search on Facebook or on another search engine.
Be accessible to Facebook-integrated games, applications and websites you and your friends use.
Be accessible to anyone who uses our APIs, such as our Graph API
.
Be accessible to third-parties who use our Research Tools
.
Control who can see what's on your Facebook Profile
Control who can see what's on your Facebook Profile
Here's an overview of who can see what's on your profile and tools you can use to control what you share on your profile.
Tools:
To edit things like places you’ve lived or your family and relationships:
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
Tap Update Info
on your profile.
Tap 
or Edit
to update your information. If applicable, use the audience selector
when you tap
or Edit
to choose who you're sharing it with.
or Edit
to update your information. If applicable, use the audience selector
when you tap
or Edit
to choose who you're sharing it with. Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.Tap See More About Yourself
on your profile.
Tap 
or Edit
to update your information. If applicable, use the audience selector
when you tap
or Edit
to choose who you're sharing it with.
or Edit
to update your information. If applicable, use the audience selector
when you tap
or Edit
to choose who you're sharing it with.As you edit your info, you can control who sees what by using the audience selector
.
Before photos, posts and app activities that you’re tagged in appear on your timeline, you can approve or dismiss them by turning on timeline review
. Keep in mind, you can still be tagged, and the tagged content (example: photo, post) is shared with the audience the person who posted it selected other places on Facebook (example: Feed and search).
Set an audience for who can see posts you’ve been tagged in on your profile
.
To see what your profile looks like to other people, use the View As tool
.
You can also view and adjust your privacy settings:
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.2.
Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy
, then tap Settings
.
3.
Scroll down to Audience and visibility
and tap the option you want to change the privacy for.
Keep in mind:
Anyone can see your public information, which includes your name, profile picture, cover photo, gender, username, user ID (account number), and networks ( learn why
).
Only you and your friends can post to your profile. When you post something, you can control who sees it by using the audience selector
. When other people post on your timeline, you can control who sees it by choosing the audience of the Who can see what others post on your profile?
setting.
Edit information on your Facebook profile and choose who can see it
Edit information on your Facebook profile and choose who can see it
You can edit basic information on your profile like gender, pronouns, contact info, and relationships.
Some information on Facebook is always public. Learn more about public information on Facebook
.
Edit your personal info
Note:
You can choose who sees your gender identity, but the pronouns Facebook uses to refer to you will be public.
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap Edit Profile
below your name.
3.
Tap to add information, or tap EDIT
next to the info you want to change.
To choose who can see your info, use the audience selector
in each section.
If you set your gender to Custom
and select one or more genders, you can also select an audience for your custom gender. In addition to your custom gender, you'll choose a Pronoun
. The pronoun you select is always public
. This feature isn't available in all locations.
Keep in mind, some information on Facebook is always public. Learn more about public information on Facebook
.
Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap 
below your name.
below your name.3.
Tap
or Add
next to the info you want to change.
or Add
next to the info you want to change.4.
Edit the info and use the audience selector
to choose who can see it.
5.
Tap Save
.
Other info you can edit
Edit your name
.
Change your relationship status
.
Add or edit your email
.
Add a mobile phone number
.
If you don't see the option to edit something from your mobile phone, you will need to visit Facebook from a computer.
Learn more about in Accounts Center.
How to see the public view of your Facebook profile
How to see the public view of your Facebook profile
You can see what your profile looks like to people on Facebook who you're not friends with.
Use View As
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap 
then select View As
.
then select View As
.To exit View As, tap Exit
at the top.
Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap 
then select View As
.
then select View As
.To exit View As, tap Exit
at the bottom.
Keep in mind that posts and photos you've hidden on your timeline are still visible to the audience
they're shared with other places on Facebook, like Feed and search. Learn more about public information
.
How do I control who can see my email on my Facebook profile?
How do I control who can see my email on my Facebook profile?
Change who you share your email with
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Tap See Your About Info
, scroll down to Contact Info
, then tap Edit
.
3.
Tap Manage Contact Info
, then tap the email address you’d like to update.
4.
Below Who can see this email address?
tap the dropdown menu and select a new audience.
Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.
in the top right of Facebook, then tap your name.2.
Scroll down and tap Settings
.
3.
Tap Personal information
, then tap Contact info
and the email address you’d like to update.
4.
Below Who can see this email address?
tap the dropdown menu and select a new audience.
Adjust who can see your Friends section on Facebook
Adjust who can see your Friends section on Facebook
By default, the Friends
section of your profile is public
, meaning everyone can see it.
Adjust who can see your Friends section
Classic mobile browser experience
Classic mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.2.
Scroll down and tap Settings
.
3.
Scroll down to Audience and Visibility
and tap How People Find and Contact You
.
4.
Tap Who can see your friends list?
5.
Select the audience of people (such as Friends
) you'd like to have access to your friends list.
Updated mobile browser experience
Updated mobile browser experience
1.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.2.
Tap Settings
.
3.
Scroll down to Privacy
and tap Privacy Settings
.
4.
Tap Who can see your friends list?
below How People Find and Contact You
.
5.
Select the audience of people (such as Friends
) you'd like to have access to your friends list.
Keep in mind
You can only control who can see your friends list on your profile. Your friends also control who can see their friendships on their own profiles.
For example, if you set your friends list to Only Me
, only you'll be able to see your full friends list on your profile. But, if your friend has their friends list set to Public
, anyone can see that you're friends.
If people can see your friendship on another profile, they'll also be able to see it in Feed, Search and other places on Facebook.
People may see mutual friends when they visit your profile.
How to block someone's profile on Facebook
How to block someone's profile on Facebook
When you block someone's profile on Facebook, that profile will no longer be able to do things such as tag your profile or see things you post on your profile.
If you have additional Facebook profiles
, you’ll need to manage blocking from each of your profiles separately.
Block a profile
1.
Switch to the profile that you want to use.
2.
Tap
in the top right of Facebook.
in the top right of Facebook.3.
Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy
, then tap Settings
.
Scroll down and tap Blocking
under the Audience and Visibility
section.
1.
Type the name of the profile you want to block into the search box, then tap Block
.
2.
Select the specific profile you want to block from the list that appears and tap Block
next to the profile name, then tap Block
.
If you can't find a profile using this method, try going to the profile you’d like to block and then selecting Block
from the 
menu in the bottom right of the cover photo.
menu in the bottom right of the cover photo. What happens when I block a profile?
What happens when I block a profile?
When you block a profile, that profile won't be able to:
See posts from the profile you blocked it from.
Tag the profile you blocked it from in posts, comments or photos.
Invite the profile you blocked it from to events or groups.
Start a conversation with the profile you blocked it from.
Add the profile that you blocked it from as a friend.
Other things to consider when you block a profile
Keep in mind that blocking someone may not prevent all communications or interactions (example: in apps or groups). Learn more about what you can see when you block someone’s profile
.
When you block someone who has more than one profile:
Blocking one of their profiles only blocks that profile. It doesn’t block their other profiles. This means that you may still interact with their other profiles.
For example, you may start a conversation with those other profiles or add them as a friend.
When you block someone's profile, this will limit some of the ways they can interact with you from their other profiles.
Blocking a profile that you’re friends with will unfriend it from your profile. This only applies to the profile you used when you blocked your friend. It doesn’t unfriend or block that profile across your other profiles.
If you don't want to unfriend a profile but you want to see less of that profile’s posts on Facebook, you can take a break from that profile
.
The profile you block from will not be able to do things such as:
Start a conversation with the profile you blocked.
Add the profile you blocked as a friend.
If you block someone's profile from more than one of your profiles, the person you blocked may be able to figure out that you own all of those profiles
.
Keep in mind
When you unblock a profile, you won't automatically be friends again.
If you block a profile and then unblock it, you'll need to send that profile a new friend request.
Profiles won't be notified when you block them.
