How to Update your Email Display Name in Gmail
Have you ever wanted to change the way your Email name is displayed in the “From” line in Gmail?
By default, your Email Display Name in Gmail is taken from your full name on your Google account.
But sometimes, you may not want to display your full name in a Gmail Email.
Or perhaps you want to customize how it is displayed to show additional helpful information, such as your business function or department information.
Here are the steps to change the way your Email name is displayed in Gmail:
1. Access your Gmail Settings by selecting the “gear” icon in the upper-right corner of your Gmail Inbox.
2. Select the “See All Settings” option.
3. Select the “Accounts” tab.
4. You will see your current Email Display Name listed in the section called “Send Mail As”.
5. Select the “edit info” link.
6. The “Edit Email Address” window will now be displayed, showing your current Display name in the first radio button.
7. Select the second Radio Button and enter your new Email display name (in my example, I’m simplifying my Display name to be just “Michael”).
8. Hit “Save Changes”
9. You will now see your new Email Display name listed in the “Send Mail As” section.
Now, when you want to send an email, it will display in the “From” field with this new, shortened Email Display name!
TIP: You may want to consider adding in a “Title” or your “Function” into your new Email Display name, such as “Michael (Tech Support)” to help people know your role.
Adding Emojis and Special Characters to your Sender Name:
If you wish, you can add an Emoji, Emoticon, or other special characters into your Email Display name, start by following Steps 1 through 6 listed above to update your Email Display name until you get to the “Edit Email Address” window.
1. Go to the location in your new Email Display name where you wish to insert an Emoji and hit then “right-click” on your mouse.
2. Choose the “Emoji” option from the displayed Window.
3. Use keywords to search for your desired Emoji.
4. Select the Emoji you wish to insert. (In my example, I searched for a special Email icon and selected one I liked!).
5. Finish entering your Email Display Name. (In my example, I entered “Michael EOS”)
6. Select “Save Changes”.
7. You will now see your new Display Name with this Emoji set in your Email Settings.
Warning: Some email programs and services may block messages with senders that have emoji sender names, so you may want to test out this feature and ensure it doesn’t cause any issues.
Here is what these changes look like in a recipient’s Inbox.
1. My original Email Display name with my full first and last name.
2. My shortened Email Display name with just my first name.
3. My Email Display name with the Email emoticon inserted in the middle.
Enjoy!