Legal name change

If this is a personal Microsoft account, sign in to your Microsoft account, select Edit name, make the change, and select Save. The updated display name can take up to 24 hours to appear everywhere.

If this is a work or school account, sign in to that account to update the name. Some organizations do not allow users to change their own names, so an IT admin might need to do it.

If this is a local account on a Windows device:

1. Open Start and type Control Panel.
2. Select User Accounts.
3. Select Change your account name.

If the goal is specifically to match a certification or Learn profile name to a government ID, go to the Learn profile Settings and update the Legal Name there. If the page instructs contact with Certification Support, submit a ticket through Credentials Support. To verify the change, check the Legal Name section in Learn profile settings and ensure it matches the government-issued ID exactly.

Notes:

• Name changes can take up to 24 hours to update everywhere for Microsoft accounts and work/school accounts.
• In Microsoft Entra ID account recovery, matching is based on First name and Last name profile properties, not Display name or User principal name.
• Non-standard font characters are not supported and can prevent sign-in.

• How to change your user account name | Microsoft Support
• How to change your Microsoft account name or address | Microsoft Support
• Frequently asked questions about account recovery in Microsoft Entra ID
• How do i update my legal name in Microsoft profile? - Microsoft Q&A
• Need to update the legal name - Microsoft Q&A