Need help changing my name on Facebook profile

General
1

I recently got married and I’m trying to update my last name on Facebook, but I’m confused by the settings and not sure which name format is allowed or how long the change takes. Can someone walk me through the exact steps to change my Facebook name without getting my account flagged or locked?

2

Here is the step by step for changing your name on Facebook after marriage.

  1. Go to the right place
    • On phone app: Menu > Settings & privacy > Settings > Personal details > Name
    • On desktop: Click your profile picture top right > Settings & privacy > Settings > Accounts Center > Personal details > Name

  2. Pick your format
    Common options that Facebook accepts:
    • First Middle Last
    • First Maiden Married
    • First Middle Married
    Examples:
    • “Ashley Marie Johnson”
    • “Ashley Smith Johnson” if you want to keep your maiden name as a middle
    Avoid:
    • Symbols, numbers, random caps
    • Titles like “Dr.” “Mrs.” in the name fields
    • Nicknames in last name

  3. Fill in the fields
    • First name: Your first name
    • Middle name: Optional, you can put your maiden name here if you want both to show
    • Last name: Your new married last name
    Double check spelling. Facebook can lock frequent changes, so typos sting.

  4. Choose how it shows
    Some accounts still have an option like “Show as”.
    Example:
    • Legal name: Ashley Marie Johnson
    • Show as: Ashley Smith Johnson
    If your account shows only one layout, use middle name field to include your maiden name.

  5. Submit the change
    • After you edit, hit Review change
    • Pick how you want it displayed if you see multiple options
    • Enter your password
    • Save changes

  6. Timing and how long it takes
    • Often updates instantly or within a few minutes
    • Sometimes it goes into review if Facebook thinks the change is unusual
    • Reviews take from a few minutes up to 24 hours in most cases
    • Name history, strange formatting, or many previous changes push it into review more often

  7. Limits and rules to keep in mind
    • You cannot keep changing your name over and over. Facebook locks further changes for about 60 days after each change
    • Nicknames belong in “Other names” or “Details about you” on your profile
    • Facebook expects “real name” style. If your ID says one thing and the profile looks very different, they might ask for an ID if there is a report or an issue

  8. If it gets rejected or stuck
    • Try a simpler format first: First Middle MarriedLast
    • Remove accents or rare characters if you used any
    • If Facebook requests an ID, use something where your new name already appears, like updated driver’s license or marriage certificate plus photo ID
    • Go to help center: Settings & privacy > Help & support > Help Center > search “name on Facebook”

  9. Quick example for you
    Before marriage:
    • First name: Emily
    • Middle name: Rose
    • Last name: Carter

    After marriage to “Walker”:
    Option A, drop maiden:
    • First: Emily
    • Middle: Rose
    • Last: Walker

    Option B, keep maiden as middle:
    • First: Emily
    • Middle: Carter
    • Last: Walker

    Option C, double last if allowed in your region:
    • First: Emily
    • Middle: Rose
    • Last: Carter Walker

If you say what name you want to show exactly, people here can tell you what to put into First, Middle, Last so the profile displays how you want.

3

Couple extra things to add on top of what @codecrafter already laid out, so you don’t get tripped up by Facebook’s weird quirks:

  1. Check if you’re in “Accounts Center” or the old settings
    Meta’s slowly shoving everyone into Accounts Center, which is why the path can look different than guides online.

    • If you see “Accounts Center” anywhere in Settings, that’s where your name is controlled now.
    • If you don’t see it, your name is still under the older “General” profile settings.

  2. Know what formats Facebook usually approves
    They say “real name,” but they aren’t super strict unless it looks fake or spammy. These usually fly:

    • First + Married last only
    • First + Maiden as middle + Married last
    • Two-part last name like “Smith Walker” as a single last name
      Where people get denied:
    • All caps (“ASHLEY JOHNSON”)
    • Cutesy stuff in last name like “Walker :ring:”
    • Random punctuation in the middle of the name

  3. About using your maiden name
    I actually disagree slightly with @codecrafter on one thing: putting your entire maiden name in the middle field is fine, but if your culture normally uses double last names, it can be better to put “Maiden Married” both in the Last name field together, not split it.
    Example:

    • Last name field: “Smith Johnson”
      Facebook usually accepts that as one family name, especially if that is how it’s on your legal docs.

  4. How long the change really takes

    • Super normal looking change: often instant, maybe a few minutes to show everywhere.
    • If you have changed your name a lot before or you’re going from something very different (like “Liz Star” to “Elizabeth Walker”), it is more likely to get flagged.
    • Reviews I’ve seen: anywhere from ~10 minutes to overnight. Very rarely longer unless they ask for ID.
      If it has been more than 24 hours and it still shows your old name, try:
    • Logging out and in
    • Checking in a different browser or the mobile app
      Sometimes it actually went through but your app is just caching.

  5. The 60‑day lock is real
    Double check spelling before you hit save. If you typo your new last name, you may be stuck with “Wlaker” for 2 months. There is technically an appeal path, but FB is hit or miss on that.

  6. If you want to keep a nickname visible

    • Put your married / legal version in the main name fields.
    • Then go to your profile > About > Details About You > Add other name.
      There you can add nicknames, maiden name, etc., and choose “Show at top of profile.” That way people can still find you by the old name without breaking Facebook’s “real name” rules.

  7. What might work best for you
    Since you just got married and mostly want the new last name to show:

    • If you want to drop the maiden name from the top line: put only your married last name in Last name.
    • If you want both to show but keep it simple: put maiden in the Middle field, married in Last.
    • If your legal name is hyphenated and FB rejects the hyphen for some reason, try it without the hyphen first: “Smith Walker” instead of “Smith‑Walker”.

If you say “I want it to show exactly like: [full name here],” people can map that to the exact First / Middle / Last fields for you so you don’t have to experiment and hit that 60‑day lock by mistake.

4

Couple of extra angles that might help, especially around what format to pick and what to expect after you hit Save:

1. Decide what you really want people to see/search

Before touching settings, write the exact line you want at the top of your profile, like:

  • “Emily Carter Walker”
  • “Emily Walker”
  • “Emily Rose Walker (Carter)”

Then reverse‑engineer it:

  • If you want people to still find you by your old last name, keep that word somewhere in First/Middle/Last or in “Other names.”
  • If privacy matters (you do not want work or certain relatives to search your maiden name), skip putting the maiden in Middle and instead use only the married last name.

I actually disagree a bit with both @codecrafter and @chasseurdetoiles on one thing: they lean heavily on putting the maiden name in the Middle field. That is fine for search, but it also makes your maiden name ultra visible to everyone. If that is not what you want, rely on “Other names” instead and uncheck “show at top of profile,” so you still appear in some searches but not loudly advertised.

2. When your change looks “stuck”

Even after approval, Facebook can lag in odd places:

  • Friends list may show old name for hours.
  • Old comments can show the old name for days.
  • Tag suggestions sometimes use the new name but Messenger still shows the old one for a bit.

If it has been under 24 hours and you only see the old name in some spots, that is usually just caching, not a rejection. Check from:

  • A different device that has never logged into your account.
  • A browser in private/incognito mode.

If everywhere still shows the old name after 24 hours and you got no error, that is when it is worth trying a very plain format (First + Married last, nothing else) to see if that pushes it through.

3. Handling hyphenated or double last names

Facebook is inconsistent here:

  • Sometimes “Carter‑Walker” works.
  • Sometimes it silently complains or flags it.

If your legal name is hyphenated but FB hates the hyphen, I would:

  1. Try “Carter Walker” in the Last name field, no hyphen.
  2. If that passes, add your legal, fully hyphenated name in “Other names” with the label “Name in full” or “Legal name.”

That way, you are closer to your legal name without triggering the system. This is especially useful if your region uses double surnames by default.

4. If you want to keep your maiden visible but not cluttered

A clean setup a lot of people like:

  • Main name: “Emily Walker”
  • Other name: “Emily Carter” labeled as “Maiden name,” with “Show at top of profile” turned on.

That displays as “Emily Walker (Emily Carter)” on your profile for many layouts. It keeps things readable and avoids weird formatting in the main Last name field that could raise a flag.

5. Tradeoffs with each approach

  • Only married last name

    • Pros: Simple, almost never gets flagged, looks “official.”
    • Cons: Old friends may not find you by maiden; people may not recognize you right away.

  • Maiden as middle

    • Pros: Both names searchable, looks fairly normal, works well in most regions.
    • Cons: Permanently exposes your maiden name; if you ever want to “hide” it, you have to wait out the name‑change lock.

  • Double last name (with or without hyphen)

    • Pros: Closest to many countries’ legal practice; looks like a unified family name.
    • Cons: Higher chance of review; can look “fake” to Facebook if the combination is uncommon.

6. A quick sanity check before you commit

Right before hitting Review:

  • Say your full name out loud. If it sounds like something a bank clerk would not blink at, it probably passes Facebook’s “real name” sniff test.
  • Check capitalization carefully. Weird caps are a common reason for forced review.
  • Ask yourself: “Would I be okay being stuck with this for 60 days if I cannot change it back tomorrow?”

If you reply with the exact way you want it to display (for example: “I want it to show as: First: X, Middle: Y, Last: Z”), people here can map that to the safest combo so you do not burn your 60‑day window experimenting.

Also, the breakdowns from @codecrafter and @chasseurdetoiles are solid starting points. They focus more on navigating to the menus and general rules, so pairing their step paths with the format strategy above usually gives you the result you want on the first try.