How to Change Your Account Name in Windows 11

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How to Change Your Account Name in Windows 11

The name on your Windows 11 sign-in screen comes from your user account. Maybe it shows an old nickname, a typo, or the name of whoever set up the PC. How you change it depends on the type of account you sign in with: a Microsoft account (an email address) or a local account (a name that only exists on this PC).

Step 1: Check Which Account Type You Have

Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.
If you see an email address under your name, you use a Microsoft account.
If you see Local account, it's a local account.

Use the matching method below.

Method 1: Change a Microsoft Account Name (Online)

The name Windows shows for a Microsoft account is stored online, not on the PC, so you change it on Microsoft's website:

In a browser, go to account.microsoft.com and sign in.
Open Your info.
Select Edit name.
Type the first and last name you want, enter the Captcha characters, and select Save.

Microsoft says the change can take up to 24 hours to show everywhere. On the PC, sign out and back in (or restart) once it has updated.

This also changes your name in Outlook.com, OneDrive and other Microsoft services, because it is the same account.

Method 2: Rename a Local Account in Control Panel

You must be signed in as an administrator.

Open Control Panel (search for it in Start) and set View by to Large icons or Small icons.
Select User Accounts.
To rename your own account, select Change your account name. To rename someone else's, select Manage another account, pick the account, then select Change the account name.
Type the new name and select Change name.
Sign out and back in to see it on the sign-in screen.

User names can't contain these characters: / \ [ ] " : ; | < > + = , ? * %

Method 3: Use netplwiz (Local Accounts)

The classic User Accounts window gives you a little more control, such as setting a separate full name:

Press Windows + R, type netplwiz and press Enter.
Select the account and choose Properties.
On the General tab, change the User name and, if you want, the Full name (Windows may show the full name, when one is set, on the sign-in screen).
Select OK, then sign out and back in.

Only change accounts you own or manage. On a work or school PC, account names are usually controlled by the organisation, and these options may be greyed out.

What Does Not Change: The User Folder

Renaming an account does not rename its profile folder. If the folder is C:\Users\John, it stays C:\Users\John even after you rename the account to "Jane". Programs and settings point to that folder, so renaming it by hand can break your profile.

If you really need a folder with a new name, the safe way is to create a new account with the name you want, move your files across, then remove the old account once everything works. Back up first - see how to back up your Windows 11 PC.

Switching Between Account Types

If you want the PC to stop showing your Microsoft account details altogether, you can sign in with a local account instead. That has trade-offs (no settings sync, and your BitLocker key backup works differently), which are explained in how to switch to a local account in Windows 11.

Still Showing the Old Name?

Microsoft account: wait up to 24 hours, then restart. Check that you edited the same account you sign in to Windows with (Settings > Accounts > Your info shows the email).
Local account: make sure you renamed the right account, then sign out fully (not just lock the PC with Windows + L).
Old name in a specific app: some apps save the name they saw when you first signed in. Sign out of the app and back in.

If you also want to change what other devices see on your home network, that is the PC's name, not your account name - it's set in Settings > System > About > Rename this PC.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why didn't my name change on the sign-in screen?

For a Microsoft account, the new name can take up to 24 hours to show everywhere, and Windows usually picks it up after you sign out and back in or restart. For a local account, sign out once after renaming.

Will changing my account name rename my C:\\Users folder?

No. The profile folder keeps the name it got when the account was created. Renaming the account only changes the name you see on the sign-in screen and in Settings.

Do I need to be an administrator?

Yes, to rename a local account with Control Panel or netplwiz you must be signed in as an administrator. A Microsoft account name is changed online by the account owner.

Which characters can't I use in a user name?

Windows user names can't contain / \\ [ ] " : ; | < > + = , ? * or %.