How to Change a User’s Name While Keeping the Same Email ID in Microsoft 365

How to Change a User’s Name While Keeping the Same Email ID in Microsoft 365

In Microsoft 365, you can update a user’s display name, first name, or last name without changing their email address. This is useful when:

• A user gets married and changes their last name
• A spelling correction is needed
• You want a new display name but keep the same login/email

This guide explains how to update the user’s name safely.

 What Stays the Same?

When you change the user’s name:

1. Change User’s Name in Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Steps:

1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
   https://admin.microsoft.com
2. Go to Users → Active Users
3. Click the user whose name you want to change
4. Under Account, click Manage username and email
5. Update:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Display Name

The user’s name will update across Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and all Microsoft 365 apps.

2. (Optional) Update Display Name in Exchange Admin Center

Sometimes Outlook still shows the old name. To fix this:

1. Go to Exchange Admin Center
   https://admin.exchange.microsoft.com (admin.exchange.microsoft.com in Bing)
2. Go to Recipients → Mailboxes
3. Select the user
4. Click Edit under Mailbox Settings
5. Update the Display Name
6. Save changes

This ensures the new name appears in the Global Address List (GAL).

3. Force Address Book Update (Optional)

Outlook may take up to 24 hours to refresh.
To speed it up:

• Restart Outlook
• Clear Offline Address Book (OAB) cache
• Sign out and sign in again

Example Scenario

Old Name: Mohammed Imthiyaz
New Name: Muhammed Imthiyaz
Email: stays the same → imthiyaz@domain.com

Only the name changes — the email ID remains unchanged.