Resolving name-related issues in Gmail

If you have noticed a different name appearing against your Gmail address when you send an email, or when you receive an email from someone, you could be curious about how or why this has happened.

This can be the case because the name displayed with an email address is not necessarily controlled by a single Gmail or Google Account setting. Depending on whether the name appears with a sent message or a received message, where the name appears, and how the Gmail address is being used, it may come from your Google Account, a Gmail setting, a contact entry, or the email application being used to send or receive messages.

This article explains the different possibilities and, more importantly, how to identify where that name is located so that you can correct it at the appropriate place.

Information: Scope of this article

This article is intended for personal Google Accounts associated with Gmail addresses ending in @gmail.com.

It does not cover Google Workspace accounts managed by a business, school, or other organization using its own domain. Those accounts may be subject to administrator-controlled settings and policies that do not apply to personal Google Accounts, so the solutions described in this article may not apply to them.

Table of Contents

1. Before you start: Identify where the name appears
2. Option 1: Check your Google Account name
3. Option 2: Check the name used when sending mail from Gmail
4. Option 3: Check the email application you are using
5. Option 4: Check your own Gmail address in Google Contacts
6. A useful test: Compare Gmail with the other application
7. A simple way to work through the problem

Before you start: Identify where the name appears

Before changing anything, first identify where the unexpected name appears.

One of the most useful first questions is:

Does the unexpected name appear when you send an email, or when you receive or view an email?

This is an important clue because the source of the name may be different in each situation.

When the issue involves a sent message, the name may be associated with the Gmail sender settings or with the application being used to send the message.

On the other hand, when you receive or view a message, the name you see may instead be influenced by contact information or by the application or interface displaying the message.

The sent-versus-received distinction does not, by itself, identify the exact source of the name. It simply helps narrow down where you should investigate.

You should also identify which application or interface is involved.

Important

The application or interface matters. Using the same Gmail address does not necessarily mean that every application will obtain or display the associated name in the same way.

If you use the same Gmail address in different ways, such as through the Gmail web interface, the Gmail mobile app, or any third-party mobile app, email application, or mail client, identify which interface is showing the unexpected name.

The problem may occur in one interface but not another. Knowing exactly where it occurs can therefore help identify where the name is coming from.

Option 1: Check your Google Account name

One possible source of the name associated with your Gmail address is the name on your Google Account.

Your Google Account has personal information associated with it, including your name. That information can be displayed by Google in various places and may therefore be relevant when you notice an unexpected name associated with your Gmail address.

If you have recently changed your name, or if an older name is still appearing somewhere, checking the name on your Google Account is a sensible first step.

You can check your Google Account name using either of these official Google Account pages:

• Google Account name: https://myaccount.google.com/name
• Google Account profile name: https://myaccount.google.com/profile/name

Google Account Name Change Screen

However, changing your Google Account name should not automatically be regarded as the solution to every name-related problem in Gmail.

Pro Tip: Google Account name vs Gmail sender name

Your Google Account name and the name associated with your Gmail address when sending messages are not necessarily the same thing.

If your Google Account shows the correct name but people still see an incorrect name when you send email, continue with the next option rather than repeatedly changing your Google Account name.

Google Account Profile Edit Screen

To set how your name is displayed publicly, click the arrow icon (>) in the Display Name As section, select your preferred format, and click Save.

Google Profile Display Name Options

Option 2: Check the name used when sending mail from Gmail

Gmail has a separate setting that determines the name associated with messages you send from a Gmail address.

This setting can be found in Gmail's settings under Accounts and Import and Send mail as. Selecting Edit info beside the relevant address allows you to check the name being used when messages are sent.

Gmail “Send mail as” Setting Screen

This is particularly important if the problem occurs when you send an email and the recipient sees an unexpected name alongside your Gmail address.

The name shown here can be different from the name currently displayed in your Google Account.

Helpful Note

If your Google Account name is correct but the name shown when you send messages is not, check the Send mail as setting separately.

There is no need to change your Google Account name simply because the sender name in Gmail is incorrect.

If the name shown in your Google Account and the name shown in your Gmail Send mail as setting are both correct, there is a greater possibility that the unexpected name is being supplied or displayed by a third-party email application or mobile app that you are using to access your Gmail address.

In that situation, continue with the next option and check the application or mail client through which you are using your Gmail address.

Updated Gmail “Send mail as” Confirmation

Option 3: Check the email application you are using

Now it is time to look at the third-party applications you are using to access your Gmail address.

This can happen when a Gmail address is being used through commonly used third-party mail clients. For example, you could be using your Gmail address through Apple Mail, Outlook, or another mail application rather than through Gmail in a web browser.

Sender Name Settings in Mozilla Thunderbird

Pro Tip: Identify the application, not the device

Identify the application, not just the device.

Saying that you are using Gmail on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad does not by itself tell us where the name is coming from.

For example, on an iPhone or iPad, you could be using Gmail in a web browser, the Gmail app, Apple Mail, Outlook, or another mail application.

Similarly, on a Mac, you could be using Gmail through a web browser or through a separate mail application.

If the name is correct when you use Gmail in a web browser but incorrect when you use a third-party mail application, that difference is an important clue.

In that situation, investigate the account or sender-name settings within the application that is displaying or sending the incorrect name.

Account Name Setting in iOS Mail App

Helpful Note

You may occasionally encounter an unexpected or older name in another part of the Gmail experience, such as while selecting or attaching a file on a mobile device.

For example, a different name might appear while selecting a document from Google Drive, Files, Adobe, or another application.

If this happens, first look at where the name is actually being displayed.

It may be coming from the application or interface involved rather than from the name Gmail uses when sending your message.

This is not necessarily the same issue described in the options above, but identifying the exact location where the name appears can help you determine where to look for its source.

Option 4: Check your own Gmail address in Google Contacts

Another possible source of an unexpected name is your own contact information.

If your Gmail address has been saved in Google Contacts, the contact entry may contain a name that is different from the name currently associated with your Google Account or the name used by Gmail when sending messages.

This can sometimes be overlooked because you may not think of your own Gmail address as a contact that needs to be checked.

You can open Google Contacts here:

https://contacts.google.com/

Self Contact Entry in Google Contacts

Hovercard Showing Custom Contact Name

If you find an entry for your own Gmail address, check the name associated with that contact and correct it if necessary.

This is especially worth checking when the unexpected name appears in a place where Gmail or another Google service may be using contact information to identify an email address.

Hovercard Restored to Google Account Name

Helpful Note

You may not always see your own Gmail address immediately when looking through your contacts. If necessary, search Google Contacts for the Gmail address itself.

This option is worth checking even when the Google Account name and Gmail sender name are both correct.

A useful test: Compare Gmail with the other application

If you are unsure where the incorrect name is coming from, perform a simple comparison.

First, sign in to Gmail through a web browser and send a test message to another email address that you can check.

Then send another test message using the application in which the incorrect name appears.

Compare the names shown with the two messages.

If the name is correct when sending from Gmail in a web browser but incorrect when sending through another mail application, that strongly suggests that the two applications are obtaining or displaying the name differently.

This comparison can help you avoid changing settings that are unrelated to the actual problem.

Pro Tip

When troubleshooting a name-related problem, change one relevant setting at a time and test the result.

Changing several names or account settings simultaneously can make it difficult to determine which change actually resolved the problem.

A simple way to work through the problem

Rather than changing settings at random, work through the possibilities in this order:

1. Determine whether the unexpected name appears with a sent message or a received message.
2. Identify exactly where the unexpected name appears.
3. Identify which application or interface is displaying it.
4. Check your Google Account name.
5. If the problem concerns outgoing Gmail messages, check the Gmail “Send mail as” name.
6. If you are using another mail application, check that application's account or sender-name settings.
7. Check whether your own Gmail address has an incorrect name in Google Contacts.
8. If necessary, compare the result from Gmail in a web browser with the result from the other application.

Four places to check when troubleshooting a name-related issue in Gmail

The most important point is to determine which source is supplying the name before changing anything.

Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for general informational and troubleshooting purposes. Google, Gmail, Apple, Microsoft, and other services or applications may change their features, settings, interfaces, and policies over time. The steps and descriptions in this article may therefore differ from what you currently see.

This article is based on the author's experience and understanding of the services and applications discussed. It is not an official Google, Apple, or Microsoft support document. Always review the current documentation and settings available for your particular account and application before making changes.

About the Author

Somnath Datta is a Google Diamond Product Expert specializing in Gmail and Google Accounts. He is also a Mentor for new volunteers and Product Experts in both those forums.

He regularly shares technical guides, troubleshooting advice, and step-by-step solutions based on his experience helping Google users and participating in the Google Help Communities.