How to Rename User Account in Windows 10 & 11

On Windows 10 and Windows 11, you are prompted to set the name of the user while installing and setting up the system. For those using the Microsoft account sign-in to log into your computer, Windows uses the name from your Microsoft account. This is the name that appears on your login screen, in the Settings app, and elsewhere. However, there might be situations where you need to change the name of the user in Windows. For example, maybe the current name’s spelling is wrong, want to add or remove part of the name, want to use your favorite name from elsewhere, etc.

The good thing is that you have two methods to rename the user account. These methods work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. You don’t have to delete the user account just to change its name. In this tutorial, I will show the methods step-by-step to rename the user account in Windows 10 & 11. Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• Before moving forward, please create a system restore point. The restore point helps you revert if something goes wrong or you don’t like the changes. It’s a simple task and helps you save a lot of time and frustration.

How to Rename User Account with Microsoft Sign-in

Whether you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11, if you are using Microsoft account sign-in to log into your computer, you need to change your name in the Microsoft account to change the name in your computer. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the Microsoft account page in your browser.
2. Sign into your account when prompted.
3. Go to the “Your Info” tab on the left sidebar.
4. Click the “Edit Name” option next to “Full name.”
5. Enter the name in the “First name” and “Last name” fields.
6. Type the Captcha and click Save.
7. Close the browser tab once done and restart your computer.
8. After restarting, you should see the new name on your computer.

How to Rename User Account with Local Account Sign-in

If you are using a local account to sign into your computer, follow one of the two methods below to change the display name of your user account. These methods work in both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Important note: The below methods don’t work for user accounts using Microsoft account sign-in (online accounts).

Using the Control Panel

1. Open the start menu.
2. Search for “Control Panel” and open it.
   
3. Set “View by” to “Category” and click the “User Accounts” link on the Control Panel page.
4. Click “Manage another account.”
5. Now, click on the user account you want to change the name.
   
6. Click the “Change the account name” link.
7. Enter a new name in the blank field and click the “Change Name” button.
8. Close the Control Panel window.
9. Restart your computer.
10. After restarting, you will see the new name in action.
    

Using the lusrmgr.msc Tool

On Pro and Enterprise versions of Windows, you get a nifty tool called lusrmgr.msc that makes managing user accounts easy. One of the things it can do is change the name of any user account in Windows that’s using local sign-in. Here’s how.

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows key + R.
2. Type lusrmgr.msc in the blank field and click “OK.”
   
3. In the lusrmgr window, go to the “User” folder and find your user account.
4. Right-click on your user account and select “Rename.”
5. Type the new name and press Enter.
   
6. Close lusrmgr.msc tool.
7. Restart your computer.
8. After rebooting, the name is changed it reflects everywhere your name appears.
   

Wrapping Up — Renaming User Account Name in Windows 10 & 11

As you’ve seen, renaming your user account in Windows 10 or 11 is a straightforward process, whether you’re using a Microsoft account or a local account. Here’s a quick recap:

• For Microsoft accounts: Change name through online Microsoft account settings
• For local accounts: Use Control Panel or lusrmgr tool.

Remember, this process only changes your account’s display name. Your actual username and profile folder name remain unchanged. For example, I changed my user name from WindowsLoop to WindowsLoopCOM, but my user profile folder in “C:\Users” still shows as WindowsLoop.

However, the user profile folder in the “C:\Users” folder still has the old name. i.e., WindowsLoop. If you wish to change the name of the user profile folder, follow this guide instead—how to change the user folder name in Windows 10 & 11.

Also just like you can change the name of your user account, you can also change the name of your computer (on Windows 10).