How to Change Gmail Address and Email Name

Gmail Address Vs. Email Name: What’s the Difference?

Before we go any further, let’s clarify the difference between what is your Gmail address (also known as mail handle or ID) and email name:

Because your Gmail ID and email name are two different things, you can register a handle like sportsfan56@gmail.com and have your emails display the name Sarah Johnson for a more professional touch—that’s what I do with my own Gmail account.

But there’s another important difference between your Gmail ID and email name: only the latter can be changed. That’s right, you can’t change email address in Gmail.

So, what's the point of this article, you might ask? While it's true that you can’t change Gmail address directly, there are some less-than-ideal but practical solutions that can help you work around this limitation. Maybe one of them will be even better than an email change.

How to Change Your Email Address on Gmail

While you can't directly edit your existing Gmail address, there are a few effective workarounds, and the following table provides their overview:

Let’s now take a closer look at each of these methods.

1. Create a New Account

The most obvious way to change Gmail email handle is to create a new account. This seems tedious, but if you require a new identity, this is what you need to do:

1. Sign out of Gmail and click Continue.
2. Choose Use another account option.
3. In the sign-in page click Create account and choose the account type.
4. Complete the steps: enter your name and new email address.
5. Confirm and choose a new secure password.
6. Click Next.
7. Choose a recovery mailbox and complete all sections.
8. Agree to the terms and conditions and click Create Account.

Once you have created a new account with your preferred mail ID, you should set up forwarding so that you don't miss any important messages sent to your old email:

1. Sign in to the old account.
2. Click Settings.
3. Choose Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. Find the forwarding section and click Add Forwarding Address.
5. Enter the new account here.
6. Click Next → Proceed → Ok.
7. Verify the link in the new mailbox.
8. Now, go back to the settings in the old account.
9. Go to the POP/IMAP tab again.
10. Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to. It’s a good idea to keep a backup copy!
11. Save.

You could call it a day after setting up mail forwarding, but managing the influx of old and new emails in your new inbox can be overwhelming. To keep your new mailbox organized and clutter-free, I recommend using Clean Email's Auto Clean feature.

With it, you can automatically organize messages forwarded from your old account according to your preferences to maintain a tidy inbox and easily find important messages without the hassle of manual sorting.

2. Send Emails from a Different Address

Instead of creating a new inbox, you can add an existing mail in Gmail and send emails from it directly via the Gmail interface. The new address can be not only from Gmail but also from Yahoo, Outlook, or other non-Gmail services. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open your mailbox.
2. Click Settings → See all settings.
3. Choose the Accounts and Import tab.
4. In the Send mail as section, choose Add another email address.
5. Enter your name and the address you want to also send emails from.
6. Click Next step and send verification.
7. If you are adding a work or school mailbox, you will need to add the SMPT server information, username, and password.
8. Click Add an account to finalize.
9. To confirm the account, click the verification link sent to you.

To switch the account you are sending from, click the from section and select the new email address when typing a message. If you don’t want to switch to the new mail every time you send a message, then you should learn how to change the default Google account.

3. Create an Alias Using the Plus Symbol

Using the plus symbol to create an alias, you can partially change your Gmail handle without getting a new one. For example, if your mail is johndoe@gmail.com, then you can tell someone to send messages to johndoe+notes@gmail.com instead.

All you have to do is add "+" and extra words after your username when sharing your email with other people or signing up for online services. You can then easily filter incoming emails based on these aliases. I personally combine aliases with Clean Email’s Unsubsciber to manage the flow of subscription messages and newsletters in my inbox.

Unfortunately, Gmail aliases can be only used for receiving messages. Also, not all websites and services support the use of the plus symbol in mail addresses, so don’t be surprised if your alias is rejected.

4. Add Dots to Your Email Address

Here's a surprisingly simple trick: Gmail ignores dots (.) in your email handle! This means that the following addresses are all considered the same, and messages sent to them will reach your inbox:

Needless to say, this method only offers a minimal change to your mail address and might not be suitable for professional purposes. It also won’t help you send a message with a different address, so this trick, just like the previous one, is useful the most when signing up for online services or newsletters that you don't want to associate with your primary email account.

How to Change Email Name in Gmail

Instead of creating a new inbox, adding a new ID, or making small adjustments to the existing one, you can simply change Gmail account name. That way, when you send emails, the recipient will see your updated name (but the same email address) instead of your old one. Here’s how to edit your email:

1. Open your mail account.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Click the Accounts and Import tab.
4. In the Send email as section, click edit info.
5. Add a new name here.
6. Click Save Changes.

We have a detailed article on how to change Gmail account name, so make sure to check it out for more information or if you have any questions.