How to change your name on Academia

Your profile name is public and appears at the top of your profile. Use the name you want others to see on Academia, especially when you upload or co-author papers, or interact with other researchers. Using your correct name is also important for ensuring proper citation of your works.

Update your name from your profile

1. Go to your Academia profile.
2. Under your profile photo, click Edit profile.
   
3. In the name fields, type in any new name you wish to use. The Middle initial field accepts initials only.
   
4. Click Save Edits.

Click + Add alternative name if you'd like Academia to search for additional names you've published under.

Update your name from account settings

The name on your profile page and account settings are connected, but you can edit your name from either location.

1. Go to your Account Settings.
2. Click the Edit icon next to your name.
3. Enter your first name, middle initial(s), and last name.
4. Click Update Name to save your changes.

Click + Add Alternate Name if you'd like Academia to search for additional names you've published under.

Adding multiple middle or last names

• Multiple last names: You can add multiple last names, but we suggest that you use only the last name you are commonly cited by in the Last name field.
• Middle name vs. middle initial: The Middle Initials field accepts initials only.
  • If you want to show a full middle name, add it to your First name field.
  • If you want to show a middle initial (for example, Mike E Smith), enter the initial in Middle initial.
• Multiple middle names: If you have multiple middle names, enter only the first character of your middle names separated by a space. For example, if my name is "Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill", I should enter "W D" in the Middle Initials field.

Troubleshooting

“Something went wrong” when saving

Try these steps:

1. Remove any non-standard characters or symbols from the name fields.
2. Make sure the Middle initial field does not include punctuation (e.g. a period).
   • If you want to use a period (for example: "Mike E. Hamato"), you can enter your middle initial and period in your first name ("Mike E.").
3. Click Save Edits (or Update Name) again.