UW employees and students have the ability to set their own preferred name in official UW systems. To set your preferred name use this tool:


https://identity.uw.edu/profile


Preferred Name Usage


Most UW systems will use the preferred name you set. It may take a day or two for changes to propagate out to various systems. Systems may use only some fields or display those fields differently. For example, you name can appear as any of these:

  • First Middle Last
  • First Last
  • Last, First Middle
  • Last, First M


💡 Middle Name will not always be displayed. If there are parts of your name that should always display, use the First Name or Last Name field. Your name will appear in lists alphabetically by what you set your preferred Last Name.


Troubleshooting


Your updated preferred name will be loaded by various campus systems. That may not happen immediately, it can take a day or two.


Not every system we use gets updates from UW preferred name, particularly external and unofficial systems. If there is a tool not displaying your name correctly, email [email protected] and we will help you get it fixed.