Rename your email accounts

I have multiple email accounts configured in Outlook. By default, Outlook seems to name them after my email address which is quite long.

For all accounts, the first part is just my name and only the domain part is different (one from Outlook.com, one from Gmail and one from my company’s domain).

Can I shorten this to for instance “Outlook.com” or “Gmail” or even make them a bit more descriptive like “personal” and “business”?

Rename Mailbox buttonUnfortunately, you can only change the display name for POP3 and IMAP accounts in the mail account configuration screen.

For Exchange accounts (on-premises, Exchange Online and Outlook.com), the account name will match the email address.

What does changing the account name do?

What? buttonChanging the account name will affect what is shown in the From field and its dropdown list when you have the From field enabled or multiple accounts configured in Outlook.

For IMAP accounts, changing the account name will also affect the mailbox name in the Folder List (after restarting Outlook). To change the mailbox name of a POP3 account see Changing the display name of a mailbox or pst-file.

How do I change the account name?

How? buttonYou can change the account name of your POP3 and/or IMAP accounts in the following way;

  1. Open the account configuration window;
    • File-> section Info-> Account Settings-> Account Settings…
  2. Double click the POP3/IMAP account that you want to change the display name for.
  3. The next steps depends on your Outlook version;
    • Outlook 2016 (Retail), Outlook 2019 and Microsoft 365
      Change the “Account name” field

      Rename your account to make it shorter or more meaningful to you. Outlook 2016 Retail, Outlook 2019 and Microsoft 365

    • Outlook 2010 / 2013 / 2016 (VL/MSI)
      More Settings…-> change the account name on the General tab

      Rename your account to make it shorter or more meaningful to you. Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016 VL/MSI

  4. "OK" and "Next" yourself out of the open dialogs to return to the main Outlook window.