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Topics Map > Operational Support Resources > 4.5 Educational Technology Support > 4.5.6 Microsoft 365, Sharepoint, & Teams
DoIT - O365 - How to Change Your Preferred Name
Employee legal names by default display in uppercase and use full first names and middle names. Employees can update their preferred name to display in proper case, use nicknames instead of full first names, and not display their middle name.
Background
- Every employee in Extension has a legal name that is set in their Human Resources System (HRS) record.
- Legal names by default display in all-uppercase when an employee record is created.
- Legal names by default display full first name and middle name or initial.
E.g. Your UW-Madison O365 account profile will display the default legal name when it is activated:

If an employee would like to:
- Change the format of the O365 account profile name to be proper case (e.g. "Nathaniel Shay" vs. "NATHANIEL SHAY").
- Use a nickname instead of a legal name (e.g. "Nate" vs. "Nathaniel").
- Not have a middle name display at all (e.g. "Nathaniel Shay" vs. "Nathaniel J Shay").
Then make these changes by changing their preferred name in the Preferred Name app in MyUW
How to Change Your Preferred Name
My UW - Preferred Name Application
- Navigate to the MyUW Portal and log in with UW-Madison NetID and password.
- Click on "Personal Information" tile
- Update your preferred name.
The preferred name here will be displayed in Office 365, MyUW, and the UW Directory.
How to Get Help
- For more information on the preferred name application, please visit [Link for document 25540 is unavailable at this time]
- For more information on the use of preferred name, please visit the Preferred Name FAQ.
- For any issues using the preferred name application, please contact the DoIT Help Desk.