Should I Use My Real Name On LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is one of the most progressive social networking platforms. Whether you’re a self-employed, entrepreneur, or business owner, you’d definitely not want to miss out on this platform for your career growth.

You can use this platform to market your services, get leads, and ask questions. You can also grow your brand by becoming a part of this 800 million global workforce.

However, it’s important to know the basics before signing up on LinkedIn for the first time. The most common question of starting out on LinkedIn may be "should I use my real name on LinkedIn." Let me tell you, Yes.

Your name is the identity. You are known for it. As obvious as it sounds, everyone on LinkedIn will search for you by entering your real name on the search bar to find you in minutes. Therefore, I would advise you to use your full name on LinkedIn and gain higher visibility on this lead-generation platform.

However, you might witness, not all professionals use their full names on LinkedIn due to restrictions or their preferences. For example, some doctors or lawyers work under their pen names. They hide their real names or identity for obvious reasons. For example, they might not want to reveal their identity, or they are only on the platform for observing without letting others know who they really are. They may also do that simply because they're afraid of getting doxxed.

In short, using your full name on LinkedIn is a better idea as it not only looks professional but also helps others identify you easily. Using your real name on LinkedIn builds authority, others seem to trust you more, you can build your personal brand. And eventually monetize your LinkedIn account.

Is it a problem if I don't use my real name on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a platform where most people come to build their brand and target their ideal prospects. Whether you're on LinkedIn looking for a job or hiring employees, not using your real name on LinkedIn can put you under doubt if you’re there to spam others, a fake personality, or a bot. It is advisable to use your real and full name on LinkedIn to save your account from getting flagged.

Also, if you don't use your real name on LinkedIn, you will miss the chance to use LinkedIn's paid services. LinkedIn can detect the difference between your original name and your card name; hence might not approve your account.

LinkedIn Profile Name: Should I Use My Personal or Company Name?

If you dive deep into LinkedIn's network, you will notice that LinkedIn is mainly used by professionals who have personal accounts. The number of personal accounts is far greater than company accounts that often prefer to use pseudonyms or fake names.

In this way, using your name on your profile should be your top priority. A business or company name is a turnoff in a way that it creates a shield and also makes you a little suspicious. That's why people trust accounts that have their original names.

Should I use my full name or nickname on LinkedIn?

As said earlier, I would always advise you to use your full name on LinkedIn as it sounds more authentic and genuine. In contrast, using nicknames can break the impression of your prospects and might revert them to hiring another service provider with a real account name.

Using nicknames to make a LinkedIn account might also make your prospect assume that you're running a fake account for not-so-good purposes.

Your ultimate goal to set a LinkedIn profile is to gain higher visibility and always be on the front line when someone searches for you. However, this is only possible if you use your full name on LinkedIn, which is the proper practice to follow.

Luckily, LinkedIn also allows you to add your nickname below your real name on your account. To add a nickname to your profile, all you've to do is click the edit icon on the opposite side of your picture and add a nickname.

Can I use a pseudonym on LinkedIn?

If you don't know, a pseudonym means an unauthentic person, which sounds very unprofessional. That being the case, professionals tend to run away from profiles that use pseudonyms instead of their real names.

When registering on LinkedIn's site, you are strictly not allowed to use pseudonyms. You should also avoid using email addresses, associations, business names, or characters that do not reflect your real name. Remember that realism attracts people the most, and so it's better and advised to use your real name instead of your nickname.

Should I Put My Full Name on LinkedIn?

Yes, using your full name on LinkedIn is always a good idea as it sounds and looks more professional. Another reason for using your full name on LinkedIn is that your name initials can be identical to hundreds of other people on LinkedIn, which might make finding you in the crowd hard. It is the reason you have to give your full name when submitting a job application or filling out any form.

Hence, using your real and full name will build an identity for you and makes it easy for people to search your profile easily. I can give you my word on this.

FAQs

How can I hide my last name on LinkedIn?

If you ask me, you should not hide your last name on LinkedIn as it is a professional platform. But there can still be some privacy reasons that may convince you to hide your last name on LinkedIn.

Here are the steps you can follow to do so:

●       First, you need to log in to LinkedIn and press the profile icon.

●       Then, scroll down and select Settings and Privacy.

●       After that, press on privacy at the top of the settings page.

●       Scroll down and you'll see the option "Who can see my last name?"

●       Now, click on "change" and hide your last name.

●       Here you will be shown two options. One will be your complete name, and the other will show the first letter of your last name or the abbreviated name.

How do I announce a name change on LinkedIn?

To announce your new name change on LinkedIn, all you have to do is:

●       Use your new name along with the old name in round brackets. For example, a new name (old name).

After doing this, your connections will automatically receive a notification with your new name. Not only your name but your connections will also get notification of any changes that you bring to your profile, i.e., education, job title, profile picture, etc.

Do You Prefer Any Names For My  LinkedIn Account?

As discussed earlier, LinkedIn always prefers users to make their LinkedIn profiles based on real names. Considering LinkedIn's profile creation rules, your profile name can only include your first, middle, and last name.

Therefore, you can't use pseudonyms, associations, groups, company's, etc.

LinkedIn preferred names are: First Name followed by Last Name, Last Name followed by First Name, or your profession followed by First Name.

How Good Is The LinkedIn Name Search

LinkedIn is a database and a prominent search engine where people search for other people. For this reason, optimizing your profile to get in the LinkedIn's name search is as important as anything else. As a good rule of thumb, it's always better to use your real and full name on your LinkedIn profile.

Conclusion

LinkedIn can be useful for you to expand your reach with other professionals in your niche. To keep everything real and authentic, use your original name to create a good impression of your profile and identity.

When it comes to professionalism, you should avoid using a nickname, pseudonym, or company name as much as possible. LinkedIn is one of the favored channels for professionals to come together and have professional interactions. Hence, no one would like to connect with an account made on a fake name or pseudonym.

Your prospect is probably searching for you based on your identity but not your nickname or company name. So, be sure to use your real name on LinkedIn whenever you make a LinkedIn profile.Making a LinkedIn account isn’t enough to make sure you’re doing well there. Therefore, it’s important to learn other fundamentals of using Linkedin but you don’t have to search that anywhere on the web. Learn your first lesson by reading this guide that says how to avoid getting doxed on Linkedin.