Updating your preferred name

Important information about preferred names

• Your preferred first and last names will be used for your UBC Card, Canvas account, and class lists.
• If you do not add a preferred name, your preferred name will be your legal name.
• If you have not enrolled in UBC since 2021, you may not have access to Workday. In this case, you will not be able to update your name on your student record through Workday. Please contact Enrolment Services for assistance instead.

How to update your preferred names 

First, go to your Profile in Workday

1. Log into your Workday account at myworkday.ubc.ca. 
2. On the Workday home screen, click your user icon in the top right corner.
3. Click the “View Profile” button in the pop up menu.

Next, go to your personal information

1. Click the “Personal” tab in the left menu. 
2. Click the “Names” tab in the top menu. Your legal name and preferred name will be shown in this view.

Change your preferred name

1. Click the “Edit” button in the right column of the table showing your preferred name. A new window will appear.

2. Edit your preferred name:
   • Uncheck the “Use Legal Name as Preferred Name” box.
   • Enter a preferred first and last name. You must enter a last name even if it is the same as your legal last name. All names can only include English or French characters. 
   • Do not enter a comment in the “enter your comment” field.
   • Click the orange “Submit” button to save your changes.

View your changes 

View your changes by going to your Workday profile. Your updated name will be shown at the top of the left panel.

You can also view your name change history on this page.

Commonly encountered problems

You can only use English and French characters in your preferred name. If characters from other languages are selected, your preferred name process will be canceled and it will not be updated on your record.