Will changing the 'From' display name affect email deliverability?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that changing your sender name can impact your open rates, as recipients may not recognize the new name. However, it typically does not directly affect deliverability as long as the 'From' address remains the same and is properly authenticated.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that the sending reputation will not be affected as long as the sending address and authentication are correct. A change to the display name will be fine.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that the display name can impact recognition and trust but has a minimal effect on deliverability if authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is properly configured.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that a simple change to the display name should not impact deliverability. Focus on keeping your sending address and authentication settings consistent.
Email marketer from Reddit responds that changing the display name should not hurt deliverability, as long as your sending domain is properly authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and your sending habits are consistent.
Email marketer from Sendinblue says that updating the display name in the 'From' field should not have a negative effect on your deliverability, as long as you keep the email address the same and you have set up authentication protocols.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus shares that updating your ‘From’ name is unlikely to affect your sending reputation. Just make sure that your sending address, authentication and content remains the same, and you’re good to go!
Email marketer from StackExchange suggests that changing only the display name is unlikely to affect deliverability, as the actual sending address is what matters most. They advise monitoring engagement metrics after the change to ensure recipients are still responding positively.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that he doubts changing the display name would affect deliverability. As long as you are not attempting to deceive anyone and you have a good relationship with your subscribers, it is not necessary to worry too much about a change like this.
Email marketer from GMass shares that a slight change to the 'From' name is safe as long as you're sending legitimate emails, the sending domain and IP address haven't changed, and you are authenticated correctly.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from SpamResource, Mikel Durham, explains that changing the display name is unlikely to have a significant impact on deliverability as long as the underlying 'From' address and authentication records (SPF, DKIM) remain consistent and properly configured.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, responds that it’s almost always okay to change your display name. Senders should avoid the 'no-reply' type names and the only reason to be concerned is whether or not your existing reputation is tied to a particular display name.
Expert from Email Geeks responds that you probably won’t find any documentation stating that changing the 'From' display name will not affect deliverability.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost explains that your sending reputation is primarily tied to your sending domain and IP address. A change in the display name should not negatively affect your sending reputation if your overall sending practices remain consistent and within best practices.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that the sender's reputation is tied to the sending domain and IP address. Changing only the display name will have no impact to sender reputation as long as the domain hasn't changed and the message continues to authenticate.
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that the 'From' field contains the identity of the author(s) of the message. While the standard defines the structure of the field, it does not explicitly state how changes to the display name will impact deliverability. Deliverability is more related to the domain part of the address and its reputation.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC helps protect your domain from unauthorized use. As long as your DMARC policy is correctly implemented, display name changes won't affect deliverability.
Documentation from Google explains the Google Workspace sender guidelines. While not directly addressing display name changes, it emphasizes the importance of authentication and consistent sending practices for maintaining deliverability.