legal name vs the name I go by

[swaymarketing]

Hello - 

My legal name is Patricia **Edited for Community Guidelines**,  but I go by **Edited for Community Guidelines**

When I went to verify my account, I had to change my name to reflect the one on my drivers liense.  I really don't want to go by Patricia **Edited for Community Guidelines**. Nobody knows me by that name. Thoughts? 

[mtngigi]

---

Patricia W wrote:

Hello - 

My legal name is Patricia Slavik Wilhelm,  but I go by Tricia Slavik. 

When I went to verify my account, I had to change my name to reflect the one on my drivers liense.  I really don't want to go by Patricia Wilhelm. Nobody knows me by that name. Thoughts? 

---

Do a forum search using the keyword "nickname" and you'll find posts, like this one that an Upwork mod responded to: https://community.upwork.com/t5/Freelancers/Displaying-a-Nickname-in-my-Profile/m-p/430794#M262391

But does it really matter?  Most clients will be complete strangers to you, and visa versa. You can ask to be addressed by your nickname, you can sign your bids with that name, if you're hired you can establish that preference with your clients, etc. etc. In the end, the less you do to confuse your clients, the better.

[swaymarketing]

Well, yes it does matter. My online presence, including my LinkedIn and Google accounts go by **Edited for community guidelines**. As a marketing communications professional words, names and image matter.

[prestonhunter]

Patricia/Tricia:

Virginia provided great advice on this topic.

The name you go by is just a variation on your real, legal name. You are not trying to use a fake name or company name or call yourself "Snazzy Graphics" or something. We have seen MANY freelancers who have worked with Customer Support to make sure that they can use a legitimate nickname or name variant while they work on Upwork. But you'll need to work with Customer Support directly. There is no button or tool in the Upwork user interface that will let you complete this task.

As Virginia mentioned, this really doesn't matter to many people. Clearly it matters to you, so I suggest you keep working on this and I expect you will succeed in what you are trying to accomplish.