A preferred name is a name that you choose to be called that is different from your legal name. Preferred names appear instead of your legal name on some university related records and documents, including ID Cards, Blackboard, class rosters, class photo rosters, and final grade rosters. Your legal name appears on all other University records and documents. Stony Brook University allows you to set a preferred name through SOLAR. 

Employees needing to change their legal name need to submit a Request to Change Primary Legal Name form and two valid and original forms of identification. Download the form and review the list of acceptable identification at the Human Resource Services website: stonybrook.edu/hr. For more information, contact Human Resource Services in room 390 in the Administration Building, at 631-632-6161, or hrs_info@stonybrook.edu. 

Students must Complete the Name Change Form found under the General section of the Forms page on the Registrar's website and submit it to the Registrar’s Office with appropriate and required documentation: see stonybrook.edu/registrar.

Set or Change Your Preferred Name

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1. In a browser, go to stonybrook.edu/solar and click SOLAR LOGIN
2. Sign into SOLAR with your Stony Brook ID# (9 digits) and SOLAR password. Click Sign In  
3. From the SOLAR Home Page, under Security and Personal Data, click Names (if you don’t see Names, click more and then click Names)
4. Select the edit button next to the Preferred Name.
   
5. Change the Prefix, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name and/or Suffix. You may set your preferred name to whatever you would like. However, the University reserves the right to remove a preferred name if determined inappropriate.
   
6. Click the SAVE button, and on the Confirmation page, click OK.