Learn how to set your preferred name and your preferred personal pronouns in official university records.
You may indicate that a preferred name be used on certain university records and systems.
This includes:
You may also indicate a set of personal pronouns by which you would like to be identified.
To indicate your preferred name and personal pronouns:
Updated your preferred name through the Social Identities Tool on TritonLink.
Students choose preferred names, also referred to as lived names or names in use, for a variety of reasons, including:
Personal pronouns are a way of indicating the set of pronouns by which you should be identified. An example of pronouns is she/hers. More information about personal pronouns may be found at mypronouns.org.
Preferred name and personal pronouns are being implemented across campus however many systems are still being modified to display them instead of legal name. As of September 2019, the following systems have been updated to display preferred first name and middle name for students:
Your legal name will continue to be used on official university documents, on authorized external communications not directed solely to you, and in systems that must use legal name due to legal or regulatory requirements.
For example, legal name will continue to be used on official transcripts, diplomas, authorized payer systems, 1098T, financial aid documents, and communications to your parents about orientation.
If your legal name and your preferred name are the same, you do not need to do anything; your legal name will be used unless you submit a preferred name.
If you have submitted a preferred name and wish to revert back to using your legal name, you may remove your preferred name using the Social Identities Tool.
No, you may only specify preferred first and middle names.
Your displayed preferred name will not include a middle name.
If you wish to change your legal name on University records, you may do so by completing a form and supplying supporting documentation to the Registrar's Office. See Changing Your Legal Name in University Records for details.
No, using a preferred name or personal pronoun is entirely optional.
The default list of pronouns from which you can choose is as follows: He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, Ze/Hir, Per/Per, or your name.
You can also specify a custom pronoun or multiple sets of pronouns via the custom pronoun choice.
Your preferred name will be used to identify you in most day-to-day university business and on some documents, so think carefully before indicating a preferred name that you are not comfortable with being used in public settings within the University.
The University reserves the right to remove or deny a preferred name or personal pronoun submission if used inappropriately. This includes, but is not limited to, foul or inappropriate language or identifiers submitted to avoid a legal obligation or to create misrepresentation.
Names with more than 55 characters may not display completely in some systems.
Contact the UCSD Postmaster with inquiries about setting up an email alias or making changes to your email or username.
Report the incident to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.
There is no limit to how often you can change your preferred name or pronoun, but changes may take up to 30 days to propagate in some systems.
Currently, preferred name and personal pronouns are only available in student systems. As such, systems that you use as a staff or faculty member will not display your preferred name and personal pronouns at this time. However, preferred names and personal pronouns for faculty and staff will be implemented with the adoption of UC Path.