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Force First and Last Name as Display Name

By Andrew Lima

User Management & Authentication / User Registration & Login

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Force First and Last Name as Display Name Review - In-Depth Analysis

This plugin enforces the display name to be the user's first and last name. It hides the display name field on the profile edit screen.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4.3/5 (based on 18+ reviews)

Active Installations

2,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin hides the Display Name field on the Edit Profile screen for all users. Instead of allowing users to set this field, the plugin will always set the User field display_name to their first and last name. If these fields are empty, display_name will be set to their username.

Display names are set when the user registers as well as when a user's profile is updated via the WordPress admin.

The plugin includes a batch process to update the display name for existing users. Navigate to Settings > Force First Last in the WordPress admin to run the update.

Comparing to Alternatives

This plugin has no close direct alternatives in its category, making it a unique solution for enforcing first and last name as display names.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Effectively enforces first and last name as display name.
Hides the public display name field when editing users, reducing confusion.
Simple and straightforward functionality without unnecessary features.
Compatible with recent WordPress versions as per user feedback.
Allows bulk updating of display names with a single action.

Weaknesses

Lacks WooCommerce support out of the box; requires manual hook adjustment.
No pro version or advanced features available.
Some compatibility issues reported with certain WordPress versions.
Limited customization options for display name format.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a strong majority of 5-star ratings and very few low ratings, users generally appreciate the plugin's functionality and simplicity.

Positive highlights

'Great plugin! It works great with Wordpress 5.8.1.' — emarketingclusters
'A must have. It hides the public display name field when editing user.' — Suki
'Great plugin. It does what it is supposed to do.' — Lucas
'One button changes display names for all users at once. Very handy.' — Andrew P. Popov
'Still works for the most part; with a small tweak, it supports WooCommerce.' — hotcooler

Common complaints

Does not work with new user registrations on WordPress 5.6.1 and possibly later versions.

Weaknesses

Compatibility issues with newer WordPress versions affecting new user registrations.
Lack of native WooCommerce support requiring manual code adjustments.
No advanced features or customization options.
No pro version to offer enhanced functionality.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a simple, lightweight plugin to enforce first and last names as display names without extra features.

Not ideal for

Those needing seamless WooCommerce integration, advanced customization, or support for the latest WordPress user registration workflows without manual tweaks.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides the core functionality of enforcing first and last names as display names and hiding the public display name field.

Final Verdict

Force First and Last Name as Display Name is a niche plugin that effectively enforces a consistent display name format with minimal fuss. Its simplicity and mostly positive user feedback make it a reliable choice for users who need this specific functionality without additional features.

However, the plugin shows some compatibility issues with newer WordPress versions and lacks native WooCommerce support, which may require manual adjustments. The absence of a pro version limits advanced customization options, so users with more complex needs might look elsewhere.