Why does an email's sender name display as the email address for some recipients?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 13 Jun 2025
Updated 18 Aug 2025
7 min read
It can be frustrating when you send an email, expecting your carefully chosen sender name to appear, only for recipients to see your raw email address instead. This inconsistency can diminish brand recognition, reduce trust, and even impact whether your emails are opened. It's a common issue that often puzzles senders, especially when the problem only affects some recipients or certain email clients.
The display of a sender's name versus their email address is governed by a combination of factors, including how the email is formatted, the recipient's email client settings, and crucially, the success of email authentication protocols. Let's delve into why this happens and what steps you can take to ensure your sender name is consistently displayed as intended.
Understanding the email "From" header
At the heart of how your sender name appears is the email's "From" header, as defined by RFC 5322. This header contains two key components: the "display name" (often called the "friendly from") and the email address itself. For instance, an email from "Jane Doe <jane.doe@example.com>" clearly indicates both the name and the address.
Email clients, like Gmail or Outlook, are designed to prioritize displaying the friendly from name because it offers instant context and credibility to the recipient. However, if this display name is missing or improperly formatted, the client may default to showing the email address, which is always present and unambiguous.
It is important to differentiate between the "From" header and the "Envelope From" (or MAIL FROM) address. The "From" header is what recipients typically see, while the "Envelope From" is used by mail servers during the transmission process, primarily for bounces and system-level communication. Ensuring both are aligned and correctly configured is vital for deliverability, but the display name specifically concerns the "From" header.
Header Field
Description
Example
From
The primary sender information, including display name and email address.
From: "Your Brand" <info@yourbrand.com>
Sender
Used when the actual sender is different from the "From" address (e.g., mailing lists).
Sender: "List Admin" <list-admin@example.org>
Return-Path
The address for bounce messages, typically set by the sending MTA.
Return-Path: <bounce@yourbrand.com>
Common reasons for display name issues
Several factors can cause your sender name to revert to an email address. One of the most straightforward reasons is an improper or missing configuration of the display name within your email sending service or client. If the display name field is left blank, or if there are invalid characters, the recipient's client will likely default to showing the email address.
Another common culprit is the recipient's own email client or their address book. If a recipient has you saved in their contacts with a different name, or only with your email address, their client might prioritize that local contact information over the display name you've set. This can explain why only "some recipients" see the issue. For example, Outlook users often encounter this.
Email clients also play a significant role. Each client has its own rules for parsing and displaying the "From" header. Some are more lenient, while others are stricter, especially if they detect what they perceive as unusual formatting or potential spoofing attempts. If an email client suspects the email might be a spoofing attempt, it might intentionally display the full email address to alert the recipient to potential danger. This is a security measure, even if it's sometimes a false positive.
Common causes
Missing display name: The "From" header lacks a properly formatted display name, causing the client to default to the email address.
Recipient's contacts: The recipient's personal address book overrides the sender's specified name. This is a very common cause of issues for Gmail and Apple Mail users.
Email client parsing: Different email clients interpret email headers differently, leading to varied display.
Authentication issues: If email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) fails or is unconfigured, clients may distrust the sender and show the raw address. For example, Mailchimp notes this behavior for unauthenticated campaigns.
How email authentication influences display
While not directly controlling the "From" display name, email authentication protocols like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) play a critical role in establishing sender trustworthiness. When these checks pass, mailbox providers are more likely to deliver your email to the inbox and display the sender information as intended.
Conversely, if an email fails SPF, DKIM, or DMARC authentication, or if your domain is listed on an email blocklist (or blacklist), the email service provider may flag it as suspicious. In such cases, they might choose to display the full email address instead of the friendly name to warn the recipient, or even deliver the email to the spam folder. This is part of a broader effort to combat phishing and spoofing.
Proper DMARC implementation, in particular, ensures that your domain is authenticated for both your "From" header and your "Envelope From" address. When these align, it significantly boosts your sender reputation and signals to mailbox providers that your emails are legitimate, increasing the likelihood that your preferred sender name will be displayed.
Authenticated sending
Trust: Mailbox providers trust the sender due to valid SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
Display: Sender's friendly "From" name is consistently displayed in the recipient's inbox.
Deliverability: Higher chance of reaching the inbox, avoiding spam folders or blacklist issues.
Unauthenticated sending
Distrust: Mailbox providers flag the email as suspicious due to failed or missing authentication.
Display: Recipient's client may display the raw email address instead of the friendly name.
Deliverability: Increased risk of landing in spam folders, impacting sender reputation.
Steps to troubleshoot and ensure proper display
To troubleshoot and fix display name issues, start by verifying your email sending platform's configuration. Ensure that the "From Name" field is correctly populated and doesn't contain any extraneous characters or formatting. If you're sending through a service provider, double-check their specific instructions for setting the sender name. Consistency is key here. Next, I suggest testing email deliverability across various email clients.
Educating your recipients can also help, especially concerning their address books. Advise them to add your email address to their contacts with your preferred display name. This often resolves cases where the recipient's client is overriding your settings. Regularly monitoring your DMARC reports is crucial to identify authentication failures that might be leading to this display behavior. These reports provide insights into how your emails are being authenticated and handled by receiving mail servers.
Finally, when an email's sender name displays as the email address, examining the email headers is the most reliable way to diagnose the precise reason. Headers provide a detailed log of the email's journey and authentication results. Look for the "From" header, and check the results of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This technical insight will pinpoint if the issue lies with your sending configuration or with how the receiving server or client is processing your email.
Example of email headers showing successful authentication
From: "Your Company Name" <info@yourcompany.com>
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=pass (google.com: domain of info@yourcompany.com designates X.X.X.X as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=info@yourcompany.com;
dkim=pass (signature was verified) header.d=yourcompany.com; dmarc=pass (p=none dis=none) header.from=yourcompany.com
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always include a clearly defined display name in your email client or sending platform settings.
Implement and maintain strong SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domains to build trust.
Regularly review your email headers to confirm proper formatting and authentication results.
Encourage key recipients to add your email address to their contact list with your preferred name.
Test email display across various popular email clients and devices to catch inconsistencies.
Common pitfalls
Leaving the "From Name" field blank or entering invalid characters can cause display issues.
Ignoring DMARC reports means missing critical insights into email authentication failures.
Not testing your email sender name in different email clients, assuming it will always display correctly.
Failing to inform recipients that their local contact settings might override your sender name.
Using generic display names that don't clearly identify your brand, which can lead to confusion.
Expert tips
Implement a DMARC policy even at `p=none` to gain visibility into authentication issues.
Check both the `From` header and the `Return-Path` to understand how an email client is processing your emails.
If using an email service provider, ensure their setup aligns with your desired display name and authentication.
Be aware that some email clients, like Apple Mail, have unique display behaviors that require specific troubleshooting.
Understand that blocklist (or blacklist) listings can indirectly affect display by eroding trust.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that a client's triggered campaign was showing the sender email address in the sender name for one customer, even though it displayed correctly as a brand name for others on Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook. This was despite no changes on their end, indicating a recipient-specific or client-specific issue.
2023-09-09 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that to diagnose display name issues, it's essential to ask for screenshots from the recipient, obtain the full email headers, and inquire about the specific email client version the recipient is using.
2023-09-09 - Email Geeks
Ensuring consistent sender identity
The persistent display of an email address instead of a friendly sender name can indeed be a headache, but it's a solvable problem rooted in understanding email standards, client behavior, and authentication. By ensuring your sender configurations are flawless, prioritizing email authentication, and actively monitoring how your emails are displayed, you can significantly improve consistency and maintain a professional presence in your recipients' inboxes. The small effort invested in these checks goes a long way in building and preserving sender trust and engagement.
Gmail or 
Outlook, are designed to prioritize displaying the friendly from name because it offers instant context and credibility to the recipient. However, if this display name is missing or improperly formatted, the client may default to showing the email address, which is always present and unambiguous.
