Introduction
BuddyBoss displays a member’s name using the platform’s standard format (usually First Name Last Name). There is no built-in option to change this. You can customize the display name format to show Last Name first, followed by First Name, by adding a small function to your active theme. This guide explains how you can change the display name format
Custom Workaround
Before proceeding, make sure you have a complete site backup.
- Go to Appearance > Theme Editor in your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Under Select theme to edit, choose your active theme (preferably BuddyBoss Child Theme), then click Select.
- From the Theme Files list, open Theme Functions (functions.php).
- Add the following code just before the closing PHP tag (?>):
function change_display_name_format($display_name_format) {
// Change the display name format to 'last_name - first_name'
$display_name_format = '%last_name% - %first_name%';
return $display_name_format;
}
add_filter('bp_core_display_name_format', 'change_display_name_format');- Click Update File to save the changes.
Once applied, member names across BuddyBoss (profiles, activity feeds, etc.) will display in the format: Last Name – First Name.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Q: The display name format didn’t change. Why?
A: Ensure the code is added to the active theme’s functions.php file. Clear any caching plugins and refresh your site.
Q: Will this affect all areas of the site?
A: Yes. All BuddyBoss areas that display member names will now use this new format.
Q: How can I revert this change?
A: Simply remove or comment out the code from functions.php and save the file.