When I use iMessage on my Mac many of my contacts don't show up by name like they do on my iPhone messages - it doesn't recognize that I have the contact saved already. I have checked the suggestions and I have the Contacts box checked on my Mac in the iCloud, as well as the Contacts turned on in iCloud on my iPhone. I have MacBook PromacOS High Sierra 10.13.6 and iPhone 11Pro 14.4.2.
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13
Hello mfruge09,
Contact syncing is definitely important! We'd like to see how we can assist. To verify, you're not seeing all of your contact names on your Mac, but they all appear on your iPhone. Is that right?
It sounds like you might've already done some research. Have you reviewed all of the suggestions in this link? If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync
If you have, to narrow this down, open the iCloud website on your computer and sign in there. Do all of your contacts from the iPhone appear there? If they do not, that would suggest some might be part of a third-party account: Use other contact accounts on iPhone
If that doesn't seem to help, let us know if the issue is specific to Contacts, or if other content from iCloud isn't syncing also.
Take care.
Hello mfruge09,
Contact syncing is definitely important! We'd like to see how we can assist. To verify, you're not seeing all of your contact names on your Mac, but they all appear on your iPhone. Is that right?
It sounds like you might've already done some research. Have you reviewed all of the suggestions in this link? If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync
If you have, to narrow this down, open the iCloud website on your computer and sign in there. Do all of your contacts from the iPhone appear there? If they do not, that would suggest some might be part of a third-party account: Use other contact accounts on iPhone
If that doesn't seem to help, let us know if the issue is specific to Contacts, or if other content from iCloud isn't syncing also.
Take care.
See the section - Change how your friend’s name appears in the sidebar in the article Create and manage contacts in Messages on Mac - Apple Support
Do one of the following:
The contacts created in Mac address book are set by mobile number and not by first and last name , open address book and update them Update contact information in Contacts on Mac - Apple Support
However , in iPhone they are set correctly by first and last name .
You must be following this article also Use Messages in iCloud - Apple Support
Set up Messages on Mac - Apple Support
Set up Messages on iPhone - Apple Support
Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTime - Apple Support
Contacts not syncing
