diff --git a/spec/unit/room.spec.js b/spec/unit/room.spec.js
index 5e2f9f98473..a533b616b37 100644
--- a/spec/unit/room.spec.js
+++ b/spec/unit/room.spec.js
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@ describe("Room", function() {
                 });
 
                 room.recalculate();
-                expect(room.name).toEqual(`${userB} and 2 others`);
+                expect(room.name).toEqual(`${userB}, ${userC} and ${userD}`);
             });
 
             it("missing hero member state reverts to mxid", function() {
@@ -722,7 +722,8 @@ describe("Room", function() {
             });
 
             it("uses counts from summary", function() {
-                const name = "Mr B";
+                const firstName = "Bean";
+                const name = `${firstName} Mr`;
                 addMember(userB, "join", {name});
                 room.setSummary({
                     "m.heroes": [userB],
@@ -730,19 +731,21 @@ describe("Room", function() {
                     "m.invited_member_count": 50,
                 });
                 room.recalculate();
-                expect(room.name).toEqual(`${name} and 98 others`);
+                expect(room.name).toEqual(`${firstName} and 98 others`);
             });
 
             it("relies on heroes in case of absent counts", function() {
-                const nameB = "Mr Bean";
-                const nameC = "Mel C";
+                const firstNameB = "Bean";
+                const nameB = `${firstNameB} Mr`;
+                const firstNameC = "Mel";
+                const nameC = `${firstNameC} C`;
                 addMember(userB, "join", {name: nameB});
                 addMember(userC, "join", {name: nameC});
                 room.setSummary({
                     "m.heroes": [userB, userC],
                 });
                 room.recalculate();
-                expect(room.name).toEqual(`${nameB} and ${nameC}`);
+                expect(room.name).toEqual(`${firstNameB} and ${firstNameC}`);
             });
 
             it("uses only heroes", function() {
diff --git a/src/models/room.js b/src/models/room.js
index 466f20fd6b0..f6e2adc2fef 100644
--- a/src/models/room.js
+++ b/src/models/room.js
@@ -1866,8 +1866,7 @@ function calculateRoomName(room, userId, ignoreRoomNameEvent) {
 
     const joinedMemberCount = room.currentState.getJoinedMemberCount();
     const invitedMemberCount = room.currentState.getInvitedMemberCount();
-    // -1 because these numbers include the syncing user
-    const inviteJoinCount = joinedMemberCount + invitedMemberCount - 1;
+    const inviteJoinCount = joinedMemberCount + invitedMemberCount;
 
     // get members that are NOT ourselves and are actually in the room.
     let otherNames = null;
@@ -1890,7 +1889,7 @@ function calculateRoomName(room, userId, ignoreRoomNameEvent) {
         otherNames = otherMembers.map((m) => m.name);
     }
 
-    if (inviteJoinCount) {
+    if (inviteJoinCount > 1) {
         return memberNamesToRoomName(otherNames, inviteJoinCount);
     }
 
@@ -1926,6 +1925,16 @@ function calculateRoomName(room, userId, ignoreRoomNameEvent) {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Simplifies a full name to a single word.
+ *
+ * @param {string} name The full name of a room member
+ * @return {string} A single word of the name
+ */
+function shortName(name) {
+    return name.split(" ")[0];
+}
+
 function memberNamesToRoomName(names, count = (names.length + 1)) {
     const countWithoutMe = count - 1;
     if (!names.length) {
@@ -1933,13 +1942,24 @@ function memberNamesToRoomName(names, count = (names.length + 1)) {
     } else if (names.length === 1 && countWithoutMe <= 1) {
         return names[0];
     } else if (names.length === 2 && countWithoutMe <= 2) {
-        return `${names[0]} and ${names[1]}`;
-    } else {
-        const plural = countWithoutMe > 1;
+        return `${shortName(names[0])} and ${shortName(names[1])}`;
+    } else if (names.length === 3 && countWithoutMe <= 3) {
+        return `${shortName(names[0])}, ${shortName(names[1])} and ${shortName(names[2])}`;
+    } else if (names.length >= 2) {
+        const restCount = countWithoutMe - 2;
+        const plural = restCount > 1;
+        if (plural) {
+            return `${shortName(names[0])}, ${shortName(names[1])} and ${restCount} others`;
+        } else {
+            return `${shortName(names[0])}, ${shortName(names[1])} and 1 other`;
+        }
+    } else { // Implicit name.length === 1
+        const restCount = countWithoutMe - 1;
+        const plural = restCount > 1;
         if (plural) {
-            return `${names[0]} and ${countWithoutMe} others`;
+            return `${shortName(names[0])} and ${restCount} others`;
         } else {
-            return `${names[0]} and 1 other`;
+            return `${shortName(names[0])} and 1 other`;
         }
     }
 }