How to Make a Unique Username

Creating the Perfect Personal Username

Build a play on words from your first name. Consider trying things like rhymes, such as "dennisthemenace” or “SillyLily.” Or, use alliteration like "meticulousmathilda" or “PensivePenny.” If you’d prefer not to use your first name, try your middle name!

Combine two or more of your favorite things. Simply brainstorm a list of your favorite things, then smash two or three of them together into a username. You can create absurd, nonsensical usernames in this way, which increases the chances of having a one-of-a-kind username. For example, if you like pandas and orcas, you might make your username "PandaWhale." Or, if you’d like a more edgy username, you might try "KillerPanda.” Try using two favorites from different categories. For instance, if you love ice hockey and creating art out of scrap metal, you might become “IceWelder.”

Add a memorable number to your favorite pastime. Making a username out of what you love to do will not only make it easy to remember, it will make it uniquely personal. You’ll probably have to tack on a number, though, since there are a lot of usernames with things like “swimmer” or “beautyguru” in them. One way to do this is to use your pastime in conjunction with your birth year—for example, "jennyrockclimber86" or "fictionauthor91." If you’d prefer not to use your birth year for privacy or security purposes, choose another memorable set of digits. For instance, if you’ll always remember that you did your first stand-up comedy routine in 2014, you might become “OpenMic14.”

Highlight an odd habit or interest that sets you apart. Like most people, you probably have one or two interests, traits, feelings, or habits that your friends and family attribute only to you. These are things that set you apart from the bulk of the population, and can therefore be good fodder for a username. For example, mention a favorite thing like “agirlandherpinkhat” or “rileylovesmacaroni.” For a “finsta” account that only your friends will see, poke fun at yourself for a personality trait or tendency like “jasonisangstyagain.” If you’re obsessed with kumquats, you might pick something like “kumquatkate.”

Pair one of your favorite things or interests with a descriptive adjective. Create two columns on a sheet of paper. In the left column, write down a list of adjectives (funny, lazy, spunky, sarcastic, etc.) that you’d use to describe yourself. In the right column, jot down a list of things that you enjoy, like your favorite activities, favorite animals, and number-one dessert choice. Then, combine one choice from each column until you find a pairing you really like! You’ll often find usernames that derive from this "adjective-noun" formula—for instance, "DeviousChinchilla" or "AggravatedCremeBrulee.” So, while the formula itself isn’t unique, the combination you come up with can be. When in doubt, add the adjective “official,” “real,” or “just” in front of your username to create something like “justmartinmckenna” or “officiallizardcollector.”

Make sure your prospective username conveys the right tone. You might want to convey humor or silliness in your username, or you might want to inspire a darker, more visceral reaction. Keep this in mind as you come up with possible usernames, since one of the first things people notice about your profile will be your name! For example, a silly username for a writer might be "CaffeinatedPenFiend," while a more intense username could be something like "InkandFire.”

Picking a Unique Brand Username

Choose a username close to your real name or brand name. Using your real name or your business’s name will make it easy for potential employers, sponsors, and customers to find you. If your real name is taken, use underscores or add initials. For example if “southhamptonbakery” is taken, choose “southhampton_bakery.” If your full name is taken, add a middle initial. For example, “mackenziejohnson” would become “mackenzieTjohnson.” Keep it simple, and if possible, limit the amount of special characters and numbers you use.

Include keywords related to your brand or industry. Adding words that relate to your product or service makes your username more searchable. Check out competitor brands and search popular hashtags for inspiration on keywords you should include. If you run a skincare business, you might pick “mollysnaturalskincare.” If you’re a freelance designer, you could use something like “jamiekerrdesigns.”

Add your business’s location to your username. Put your country, state, or city at the end of your username to help you get noticed by potential customers who might be nearby. If you’re a big brand, use your country’s name, but if you’re a small business, use your city name. For instance, if you’re a food blogger you might choose a name like “SamanthaEatsNYC” or “TheFoodieInTallahassee.”

Put your job title in your username. This option works particularly well if you run your own business or do freelance work. As you comment and like other people’s posts, potential customers will be able to immediately see what you do. You can put the title at the front of your username, like “CoachKendra24” or “ChefRodneyPeele.” If it doesn’t feel as natural to put the title at the beginning, put it at the end. For instance, “alexgillphotographer” or “ReneeBlockAttorney” or “EdwardDSharpPlumber.”

Use the same brand username across all your social media platforms. As you create a brand, you want users to be able to find you on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, your business website, and more. Keeping your username as consistent as possible makes it easy for people to identify and remember your brand. If you can’t have exactly the same username, try to get as close as possible by adding a number or city name to the end of the username. That way, if people start to search the first parts of your username they remember, they’ll be more likely to actually find you than if you completely change the name.

Trying a Username Generator

Try different username generators to find your favorite. There are many websites that offer username generators. Popular options include Jimpix, BestRandoms, and Screen Name Creator, to name but a few. Give several a try and see what you think of the results! The remainder of this section will walk you through using a common username generator, SpinXO. This site lets you plug in various words and traits to come up with a unique username, then tests your selected username for uniqueness. This is not an endorsement of SpinXO, however. It’s just a representative example of the general process you’ll follow if you use a username generator.

Answer questions about yourself to generate username options. At the top of the SpinXO page, fill out one or more of the following fields: Name or Nickname - Your name or a common nickname. What are you like? - Enter any word or phrase here. Hobbies? - Add a word or two for your favorite hobby. Things you Like - List one or a few different things that you like. Important Words? - Add one or two words that you enjoy. Numbers? - Add one or two numbers that you enjoy.

Click SPIN!. It's an orange button to the right of the text fields. This will generate a list of 30 possible usernames based on your provided information.

Review the list of username results. In the results section below the text fields, look for a username that you like. If you don't like any of the results, you can click SPIN! again to come up with new options.

Select a username from the list. Click a username that you'd like to use. This will take you to a page on which Spin XO checks the username for availability on common social media platforms. The current platforms it checks are Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, PSN, Reddit, and .com domains. Other username generator sites may check other platforms, so try a few of them out as well.

Review the username's availability. Look at the "Username Availability" section. If you see "Available" to the right of all of the listed social media platforms, your name is unique! If you want to edit the username and check again, you can do so by changing or adding onto the username in the text box at the top of the page, then clicking Check below the text box.

Prioritizing Username Security

Choose as many different usernames as you can comfortably manage. For the greatest level of security, you should choose a different username for every single website, app, and platform you use. This prevents hackers from using a “cascade effect” attack once they gain access to one of your accounts. For ultimate security, utilize a password manager service that produces completely randomized usernames and passwords for you, then stores them in a secure vault. LastPass is one well-known option. In a “cascade effect” attack, a hacker uses info gained from one account to guess their way into other accounts.

Repeat usernames by category if you want fewer total usernames. At the very least, use a different username for each category of accounts you have. For instance, use one username for social media, one for gaming, one for banking, and so on. Try to avoid using the same username and password combination. Having a single username per category makes it easier to remember them, and it also limits the potential damage of a “cascade effect” hack.

Use your full name only as needed in a professional context. You might think that using “JohnDWood” as a username isn’t very revealing, but a dedicated hacker may be able to track down more detailed info about you just by knowing your name. In non-professional categories, don’t use your full name or the name you go by.

Don’t use numbers from your address, phone number, or Social Security number. Adding numbers is an easy way to make a username unique, but don’t give hackers any type of head start by giving away even a small amount of personal information. With just a few digits from a phone number or Social Security number (or similar government identification number), a skilled hacker may be able to figure out key info about you. Ideally, you shouldn’t use the day or year you were born, either. And definitely don’t use your entire birthdate—for example, “JohnSmith112483.” Instead, use a number that’s less revealing but still meaningful to you, like your age when you had your first kiss, your finishing time in your first marathon, or your grandparents’ house number.

Don’t use your email address as your username elsewhere. For example, if your email address is “[email protected],” don’t use “SteadyFreddy429” as your username for your gaming, banking, or other accounts. Keep your email name unique from any usernames. This is another simple way to make things a bit more difficult for hackers.