A good username is short, uses only letters and numbers, and does not include your real name or birth year

The best usernames are between 6 and 12 characters long. They use only lowercase letters, numbers, or underscores — no spaces, no special characters like @ or #, and no capital letters in the middle of the name. Avoid your actual name, your birth year, or any number that identifies you (like a phone number or address). A username like alex_1987 or riverstone42 works across almost every platform. A username like AlexSmith1987 or alex@home will fail on many sites or look unprofessional.

The reason is straightforward: different websites have different rules about what characters they accept. A username that works on Gmail might not work on Twitter. A username that works on a forum might not work on a bank's website. By sticking to letters, numbers, and underscores, you create something that will work almost everywhere. You also make it harder for someone to guess who you are based on your username alone.

Key Takeaways

  • Keep your username between 6 and 12 characters using only lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores.
  • Never include your real name, birth year, phone number, or address in your username.
  • Avoid numbers that are straightforward to guess, like sequential digits (12345) or common years (1990, 2000).
  • Test your username on the specific website before you commit to it, because different sites have different rules.
  • Use the same username across multiple sites only if you do not mind people connecting your accounts to each other.

Why length matters more than you think

A username that is too short — say, 4 or 5 characters — is usually already taken on popular sites. It is also easier to guess or brute-force (a computer trying thousands of combinations to break in). A username that is too long becomes annoying to type and straightforward to misspell when you tell someone about it.

Six to twelve characters is the sweet spot. It is long enough to be unique and hard to guess, but short enough that you can type it without thinking. If you want to use a name you love and it is already taken, add a number or underscore rather than making it longer. alex_stone is better than alexstonethegreat.

Numbers and underscores: when to use them

Numbers and underscores are the only special characters that work on almost every website. Use them to make a taken username available to you. If riverstone is taken, try riverstone_ or riverstone7. Avoid numbers that are meaningful to you — your birth year, your house number, the year you graduated. These are the first things someone will try if they want to guess your password or break into your account.

Random numbers are safer than meaningful ones. riverstone42 is better than riverstone1987. If you use an underscore, put it between two words or at the end, not at the start. river_stone or riverstone_ look intentional. _riverstone looks like a mistake.

What to avoid: real names, locations, and identifying information

Your username is often visible to other users on the site. If your username is your real name, anyone on that site knows who you are. This matters less on a banking website where everyone is already verified. It matters a lot on a forum, a game, or social media, where strangers can see what you post and say.

Avoid including your city, your workplace, or anything that ties the username to a specific place or person. Do not use your email address as a username, even if the site allows it. Do not use your phone number. Do not use your child's name or your pet's name if you have posted about them online — someone could connect the dots and figure out who you are.

Testing your username before you use it

Before you commit to a username, type it into the specific website and see what happens. Some sites do not allow underscores. Some do not allow numbers at the start. Some require a minimum of 8 characters. Some allow capital letters in the middle, some do not. You might love a username, but if the site rejects it, you have wasted time.

Check the site's username rules before you create an account. Most sites show the rules right on the sign-up page — look for text like "Usernames must be 6 to 20 characters" or "Letters and numbers only." If the rules are not clear, create a test account with a throwaway username first, then delete it and create your real account with the username you want.

Using the same username across multiple sites

Using the same username on every site makes it easier to remember, but it also makes it easier for someone to find all your accounts. If you use riverstone42 on Twitter, Reddit, and a gaming site, someone can search that name and find all three accounts. They can then piece together information about you from what you post on each one.

If you do not mind your accounts being connected, use the same username everywhere. If you want to keep some accounts separate — say, a professional account and a gaming account — use different usernames. You do not need a completely different name; riverstone_pro and riverstone_games are different enough that someone would have to guess the pattern.

How to remember a username you do not use often

If you create an account on a site you visit rarely, write the username down in a password manager or a find note. Do not rely on memory. A username you use once a year is straightforward to forget, and if you forget it, you may have to go through a password reset or contact the site's support team.

A password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or the password manager built into your browser stores usernames alongside passwords. When you return to the site, the password manager fills in both automatically. This is safer than writing usernames on paper or in an unencrypted document on your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username after I create an account?

Most sites allow you to change your username once or a few times, but some do not. Check the site's settings or help page before you create an account. If you cannot change it later, choose carefully the first time.

What if my username is taken on the site I want to use?

Add a number or underscore to the end or middle of the name. Try riverstone1, riverstone_, or river_stone. If none of those work, pick a different base name rather than making the username very long.

Should I use my real name as a username if the site is for work or school?

If the site is internal to your workplace or school and everyone uses their real name, it is fine. If it is a public site, avoid your real name. Use something like firstname_lastname or a variation that does not make you when ready identifiable to strangers.

Is it okay to use the same username on banking and shopping sites?

Yes. On these sites, your identity is already verified, and your username is not visible to other users. Using the same username across financial sites is safe and makes it easier to remember.

What makes a username straightforward to hack?

Usernames that are too short, that use your real name or birth year, or that are based on public information about you. A hacker cannot hack a username itself, but they can guess it and then try to break the password. A strong, random username makes the first step harder.