The simplest way to change your WordPress username

You cannot change your username directly in WordPress settings — the username field is locked once your account is created. Instead, you create a new user account with the username you want, transfer your posts to that account, and delete the old one. This takes about five minutes and requires you to be logged in as an administrator.

The process works the same whether you run WordPress.com (the hosted version) or WordPress.org (the self-hosted version you install yourself), though the exact menu locations differ slightly. Both paths are covered below.

Key Takeaways

  • WordPress does not allow you to edit your username after account creation, so you must create a new account instead.
  • You need administrator access to create new user accounts and reassign posts from the old account to the new one.
  • The entire process — creating a new user, moving your posts, and deleting the old account — takes about five minutes.
  • If you are the only administrator, create the new account first and log in as that user before deleting the old one, so you do not lock yourself out.

How to change your username on WordPress.com

Log in to your WordPress.com dashboard. In the left sidebar, click Users, then click Add New at the top of the page. Enter the new username you want in the Username field, fill in an email address, set a temporary password, and leave the Role set to Administrator. Click Add New User.

WordPress.com will send a password reset email to the address you entered. Open that email and set a permanent password. Log out of your current account and log back in using the new username and password to confirm it works.

Now reassign your posts. Go back to Users in the sidebar. Find your old username in the list and click Delete. WordPress will ask what to do with the posts attached to that account — select Attribute posts to and choose your new username from the dropdown. Click Confirm Deletion. Your old account is now gone and all your posts belong to the new username.

How to change your username on self-hosted WordPress.org

Log in to your WordPress dashboard. In the left sidebar, click Users, then click Add New. Enter your desired username in the Username field, add an email address, set a temporary password, and make sure Role is set to Administrator. Click Add New User.

WordPress will display a message with a password reset link. Copy that link, open it in a new browser tab, and set a permanent password. Log out and log back in with your new username to verify the account works before proceeding.

Go back to Users in the sidebar. Click on your old username to open its profile page. Scroll down to the Posts section and change the author of all posts to your new username using the dropdown menu. Save the changes. Return to the Users list, find your old username, click Delete, and confirm. All your posts now belong to your new account.

What happens to your old username after deletion

Once you delete the old user account, that username becomes available for anyone else to use — including someone who might want to impersonate you. Do not worry about this if your site is private or has no public-facing content. If your site is public and your old username appeared in author bylines or URLs, consider whether you want to keep those pages live or redirect them.

If your old username was part of a public author URL (like yoursite.com/author/oldusername), that URL will break after deletion. You can set up a redirect in your site's .htaccess file or use a redirect plugin to send visitors to your new author page instead, but this is optional and only matters if people actually visit those old links.

If you are the only administrator on your site

Create the new account and log in as that user before you delete the old one. If you delete your only administrator account while logged in as it, you will lock yourself out of the dashboard and will need to contact your hosting provider to regain access.

The safest order is: create new account, log out, log in as the new account, reassign posts, delete the old account. This way you always have an active administrator logged in.

Changing your display name separately from your username

Your display name — the name that appears on your posts and comments — is different from your username. You can change your display name without creating a new account. Log in, click your profile name in the top right corner, and select Edit Profile (WordPress.com) or Your Profile (WordPress.org). Find the Display name publicly as dropdown and choose a different name from the list, or type a custom name. Click Update Profile or Save Changes.

This change takes effect when ready and does not affect your login credentials. Your username stays the same — only what readers see changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username without creating a new account?

No. WordPress locks the username field after account creation and provides no built-in way to edit it. Creating a new account and reassigning your posts is the only method that works on both WordPress.com and self-hosted sites.

What if I have hundreds of posts under my old username?

The reassignment process handles any number of posts. On WordPress.com, the deletion dialog lets you reassign all posts at once. On self-hosted WordPress.org, you may need to use the bulk edit feature in the Posts list to change the author for many posts at once, or use a plugin designed for bulk author changes if the built-in method is slow.

Will changing my username break my website?

No. Your posts, pages, and content stay exactly where they are. Only the author name and author URL change. If your old username appeared in public author URLs and you want those links to keep working, set up a redirect, but this is optional.

Can I have two usernames at the same time?

Yes. You can create as many user accounts as you need and assign different roles to each one. You only need to delete the old account if you want to remove it entirely. If you just want a second account for a different purpose, leave both active.

What if I forgot the password to my new account?

Click Lost your password? on the WordPress login page, enter the email address you used for the new account, and WordPress will send a password reset link. This works the same way whether you use WordPress.com or self-hosted WordPress.org.