Changing a username shouldn’t be difficult. However, you’d be surprised how few platforms offer a way to do it without having to do stunts. With WordPress, there are some not-so-obvious methods to tackle this problem, and we’ll walk you through all of them.
This is what we will see in this article:
- Change WordPress username using a plugin.
- Modify your username through the WordPress database.
- Create a new user to replace the existing one.
We’ll also talk about why you might need to change your WordPress username in the first place. Let us begin!
Why would you want to change your WordPress username?
There are many reasons why you might want to change your username at some point. Some people set up usernames like “silverwolf3000” when they’re young, then realize they sound silly later on. In many cases, you have no choice but to create a new account and consider the issue resolved.
Aside from youthful bad taste, you may also want to change your WordPress username for other reasons. For example, you may need a new username if:
- It sounds very similar to another username on your site.
- You made a typo or other mistake when setting up your username.
- You’re worried that your username isn’t secure enough (after all, it’s easy for hackers to guess “admin”).
- The site or account is transferred to a different person, and you want to change the name accordingly.
In the end, the choice of username is a personal decision. However, it is something you should consider carefully. The only problem is that WordPress doesn’t include a built-in feature to help you change your username. If you want to do it you will have to look for an alternative solution.
How to Change Your WordPress Username (3 Methods)
In the following sections, we are going to explore three methods to change your WordPress username. We will teach you how to use a plugin, change your credentials through the WordPress database and also just create a new account. Let’s start with the first.
1. Install the plugin
When you want to add specific functionality to WordPress, the easiest way to do it is often with a plugin. In this case, it is a simple tool that will allow you to get the job done in minutes:
Before we start, please note that this plugin has not been updated for a while. We generally avoid recommending plugins that don’t receive regular updates, as they are more likely to cause compatibility issues. Nevertheless, you may make exceptions to this rule depending on how simple the functionality of the plugin is. In this case, what the plugin does is a basic change to your database, so it’s not likely to conflict with other tools on your website.
With this resolved, proceed to install and activate the Username Changer plugin. When you’re done, go to the new tab Settings > Username Changer on your desk. Before changing your username, you must configure the plugin to work as expected. First, you’ll need to choose which user roles will get permission to change their own names:
You will notice that this list does not include the role of Administrator, which should be the level of your own account. By default, the plugin grants username change capabilities to all admins, so there is no need to re-enable it.
Now, it’s up to you to choose which other roles have access to this new feature. We recommend enabling it only for users Editor, Author Y Collaborator at most. Enabling it for subscribers can lead to tricky situations, with regular users changing their names all the time.
Moving on, you can also set a minimum length for usernames on your site. The default is set to three, but a minimum of five is often a better idea (to force more unique names):
Finally, you’ll also want to enable email confirmations when users change their names. This way, users won’t have to wonder if the changes were made. More importantly, this will alert a user in case someone tries to hijack their account and change their name:
The plugin automatically sets up a template for WordPress username change emails, but you can modify it however you like. Note that there are several tags that you can use within the email template so that it displays a personalized version for each user.
Now, scroll down to the bottom of the page and save the changes you have made. Scroll back to the top and go to the tab String Settings. Here you will be able to change the buttons and messages that users will see when they try to change their WordPress usernames.
The default setting works fine, but you can always make it more descriptive if you want to avoid confusion. You’ll want to pay special attention to the error messages your users will receive if they try to use duplicate names, otherwise they might keep trying over and over again:
Once again, remember to save any changes you make. When you’re done with that, it’s time to tell WordPress to change your username.
Go to the tab Users > Your profile and scroll down until you see the field Username. You will notice there is a link that says Change Username on the right, so click on it now:
This option will allow you to edit your username directly from the same tab. Once you choose a new one, click Save Username. If the change is successful, which it should be unless the name is duplicated, WordPress will prompt you to log in again. Remember to use your new username, along with your current password.
Before we continue, we should mention that this plugin also allows you to change the names of other users (as long as you are an administrator). To do so, just go to the tab Users > All users and click the button Edit below the user whose name you want to change:
On the next screen, you will see the option to change your name, as you saw it on your profile. Also, the process here works the same way. Keep in mind, of course, that it’s not a good idea to change your user names without their consent unless absolutely necessary.
2. Use your WordPress database
In the previous section, we mentioned that the Username Changer plugin simply alters your username via your site’s database. For this second method, we will teach you how to do it directly, in case you don’t like to install plugins for tasks that you can do yourself.
To do this, you will need access to your WordPress database. Many hosting providers allow you to do this through your hosting control panel. If you use cPanel, for example, you will see a menu like this:
, on the other hand, have access to a custom dashboard. If you log into yours, you’ll find an option called phpMyAdmin just below the section Databases:
By clicking this option, you will be able to choose which database you want to access. If you’re hosting a single site, there should only be one option, so open that.
Before proceeding, you should understand that making changes to your database can be dangerous. We don’t recommend changing any values unless you know exactly what you’re doing or are following instructions from people who know (like us!). In any case, it’s safest to back up your database whenever you intend to make any changes to it, so let’s do that first.
At this point, you should be on the main phpMyAdmin screen. Look for a tab that says Export in the top menu:
On the next screen, choose the option called Quick, which will automatically select all the tables in your database. Then press the button Go:
This will export your database in SQL format and allow you to save that file to your computer. For added security, we recommend that you also save that backup to a second location, such as cloud storage. So if you ever need to restore your database from that backup, you can go ahead and get the job done.
Now that your database is secure, go back to the main phpMyAdmin screen and find the table called wp_users. In some cases, your web server may change that name slightly for security reasons, but it should still be easy to recognize. Once you have access to the table, you will see a list of all user accounts on your WordPress website.
Now you should find your user account by looking for it in the column user_login. When you find it, click the button Edit next to that row:
You will see a list of all the values associated with your account. What you should do is find the row user_login. Then type your new username in the field Value:
You will also notice that there is a second row called user_nicename. In most cases, it should be the same value as user_login. However, if you decide to use your email to log in, the field user_nicename will include your username. Remember not to change any other values here, and instead click the button Go in the lower right corner of the screen.
That is all! You just learned how to change your WordPress username without using a plugin. As with the previous method, you can also use this technique to change the names of other users if you wish.
3. Create a new user (and delete the old one)
Technically, this third method is a bit of a cheat, as you won’t actually be changing your username. Instead, you’ll create a new account, delete your old one, and assign all your posts to your new name. This is a quick and simple trick, but we’ll save it for last because it’s easier to change your WordPress username through other methods.
To get started, go to your dashboard and visit the tab Users > Add new. On the next page, you’ll be able to set all the parameters a new account requires, including your username, email, password, and more:
Think carefully about the username you choose. After all, this will be your new account. You’ll also need to use a different email than the one associated with your current manager account. You can change it back later, so don’t worry too much about it.
Before saving your new user, be sure to assign them the role of Administrator:
This will ensure that your new account has the same privileges as your current account. Now save your new account,…
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