Meta:Changing username

←Policies and guidelines

Bureaucrat policies and information

Archives (current)→

This page permits users to request, and bureaucrats to consider and carry out, username changes. It is generally only possible to rename an account to a name which is not yet taken. Usernames with zero or very few edits may be usurped. Requests regarding SUL can also be filled here. See SRUC to request renames on wikis without bureaucrats.

General requests for: help from a Meta sysop or bureaucrat · deletion (speedy deletions: local · multilingual) · URL blacklisting · new languages · interwiki map

Personal requests for: username changes · permissions (global) · bot status · adminship on Meta · CheckUser information (local) · local administrator help

Cooperation requests for: comments (local) (global) · translation

Instructions

Please follow these instructions carefully to ensure the correct processing of your request.

• Check that the username you are requesting does not yet exist, or has no edits. This may be done via the search function at Special:ListUsers; if the name appears in the list, even if the link is red, the name is taken. Be sure to capitalize the first letter of the username, as the software does not permit usernames that begin with a lowercase letter. Do not create an account under the new name.
• To have your username changed, add a request and follow this procedure:

1. Replace CURRENT NAME with your current username (no "User:" prefix). This can be left untouched for SUL requests.
2. Replace TARGET NAME with the username you wish to take (again, no "User:" prefix).
3. State your reason(s) for requesting a rename directly after reason=. This is compulsory for rename requests.
4. Place your confirmation link (without square brackets) directly after link=. This is compulsory for SUL requests.
5. Add the request format directly after format=. This must be filled in with one of the following parameters: Rename/Usurp/SUL

   format=Rename is for simple rename requests.

   format=Usurp is for requests concerning usurpation of already existing meta accounts.

   format=SUL is for regular SUL requests.

6. NOTE: do not fill in the section name or add your signature ( ~~~~ ). This is automatically done.
7. Check everything is right, and save the page.

Effects of a username change:

• When the rename has been completed, your account will have been renamed, and any contributions you have made (including deleted contributions) will be reattributed to your new account as a background process. Your account preferences, watchlist contents, password, etc. will all be preserved, and your user and user talk pages will have been moved to the new name (unless specifically asked not to).
• The change will appear in the user rename log. There is no way to rename accounts without logging the change.

Warning!

• Please note only accounts with less than 50,000 edits can be renamed for now. See server administration log for details.

Notes

• It is not possible for bureaucrats to merge two accounts, or to reattribute edits from IP addresses. Only registered accounts can be renamed.
• This page is for requests on the Meta-Wiki only. To change your username on another Wikimedia project, please ask a bureaucrat on that project or make a request here to have it done by a Steward for wikis without local bureaucrats.
• As an alternative, you may consider changing your signature. This will change your "public appearance" on talk pages and other places where you sign your username with ~~~~.
• It may be easier for you simply to create a new account (although due to technical restrictions, requests to change only the capitalisation or punctuation should be made here). You can then discontinue use of the old one. It does not need to be deleted; disused accounts are harmless and may be safely ignored.
• Account names requested here are regarded as being "reserved" until the request is accepted or rejected. If someone else registers the account while the request is here, it will be renamed if necessary to allow for the requested move.
• Be aware: This change will not affect signatures you have already left on talk pages, or other places where you signed your username with ~~~~. Those pages will continue to display your signature (including the link to your old username) unless edited manually.
• Once you have been renamed, your old account will no longer exist. In general the bureaucrat who deals with the name change should re-create the old account and block it indefinitely. To guard against impersonation, you may wish to check this.
• Of possible interest: the Wikimedia Foundation privacy policy; "Right to vanish"

Requests

KillerMagikarp → AddThreeAndFive

Status:    Done

• Current username: Killer Magikarp (talk • contribs • email)
• Target username: AddThreeAndFive (talk • contribs • email)
• For bureaucrat use: User creation logs: (old • new) | SUL reports: (old • new) | Userpage logs: (old • new)  (rename user)
• Datestamp: 21:08, 9 July 2011 (UTC)
• Confirmation link: here
• Reason: Recently changed the name on my home wiki.

Killer Magikarp 21:08, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

Done --WizardOfOz ^talk 21:35, 9 July 2011 (UTC)

Ancheta → Ancheta Wis

Status:    Done

• Current username: Ancheta (talk • contribs • email)
• Target username: Ancheta Wis (talk • contribs • email)
• For bureaucrat use: SUL report (old • new) | Email target username | Vacate target userpages   (1)  (2)
• Datestamp: 04:41, 12 July 2011 (UTC)
• Reason: I haven't been able to use Ancheta Wis since I attended Wikimania 2006 and would like to complete the global unified login (usually I am on en.Wikipedia). In 2006 I didn't use the email feature (I do now, on all the other logins). If you could fix my problem, I would be grateful.

Ancheta 04:41, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

• Can you verify on en.wiki under your "Ancheta Wis" username that you have requested this rename on meta and post the diff here please? Tiptoety ^talk 05:15, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

  I have just entered an en.Wikipedia request regarding the Ancheta (meta-wiki) -> Ancheta Wis (meta-wiki) usurpation request. Thank you, --Ancheta 14:06, 12 July 2011 (UTC)

• Done - Tiptoety ^talk 20:05, 12 July 2011 (UTC)