Wikipedia:Username policy/Examples

This page lists examples related to Wikipedia's user account policy, and some of the most common reasons why a username may be rejected.

Guidance

When using these examples, please remember that usernames should not be considered inappropriate unless one of the 5 general reasons applies: use common sense. In borderline cases, it should not be necessary to immediately block the username but rather to attempt to discuss the problem with the user. For instance, not every name that includes "Jimbo" is a misleading reference to Jimbo Wales or impersonating him; there are many people named Jimbo, and new users may not even know who Jimbo Wales is. Similarly, not every instance of profanity is necessarily disruptive, nor is every long name confusing.

Also, the following examples should not be taken as moralistic restrictions — Wikipedia is not censored. Using potentially offensive or ambiguous terms in your username should instead be avoided for the sake of community cooperation and etiquette.

In general, remember that failing to satisfy any of the examples below does not mean that a username is definitely appropriate; similarly, usernames satisfying one or more examples are not necessarily inappropriate.

Some older usernames that date back to before this policy, have been accepted, even if new names similar to these may not be created.

Examples

Reason	Examples
Confusing	User names must be reasonably easy to distinguish and use. Common problem areas: Too close to another user's name Too close to some term which might be taken as having a particular (specific) meaning on Wikipedia Very long names without clear breaks, or made up of apparently random characters
Misleading	User names must not give an impression that the user is anything other than "just a user" Common problem areas: Implies user has some formal authority or position within Wikipedia or a connected body Implies user is some well-known figure, unless factually the case. (You will usually be asked to provide some way to verify this, such as an email from an address on that person's website. This can be done via OTRS if privacy is required.) Implies a "group" account, giving edits by that username an apparent weight which it usually does not merit. Implies an account that runs an automated process (a "bot") Implies a misleading point of fact
Promotional	User names are not allowed to not promote a cause, body, or stance. They simply provide a convenient way to reference an individual human user, or occasionally, an authorized bot. A person editing with an account is not treated as doing so on behalf of another body or person. Common problem areas: Names promoting a business, group, activist stance, or organization
Offensive or disruptive	User names are used to simply idfentify users uniquely. They may not be used to convey offensive or disruptive messages. Common problem areas: Similar to names associated with problem users Contains personal information of users (including email or other contact details) Contains attacks, or make strong (or implied) negative statements Alludes to disruptive activities, whether online (trolling, hacking) or offline (violence) Alludes to profanity, sexual matters, bodily functions, obscenities, or vulgarity Indicates a controversial or potentially inflammatory stance or statement Disruptively references religion, religious figures, or other matters where strong views may exist such as politics or beliefs Perceived as defamatory, belittling, pejorative, discriminatory, or insulting to some group, people, (including people with an adverse medical condition, sexual minorities, sexism, etc)