User:X!/Changing username

For help 'vanishing' from Wikipedia, please see Right to vanish.

This page should not be confused with documentation about the renaming of articles.

Registered users on the English Wikipedia are able to seek username changes. Renames are carried out by bureaucrats, in accordance with the username policy and their own discretion.

Before requesting a rename

Before you request a rename, please keep these points in mind:

• This page is for requests on the English Wikipedia only. To change your username on another Wikimedia project, please ask a bureaucrat on that project or make a request on Meta.
• It is not possible to merge accounts, nor is is possible to reattribute edits.
• Your username cannot begin with a lowercase letter or contain underscores. Try placing {{lowercase}} on your userpage.

Alternatives

In some cases, it may be easier and more efficient to continue with alternate methods of changing your identity, such as these:

• Consider changing your signature. This will change your "public appearance" on talk pages and other places where you sign your username with ~~~~.
• If you have not made very many edits, it might be more efficient to simply create a new username and discard the old one.
• If you wish to retire from editing Wikipedia, please use the {{retired}} template for that. (If you wish to exercise your privilege to vanish, you may make a request here or email the bureaucrats)

Choosing an appropriate new name

• First, take a look at the username policy to make sure the username you are requesting is appropriate.
• Using your real name as a username may put you at risk for harassment. Your request to use your real name will be delayed unless you state explicitly that you are aware of the implications of using your real name.
• Please note that for technical reasons, your username cannot begin with a lowercase letter, nor can it contain any underscores. However, you can change your signature to say whatever you like, within reason of course. You can also place a {{lowercase}} on your userpage, talk page, and subpages to make them display an initial lowercase letter.

Instructions

Read Wikipedia:Changing username carefully. You must be aware of and understand all the implications of changing your username. Specifically: Your name will be changed to the new one in the page history of every page you've edited, and in all log entries. Your user pages, account preferences, and edits will be moved to the new name. Please do not create a new account or attempt to move them yourself. Links left by your previous signatures will still point to the old userpage; however, a redirect will be created pointing to your new userpage. Understand that using your real name as your username may put you at risk of harassment. Read the username policy and ensure your new name does not violate it. Usernames must not: be inappropriate, profane, or offensive contain libelous, contentious, or non-public information be misleading by impersonating other users or implying that you have authority be the name of a company, organization, group; or imply that the account is shared with multiple people contain emoji, emoticons, or non-language symbols contain the # < > [ ] | { } / @ : = characters, among other restrictions Check that your new username is not already in use by searching for it on Special:CentralAuth. If the name is registered, even on another Wikimedia project, it is taken. If the target name hasn't made any edits to any Wikimedia project, you may request usurpation at meta:Steward requests/Username changes. Log in with your current username. Requests will not be approved if the requester is not logged in. Place your request here. Add your desired username after NEW=. Add a reason for the change after REASON=. Requests without a valid reason will not be approved. Do not change anything else. Select Publish changes. Check back on this page periodically to answer any inquiries regarding your request. Consider watching the page so you can monitor updates. Requests may be closed if there are unresolved queries. Requests that do not follow these instructions or that are grossly malformed are subject to removal.

For help 'vanishing' from Wikipedia, please see courtesy vanishing.

Archives: See: Wikipedia:Changing username/Archives