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How To Change My WordPress Username?

Changing your WordPress username isn’t as straightforward as editing your profile — WordPress doesn’t allow you to simply modify the username from the dashboard. However, there are several effective workarounds and methods to get it done. Whether you're an admin or a user looking for a name change, here are all the ways to change your WordPress username.

Method 1: Create a New User and Delete the Old One

This is the most commonly recommended method.

Steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Go to Users > Add New.
  3. Create a new user with the desired username.
    • Set the role as Administrator if the original account was an admin.
  4. Log out of your current account.
  5. Log in with the new account you just created.
  6. Go to Users > All Users.
  7. Delete the old user.
  8. When prompted, choose to attribute all content from the old user to the new one.

name1.JPG

Pros:

  • Simple and safe.
  • No plugins or code required.

Cons:

  • Requires switching user accounts.

Method 2: Use a Plugin (e.g., Username Changer)

Plugins provide a user-friendly way to change usernames without creating a new account.

Steps:

  1. Install and activate the Username Changer plugin.
  2. Go to Users > Your Profile or Users > All Users.
  3. Click Change Username.
  4. Enter the new username and save changes.

Pros:

  • Quick and easy.
  • No need to delete or recreate accounts.

Cons:

  • Requires installing an additional plugin.

username2.JPG

Method 3: Change Username via phpMyAdmin (Advanced Users)

If you have access to your site's database (via cPanel or hosting panel), you can change the username directly.

Warning: Backup your database before making any changes.

Steps:

  1. Log in to your hosting account and open phpMyAdmin.
  2. Select your WordPress database.
  3. Find and open the wp_users table.
    name3.JPG
  4. Locate the user whose username you want to change.
  5. Click Edit on that row.
  6. In the user_login field, change the username.
  7. Click Go to save changes.
    name4.JPG


Pros:

  • Does not require plugins or account recreation.

Cons:

  • Risky if done incorrectly.
  • Not recommended for beginners.

Method 4: Use WP-CLI (Command Line Interface)

If you're comfortable with the command line and your host supports WP-CLI, you can update the username quickly.

Command:

wp user update <user-id> --user_login=<new-username>

Replace <user-id> with the user’s ID or email, and <new-username> with your new desired username.

Pros:

  • Fast and efficient.
  • Great for developers and sysadmins.

Cons:

  • Requires command line access.
  • Not suitable for beginners.

Important Notes

  • Username ≠ Display Name: If you just want to change how your name appears on posts, go to Users > Your Profile and update the “Display name publicly as” field.
  • Changing your username won't affect your posts, comments, or data, as long as content is reassigned properly.
  • Avoid choosing usernames like “admin” for security reasons.


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