In this article, we’re covering usernames and username ideas. We’ve compiled a list of hundreds of the best usernames that you might consider creative, cool, funny, clever, cute, or whatever other adjectives you want to assign to them.
Later on, we’ll show you some helpful username generators that can give you lots of username ideas with as much or little input from your end.
Table of Contents
What is a Username?
The term username was conceived in the late 1970s. A username represents your identity online, whether that’s on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Discord, Snapchat, YouTube, etc.), forums, mobile services, bank or financial account, e-commerce site, or another online service.
A username is a necessity to get access to some type of account or online services. It’s used to sign in to any website along with a password.
Generally, a username helps distinguish you from others. It can be your real name, a form of your real name (e.g., johnsmith1), or something creative like a nickname.
It would be helpful if you had to use one username on all your accounts. However, sometimes it’s impossible to generate a unique username. And not all sites and online services use usernames in the same way.
What does a Username do?
A username is also commonly referred to as the following:
- account name
- login ID
- nickname
- user ID
Usernames allow multiple users to use the same online service with their settings and records.
It’s widely used for purposes of authentication and authorization. It enables IT systems to give multiple people access to the same website or service.
A username typically has a character limit/range of 6-14 characters and goes with a unique password.
With a username and password, you enable your personal settings and browse your own personal information and/or things of your choice.
You can sign in and out, which is a matter of security so no one has unauthorized access to your account, especially if you share a computer.
A username by itself is not a security threat as long as the corresponding password is not known. A hacker or anybody who wants access to the account needs both the username and password.
Moreover, more online services are moving toward systems where a user will not be able to access the account if the device isn’t recognized.
You may have noticed this if you’ve used an account on your desktop, then tried accessing it from your phone, laptop, tablet, or another device.
Auto-saving usernames
When you log into a site, your browser will often ask you whether you want to save your username and password or not. This can help serve as a password manager of sorts.
If you do save your username and password, anyone who uses your computer can access your account.
In order to protect your credentials and restrict access to your account, it’s best to not save your passwords. At the same time, you need to make sure you remember them.
While most sites will have username and password recovery features through text, email, secret questions, and other methods, it’s best to keep them safe by writing them down somewhere or keeping them stores elsewhere on your computer.
Important Note: Try to have a unique password on each of your accounts to help protect it. If one of your accounts is exposed through a data breach, and it has the same password as other accounts, you could in turn be compromising all your accounts online.
Usernames for Online Influencers
Influencer marketing is growing in popularity. Influencers are a popular way to generate leads and sales relative to traditional marketing of buying ads.
Many will trust influencers over popular celebrities when deciding which product to buy.
Usernames are important for online influencers, as it has a big impact on how they’re perceived.
They set the tone of the identity of your brand.
Your username should be:
- eye-catching
- easy to remember
- shorter is better than longer
- if not your personal name, it may be helpful for it to relate to what you do
It’s your username that your entire profile is built around.
Select your username wisely
Even if you go by a nickname for your username and not your real name, it’s often easy to find out the real identity of someone behind an account.
Try to use different usernames on different accounts. This makes it more difficult for people to cross-reference and more difficult for hackers if one of your accounts is compromised.
How to Come Up With a Great Username?
Choosing a username, especially for a business profile or as an online influencer on social media can be hard to do.
Some of your preferred usernames might not be available.
Make sure your username or user ID is easy to remember. Or at least easy to find if you were to forget.
Here are some tips to help you choose a unique username.
Tips for a Good Username
Here are some tips to form a good, unique username:
1. Have your username be something you’re proud of and something easy to remember.
2. Have it be memorable, especially if it’s designed to be for your brand. It should also be easy to spell.
3. Highlight your brand in your username.
4. If you’re an influencer, be consistent. Choose a username that’s available on all platforms.
5. Pick a username that wouldn’t be embarrassed to show your boss (or anybody). Throwaway usernames are okay if it’s an account you’re not serious about. But if it’s something you’re attaching your personal identity to, think about it more strategically.
Professional Username
If you’re looking for a professional username, we have some ideas below. But let’s also take a look at the concept of professional usernames.
A professional username should match some combination of your brand, identity, and personality.
For example, if your profession is breaking down NFL football, you might be JohnSmithNFL. That lets your audience know who you are as well as what you do.
a) Try to be the same on all social networks.
It can be difficult to be the same across Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and others with their billions of registered users, but run a check first before committing.
Consistency will be important.
b) Your professional usernames should include your real name. If your real name plus a relevant descriptor – that describes your business – still isn’t good enough to fulfill what we mentioned in part a), keep thinking of easy ways to modify your username while keeping it professional.
If you need to be “thisisjohnsmith” or “realjohnsmith” that’s okay as well.
Even Bill Gates had to go this route on Instagram.
You can always offer to buy usernames if it’s perfect, but sometimes that isn’t always possible.
c) Does your username make it easy to recognize only you?
This can also include matters outside social media usernames, such as the URL to your LinkedIn profile or resume.
Example
Let’s say your brand is the Ritz-Carlton and you want to optimize your username around this brand.
And let’s assume that you own this brand and you’re not an employee – i.e., you plan to be around it for a long time.
So you can write your username as:
{First name last name}RitzCarlton
{First name last name}RitzCarltonNYC (if you live in New York)
Or, if you plan on having more flexibility in the future – you could sell the brand or want to stay more general, you could do something like:
{First name last name}RealEstate
The general idea is to connect your username with:
a) your professional name, and
b) add other qualifiers such as your brand, location, or industry
This makes it easy for people online to search for you quickly and also connect with you.
Cool Username Ideas
Now onto the fun part – cool username ideas.
Choosing a good username for websites and social media platforms is important. Your username is the first thing people will notice. So choose wisely to leave a good first impression.
You can also change your username or rebrand, but as you post online you build equity in that username and switching becomes harder to do. Some people might not even recognize you if you change.
And coming up with a cool username can be hard. More or less, it may seem like all “the good ones” are taken. This is especially true on big social media networks like Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
On these sites, there are literally billions of accounts and usernames takens.
Accordingly, you’re to have to be a little creative to get yourself a cool and unique username for these sites.
Moreover, each site or app has slightly different requirements for creating a username as it pertains to the letter and character limits.
This article will provide you with lots of different username ideas, including cute, funny, and interesting username ideas.
We’ll also provide some ideas for how to make slight modifications to a name that’s already been taken whether that’s by attaching words, letters, or numbers.
By the end of this article, you should have lots of username ideas and be a machine at coming up with them.
Cute Usernames
If you’re looking for a cute username, there are many words you can use, including in combination with your first name.
To make something cute, flirty, or fun this can include things like:
- physical objects (flowers, honey, cupcake, elements of nature)
- colors (purple, pink are common)
- adjectives (sweet, bubbly)
- mythical elements (princess, fairy, angel)
Note that you’ll likely outgrow this username and it may not be the best choice for every site or app.
Use these words below either by themselves with your own name or combining a few words. For example:
- angel.penelope
- sweet_penelope
- penelope_honey
- fairy.penelope
- baby_penelope
- bubbly_rose
We have some ideas below for cute or sweet words to add to your username.
Cute Username Ideas
angel | bubbles | shimmer |
angelic | bubbly | glimmer |
baby | pink | little |
butterfly | sparkly | doll |
sweet | sparkle | dolly |
sweetie | sprinkles | lolly |
princess | fairy | honey |
snowflake | pretty | sugar |
cherry | lovely | blossom |
Backward Username: Spelling things the wrong way
Why not see what your name or something else looks like backward?
Lots of things are popularly done backwards, such as the backwards 3 when we want to make a heart symbol, the flip of <3
It’s an easy way to make something unique and it might even look cool to boot. It’s different but also something with a personal connection.
Of course, if your name is Eve or for some reason you want your name to be race car then it doesn’t make much sense given those are palindromes. But for everything else, why not?
If you like to watch movies, you can try that backwards – seivom. It doesn’t look too bad.
If you live in Las Vegas (Vegas) – Segav.
Or one of your hobbies. Let’s say you like biking and want to try bike or cycle backwards – ekib or lecyc.
Let’s say your favorite subject in school was calculus – suluclac. Or math – htam.
Or something you feel is important. Like dedication – noitacided.
With longer words, it’s a bit wonky, so you can think of synonyms to dedication that are shorter, like zeal or drive. Those yield laez or evird.
A little weird, but at least they’re shorter.
But I think you get the gist. Flipping something and generating a backwards username is an easy way to generate something unique that might even be a winner.
And if you really want to be unique, consider if you can potentially have an upside down username, if your platform allows it. The issue is that some might not be able to address you or even understand what your name says, as it’ll essentially look like a foreign language.
Using a Phobia as a Username
Phobias aren’t great, but they can make for some cool usernames.
There are also some rare phobias (who knew there was the fear of knees?), but ones that sound fun and can be inspiration for a username.
A phobia can either be something you have, a meaning you like, or just based on the sound of the word.
You can also make something up instead of being scientific. Maybe it’s less cool sounding, but it’s more of a fun or funny username idea:
- Germaphobia
- Pizzaphobia
- Carphobia
Phobias as Usernames
Amaxophobia | Barophobia | Bibliophobia |
Cynophobia | Elurophobia | Gamophobia |
Heliophobia | Megalophobia | Noctiphobia |
Scolionophobia | Tachophobia | Verminophobia |
Twitch Username Ideas
When it comes to Twitch, try to choose a unique username that doesn’t have a lot of “fluff” to it. No extraneous letters, words, or numbers.
Twitch is a streaming platform for gamers to connect with each other. Selecting a good username tends to be more important here than elsewhere.
Gamers tend to be picky about their names. So something with a lot of characters and numbers will probably look more out of place.
If it’s a throwaway account, that’s one thing. But many people are trying to build some type of brand identity through Twitch. So you want something that’s easy to remember and search for.
A username will need to be 4-25 characters and should only contain standard letters and numbers (no symbols, backwards letters, special characters, and so on).
You can also change your Twitch username. But you’re also limited to doing this once every 60 days.
A few Twitch Username Ideas
TurboCasher | CryptoHater | CrunkX | Red Defend | Toxic Moon |
MerciMer | SteelBuns | DefendMars | Blevim | VerticalPound |
DarkKong | Fugitively | UltimateWarrior | MaskorNo | FrozenPizza |
Instagram Username Ideas
Instagram is the most common app on the market for sharing photos. You can take your username in various directions.
You can use your real personal name if it’s available. Your friends on other social sites may want to add you on Instagram.
Facebook owns Instagram and they’ve simplified how people can find you. You can add your Facebook friends to your Instagram and even use the same profile photo on both sites to make things easier.
And you can also change your username whenever you want. But it might be confusing to your followers, especially if you also change your profile photo frequently.
Facebook is real name-based, so your real name is your Facebook name. But Instagram is more difficult since many people might share your name and even seemingly unique usernames are often taken on the app.
Your Instagram username needs to be 4-30 characters. It can have letters, periods, numbers, underscores, or abbreviations.
But there are no special symbols or characters permitted.
If your Instagram has a certain theme to it – e.g., dogs, tattoos – you will need to create a username that’s thematically consistent with your profile and the kind of photos you’ll be posting.
Finsta Username Ideas
Finsta is a type of Instagram spin-off.
Many people have secondary Instagram profiles known as a fake Instagram or Finsta.
This is because they might have photos they want to share but are not good fits on their regular Instagram profile. This is because they might not want people seeing certain ones or because they want to show themselves in certain ways that wouldn’t be a good fit on their normal Instagram.
9 Cool Finsta Username Ideas
famous_vegetarian | iwantabluecar | vanilla.coffee.addict |
{normal name}finsta | muscle.mary | yankee_slice |
reading_rainbro | wildcanary | omahamatt |
Snapchat Username Ideas
Looking for something fun for your Snapchat profile? Let’s get some ideas going.
Snapchat is a social media app that’s known for the ephemeral nature of its pictures, which are often taken with filters to increase one’s attractiveness, mark an occasion (New Year’s, July 4), or just do something crazy.
You can also use some variation of your name or nickname to come up with a cool Snapchat username.
Also note that you may want to make your Instagram name separate from your Snapchat username, depending on how you feel about intertwining them.
Instagram is more professional. Snapchat is more informal and caters to a younger audience. If both names are the same, people might be able to contact you on both, and you have to think about whether you want that to be the case.
For example, if you leave your Instagram in your Tinder bio, do you also want them hitting you up on Snapchat as well? It’s up to you.
Snapchat usernames must be 3–15 characters and can contain letters, numbers, and either a period, underscore, or hyphen.
Unlike other social networks, you can’t change your Snapchat username once your account is setup. Snapchat usernames are forever. You would have to change your account.
Adding a friend is a mutual choice, so you do not have to be super secretive about making up a username.
Keep in mind that the username you want may not be available, so you may have to modify the spelling of it to some degree.
Some Cool Snapchat Usernames
vandal | battlex | sweetela | hypertroph |
ebussy | elexperto | flamboyantics | heroart |
livetela | cunninglinguist | interstate | fuzzyspiff |
milkymay | orthereaboot | loveisnite | edgemerch |
spoonfed | oriaga | twomom | draculata |
stimsonian | realfitmit | closecigar | securityxo |
biltmoreja | stonewaddle | lledoof | dullhulk |
bootek | spliffbung | rozyrozyxo | bookstv |
Username vs. Display Name
Hollywood Usernames
Sometimes it’s easy to borrow a username from one of your favorite TV shows or movies. This can make your username more memorable and stand out from the pack.
If you’re Peter Griffin, people are probably going to remember you more compared to if you’re biggershrimp5471.
If you’re a fan of a TV show or movie, why not have it be your username? You might even find some common ground with others.
You could also include a reference to the show, such as an inside joke, catchphrase, or a line that fans of the show will recognize.
Movie and TV Show Inspired Username Ideas
patrickstarr | meetheflinstones | muhauthori-tah |
heresjohnny | dyn_o_mite | d’oh |
hiyosilver | hellonewman | kissmygrits |
Dictionary Usernames
If paper dictionaries still exist, open to a random page.
Look around until you find something that looks interesting.
Here are some cool examples!
Onomatopoeia | Nefarious | Persnickety |
Phosphorous | Gerrymandering | Exquisite |
Blasphemy | Bizarre | Bamboozled |
Hyperbolic | Incognito | Quintessential |
Ubiquitous | Zigzag | Mercurial |
Corrosion | Languish | Sabotage |
You might sound similar to a racehorse using unique words.
Funny Username Ideas
You can always be a little humorous with your username choices.
straight_F_student | DMVhater | monkey_rescue |
resident_expert | not_a_troll | TacoGod |
evening_coffee | DrEvil | cia_surveillance_team |
How to Modify Your Username
That is, if your desired nickname is already taken.
If it isn’t available, try modifying it.
You generally have the following options:
Adding Numbers
Some add the number 1 or a year that’s meaningful to them, such as the year they were born.
You’ve seen a lot of things like joesmith95 around the internet. It’s a simple modifier to account for a lack of availability of the words.
Examples:
- michelleb1997
- heyjude1
Meaningful numbers are better than random numbers. This can include your area code, birth year (as mentioned), date of the month you were born, or favorite number.
Just note that if you use your birth year, people will recognize it as such and will have an indication of your age.
Adding Dashes, Periods, or Underscores
patrick_starr | _joe_ | bob_jones |
ob-vi-ous | sam-uel | doug-las |
m.i.k.e. | jes.se | mich.ael |
Change the Spelling
To form a unique username, you can try changing the spelling.
ridyculous | ekonomics | funknee |
wyse | pinkee | enuff |
gorjus | coopid | rinkle |
At the same time, the spelling of the word should be close enough such that the original word is still clear. It’s just the phonetics are changing.
You can also be clever or ironic with this. If you spell smart as smartt then ironically it looks less smart.
Misspell Your Username
You can add a subtle misspelling to change your username.
Examples:
- Instead of the letter O, use a 0 (a zero)
- Instead of an uppercase I, you can user a lowercase L (l)
- Instead of a C, use a K
- If there’s an R in your username, add additional ones. For example, Merlin -> Merrlin
Just be sure that people will still be able to easily tag you if you do change something. Uppercase I to lowercase L is especially tricky because it’s hard to detect.
Add Unique Letters
khamla_xoxo | 0o_john_o0 |
oo_ed_oo | charliexx |
salliemae_xx | marlie_xo |
Add a Word to the Start or End of Your Username
Words to Add at the Beginning | Words to Add at the End |
---|---|
i_am_ | _official |
miss | x |
mr | {location} – e.g., NYC |
ms | {industry} – e.g., realestate |
real | _real |
What to do when all the good usernames ideas have been taken?
If it feels like all of the good or funny usernames ideas have been taken, we have news… there are still some available 🙂
There are plenty of clever, cool, cute, and funny usernames out there ready for you to snap them up or put your own personal flavor on them.
From funny gaming usernames that can show off your humorous side (e.g., “IMYELLING”)…
…to the best usernames that use word play of your favorite foods (e.g., “nacho cheese”)…
…TV shows (“That 70s Guy”) or celebs (“Brad Armpit”)…
…this big list of the best usernames ever has lots of good ideas.
We’ve compiled 250 of the best funny usernames.
These usernames can work for social media, TikTok, gamers, or any online account requiring a username. The list is full of unique and cool username ideas.
So pick one out, use one for inspo to create your own, and have fun with your new online identity.
From cool and funny unique usernames to the best usernames ever, this list of good usernames and funny gamer names is all you’ll need.
Here’s the best screen names list and funny online usernames to choose from.
Funny Username Ideas – The Ultimate List
2_lft_feet |
a_collection_of_cells |
abductedbyaliens |
actuallynotchrishemsworth |
actuallythedog |
aDistraction |
Adobo_Ahai |
AirisWindy |
AllGoodNamesRGone |
AngelWonderland |
anonymouse |
applebottomjeans |
Ariana_Grandes_Ponytail |
ashley_said_what |
averagestudent |
Avocadorable |
Beatle_Juice |
Babushka |
baby_bugga_boo |
BabyBluez |
babydoodles |
BadKarma |
baecon_and_eggs |
banana_hammock |
BarbieBreath |
because.i.like.to.like |
behind_you |
BenAfleckIsAnOkActor |
BettyBoopsBoop |
bigfootisreal |
bill_nye_the_russian_spy |
Billys_Mullet |
blouses_and_houses |
BlueIvysAssistant |
Born-confused |
Brad Armpit |
Bud Lightyear |
buh-buh-bacon |
Calzone_Zone |
Carmelpoptart |
casanova |
cats_or_dogs |
cereal_killer |
chakewalk |
cheeseinabag |
cherry-picked |
chickenbaconranchpizza |
chickenriceandbeans |
ChickyChickyParmParm |
chin_chillin |
ChopSuey |
Chris_P_Bacon |
churros4eva |
colonel_mustards_rope |
coolshirtbra |
Coronacosmo |
Couldnt_Find_Good_Name |
CountSwagula |
CourtesyFlush |
CowabungaDude |
crazy_cat_lady |
Cuddly-Wuddly |
cute.as.ducks |
darth.daenerys |
Definitely_not_an_athlete |
desperate_enuf |
DirtBag |
DonWorryItsGonBK |
DosentAnyoneCare |
DroolingOnU |
drunkbetch |
Early_Morning_Coffee |
ElfishPresley |
Everybody |
FartinLuther |
FartnRoses |
fartoolong |
fast_and_the_curious |
FatBatman |
fedora_the_explorer |
fizzysoda |
fluffycookie |
FoxtrotTangoLove |
Freddie_Not_The_Fish |
FreddyMercurysCat |
FreeHugz |
friedchocolate |
FrostedCupcake |
FurReal |
garythesnail |
GawdOfROFLS |
ghostfacegangsta |
google_was_my_idea |
GrangerDanger |
HairyPoppins |
hanging_with_my_gnomies |
HeartTicker |
heresWonderwall |
heyyou |
HeyYouNotYouYou |
hogwarts_dropout |
HoneyLemon |
hoosier-daddy |
Hot Name Here |
HotButteryPopcorn |
hotgirlbum |
i_boop_ur_nose |
iblamejordan |
idrinkchocolatemilk |
ihavethingstodo.jpg |
ihazquestion |
ijustwanttobeme |
ima.robot |
image_not_uploaded |
imma_rage_quit |
in_jail_out_soon |
iNeed2p |
InstaPrincess |
intelligent_zombie |
ironmansnap |
It’s_A _Political_ Statement |
itchy_and_scratchy |
IwasReloading |
IMYELLING |
JesusoChristo |
joan_of_arks_angel |
joancrawfordfanclub |
JuliusSeizure |
just_a_teen |
just-a-harmless-potato |
kentuckycriedfricken |
khaleesisfourthdragon |
kim_chi |
king_0f_dairy_queen |
kiss-my-axe |
kokonuts |
LactoseTheIntolerant |
laugh_till_u_pee |
LeslieKnopesBinder |
LizzosFlute |
Llama del Rey |
loliateyourcat |
loveandpoprockz |
LoveMeKnot |
LOWERCASE_MAN |
LtDansLegs |
Macauliflower Culkin |
magicschoolbusrider |
MakunaHatata |
mandymooressingingvoice |
ManEatsPants |
MangoGoGo |
Mangonificent |
manic_pixie_meme_ girl |
MasterChef |
me_for_president |
MelonSmasher |
MissPiggysDimples |
MomsSpaghetti |
morgan_freeman_but_not |
nacho_cheese |
namenotimportant |
not_james_bond |
Not-Insync |
notfunnyatall |
nothisispat |
notmuchtoit |
notthetigerking |
Nuggetz |
OmnipotentBeing |
OneTonSoup |
OP_rah |
oprahwindfury |
PaniniHead |
PawneeGoddess |
peap0ds |
personallyvictimizedbyreginageorge |
peterparkerspuberty |
pixie_dust |
pluralizes_everythings |
PNUT |
potatoxchipz |
PuppiesnKittens |
quail_n_duckeggs |
quaratineinthesweats |
rambo_was_real |
rawr_means_iloveyou |
real_name_hidden |
RedMonkeyButt |
Reese WitherFork |
regina_phalange |
rejected_bachelor_contestant |
REVERANDTOAST |
RootinTootinPutin |
SaintBroseph |
santas_number1_elf |
SargentSaltNPepa |
Schmoople |
ScoobyCute |
severusvape |
SewerSquirrel |
shaquille.nomeal |
Snax |
sofa_king_cool |
Something |
spongebobspineapplehouse |
strawberry_pineapple |
suck_my_popsicle |
SuperMagnificentExtreme |
SweetP |
takenbyWine |
taking0ver |
TeaBaggins |
Technophyle |
test_name_please_ignore |
thanoslefthand |
That70sGuy |
TheAfterLife |
TheAverageForumUser |
thegodfatherpart4 |
thehornoftheunicorn |
TheKidsCallMeBoss |
TheMilkyWeigh |
theoldRazzleDazzle |
the_other_harry_potter |
tinfoilhat |
toastcrunch |
toastedbagelwithcreamcheese |
Toiletpaperman |
turkey_sandwich |
Twentyfourhourpharmacy |
UFO_believer |
unfinished_sentenc |
unfriendme |
Unic0rns |
Unnecessary |
username_copied |
WakeAwake |
WellEndowedPenguin |
whats_ur_sign |
whereareavocados |
whos_ur_buddha |
WookiesrPpl2 |
WustacheMax |
YellowSnowman |
YESIMFUNNY |
YouIntradouchingMyshelf |
Username Ideas Generators
Looking for technology to help to the work for you? Or at least get some username ideas instantly?
Below are some tools to help you find the best username for your purposes – whether you’re looking for something aesthetic, professional, cool, funny, or otherwise.
Despite all the username ideas, it’s not an easy task to come up with something new.
Fortunately, there are several websites that can help you generate a good, unique username for free.
So, if you’re looking for a unique username generator, you can use the following tools.
These username generators will provide aesthetic names with just simple inputs from your end.
Give these aesthetic name generators a try if you’d like to leave it to technology to give you a lot of possible username options.
- Perchance
- LingoJam (what you might call a cute usernames generator)
- Weshare (professional username generator for cool and aesthetic usernames)
- Spinxo
- Nickfinder
- Jimpix
For a more thorough look at each of these username generators we have an article located here.
Conclusion
We have covered just about every bit of information you might need from:
- creating a new username
- username generator tips and tricks
- choosing a username
- and other tidbits on generating username ideas
If you are trying to build a brand for yourself online, such as through a blog or website, you might want to consider having the same (or similar) usernames across all of your social media platforms. So keep that in mind.
A unique, aesthetic, and catchy username will help you build, market, and create some buzz around your online brand.
Make your username memorable for your audience and start earning or simply enjoying your online identity.