Username Lost When Changing Name?

[Azura 1,107]

As much as I hate making a new thread about something that might have been discussed before in the past, I can't seem to find it.

 

Anyway, I'd like to know what happens to my username if I change my name? Is it possible that someone will create a new account with my previous username so that I won't be able to change back?

 

If that's the case, I won't be changing my name anytime soon. It would be nice to have the ability to change my name and still have the ability to change it back to the first username, maybe Scootacool could do that.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,669]

I'm pretty sure the very first name you signed up with forever belongs to you. Changing your username is just changing how you want your name to be displayed.

[Marcato 2,143]

There's a username, and a display name. The username is the name that you registered with when you first joined the forums. This name is yours and always will be yours, so there's no worry about losing it.

 

What you're changing is your display name, which is just what shows to everyone else (As the name implies.) If you changed your name to say "Cloud Chaser XVI" then the username "Cloud Chaser" would still be registered for you.

However there is a catch; If you change your display name, someone else is aloud to take your old display name for themselves, and you will not be able to turn back unless they change their display name. It's a little bit confusing. However someone can't register as your username.

 

Summary: You Username and Display name are separate. Your original name cannot be registered by anybody else unless your account is completely deleted from existence.

 

Hope this helped!

Edited September 28, 2012 by Silver Arrow

[Evilshy 5,090]

IIRC, your login name stays the same no matter what you change your display name to. Although, I'm not sure if others can use your username as their display name in that case

 

Back on April Fools, we had people changing their names and avatars to impersonate each other, so I think it would be possible. But I doubt anyone would try to steal your name

Edited September 28, 2012 by Evilshy

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

As much as I hate making a new thread about something that might have been discussed before in the past, I can't seem to find it.

 

Anyway, I'd like to know what happens to my username if I change my name? Is it possible that someone will create a new account with my previous username so that I won't be able to change back?

 

If that's the case, I won't be changing my name anytime soon. It would be nice to have the ability to change my name and still have the ability to change it back to the first username, maybe Scootacool could do that.

 

Well it's happened to me before, someone joined and used my username Pinkazoid, so I was stuck being a bearded queen.

 

 

But if you report the user one of the mods will give you your name back :3

[Azura 1,107]

Thanks everypony for the information, I feel a lot more better about changing my name now. Though based on Pinkazoid's experience, I have some doubt. At least I know I can report them and get my name back, especially when all the staff here are so approachable!