Unique Usernames

Most "unique" usernames aren't. They are a common word with numbers bolted on the end, and the second you see one you know the good version was already taken. A unique username is different. It is a name almost nobody else could have landed on, because it comes from a made up word, a rare word, or a pairing that doesn't show up anywhere else.

The generator above is set to build invented words, the fastest route to something no one has claimed yet. Hit Generate a few times and you'll start seeing names like Thalendil or Sylwyn that sound real but aren't in any dictionary.

One thing to keep in mind before you commit. A unique username is easy to find, which is great for a brand and less great for privacy. Back in 2011, researchers showed that usernames alone can link a person's accounts across different sites, and the rarer the name, the easier the match. So use your unique handle where you want to be found, and keep a separate one for accounts you'd rather keep quiet.

The tool at the top of this page works a little differently from a normal username generator. Instead of pairing two common words, it can invent new ones:

• Fantasy stitches syllables together into names that sound like they came off a map, like Aelwyn or Morthas.
• Short builds tiny made up words like kaze or rovi.
• Cool, Dark and Kawaii pair words from different themes, which gets you combinations that are rare even if the words themselves aren't.

Type your name or a word you like and every style will build around it.

These are made up, so there's a good chance they're open on most platforms.

Real words that most people don't think to use. Some will be taken as a bare word, so add a small twist if you need to.

English has thousands of beautiful words nobody uses in conversation. Apricity means the warmth of the sun in winter. Susurrus is a soft whispering sound. Petrichor is the smell of rain on dry ground. Build a handle around one of these and it will sound smart without trying too hard.

Gamertags run into the taken wall faster than anything else. Xbox handles the problem by giving you a numbered suffix when your gamertag is already in use, so a truly unique gamertag is the only way to skip the random number tacked on the end.

For more tags built for scoreboards, see the gamertag ideas list.

Social handles work best when they're easy to say out loud. These blend one uncommon word with one normal one so people can still spell them after hearing them once.

You don't need to give up a name you love just because it's taken. Try one of these:

1. Swap in a rare synonym. Instead of nightowl, try nocturnowl or vesperowl.
2. Pair two things that don't usually meet. A plant and a machine, a color and a job. Mossengine, cobaltbaker.
3. Invent a word. Chop two words and glue the halves together. Lavender and ember becomes lavember.
4. Add something true about you. Your craft, your city or your middle name beats a random number every time.
5. Check the platform rules first. Discord, for example, only allows lowercase letters, numbers, periods and underscores, and usernames have to be 2 to 32 characters. A unique name you can't actually register won't help much.

Want something tiny and rare instead? Go for short usernames. Want a name that sounds pulled from a novel? Try the fantasy username generator.