Usernames are essential for security and anonymity online. But some people develop username ideas to stand out or align with a brand. Usernames can also help gain followers or build a social media following.
With so many possibilities, coming up with username ideas can be challenging! Luckily, there are plenty of tools and methods to create unique usernames.
Whether you're aiming for fame or privacy, we have username ideas to help you create unique usernames easily!
Using unique credentials (including passwords and usernames) can mitigate many cybersecurity vulnerabilities. When paired with a password manager like TeamPassword, strong usernames and passwords can protect you against attacks. Sign up for a 14-day free TeamPassword trial today!
[Table of Contents]
- Why You Need to Use Unique Usernames
- How Can You Get Unique Username Ideas?
- How to Make a Good Username
- How You Can Secure Your Accounts Using a Password Manager
Why You Need to Use Unique Usernames
There are several reasons people want unique usernames ideas:
- Security
- Anonymity
- Popularity
- Humor
- Business name ideas
Unique Usernames for Security
Many people don't know about the importance of using unique or secure usernames for online security. Reusing usernames can be just as troublesome as reusing passwords.
If criminals steal your credentials from a data breach, they can use your username to figure out where else you have accounts and deploy spear-phishing attacks using fake correspondence to steal your credentials.
For example, hackers will send you a "password reset" from Instagram because they "suspect suspicious activity!" If you use unique usernames for every account, the attackers won't find your Instagram profile!
Don't think that you won't fall for these ploys! Many individuals with regular cybersecurity training fall victim to phishing attacks. Cybercriminals know that if they keep trying, they'll catch you when you're distracted or in a hurry.
In effect, unique usernames act as a second password, preventing anyone from finding your accounts with a single username.
What are some username mistakes that could put you at risk?
Don't use easy-to-guess information that could be found elsewhere on the web or sensitive info such as your social security or phone number.
What should not be included in a username so that it's secure?
To create a safe username:
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Personal Information: Avoid using any personal information such as your real name, date of birth, or address as part of your username.
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Passwords or PINs: Do not use your passwords, PINs or other sensitive information as your username.
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TMI: Do not include too much information that could potentially give away your identity, such as your phone number or email address.
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Phishing Traps: Do not include any words or phrases that could be used in phishing attempts, such as "password", "admin", "login", etc.
Unique Usernames for Anonymity
Aligned with security is anonymity. Maintaining anonymity online can protect you from cyberattacks and prevent work colleagues, clients, and other companies or individuals from finding you online.
Many people want to separate their professional profiles from their personal ones while maintaining an online presence. Using unique usernames can hide the profiles you prefer to keep private.
Unique Usernames for Fame, Popularity, Attention
A good Instagram or Tiktok username can help you stand out and boost your online presence. If your username is unique or obscure, it could lead to more profile clicks and followers.
A good example is French Connection UK or @FCUK. At first glance, the username looks like an expletive, drawing people's attention to the brand.
People often use made-up words, obscure combinations, and other naming conventions to grab attention online.
Unique Usernames for Humor
Humor is another reason people often want unique username ideas. For example, @PickledElephantTusk is sure to get people's attention and perhaps a chuckle at the ridiculousness.
Funny usernames are great for social media profiles, but you might want to avoid these if you're trying to aim for security or anonymity!
Business Name Ideas
Most startups want a unique brand name, including URL and social media usernames. Startups can ensure that every digital touchpoint is unique to their brand by choosing an available unique username first.
While using the same username is necessary for branding on social media channels, companies should always choose different, unidentifiable usernames for non-public accounts—email marketing apps, keyword research tools, productivity tools, accounting apps, etc.
How Can You Get Unique Username Ideas?
There are many places you go for unique username ideas. Here are a few of our best sources for inspiration:
- Username generators
- Google Search - type a word and look through the autocompletes. This is also an excellent way to find trending usernames
- Instagram hashtags
How to Make a Good Username
If you're looking for inspiration, here are three methods for coming up with great username ideas. We've included processes for creativity, speed, and security.
Creating Your Own Unique Usernames
The best way to create unique username ideas is by combining two or three mismatched words with a number. First, come up with two or three categories, and then pick a word from each.
For example, let’s choose the two categories fish, and US State:
- US State: Idaho
- Fish: Pufferfish
- Number: 13
- @IdahoPufferfish13
You can come up with funny and cute usernames using this method. It's also a fantastic creative exercise some people might find entertaining.
How to create a professional username (examples)
- Include your company: When creating a username for portals and applications at work, you may want to include the company the account is for in the username. For example, johnsmithacme. This makes it easier to organize your credentials in a password manager as well.
- Add an initial (or two): If you share your name with other people, see if adding your middle initial makes it unique. And hey, if you want to make it as an author, throw "RR" between your first and last name - maybe that's the secret sauce.
- Your title or career: Instead of [email protected], or [email protected], try [email protected]. You can also incorporate your profession as a catchphrase, such as wordsmith_john or js_creative.
- Underscores, qualifiers, determiners: If your name is already taken, try adding an underscore, a qualifier like "real" or "only", and determiners like "the". I see celebrities use "thereal" in front of their name quite often.
Use a Username Generator
If you don't want to waste time coming up with usernames yourself, a username generator is a fantastic option to create unique usernames fast!
Some username generator tools will let you add a prefix, suffix, or number and randomize the rest. This method works well if you're trying to find unique username ideas for a specific industry, like fitness, health, tech, etc.
Some username generators even provide a social media search function to see if your unique username is available on the relevant platforms—providing you speed and efficiency!
Random username generators are also excellent for security because you avoid familiarity, making it less likely for attackers to find you.
Use a Password Generator
Password generators are great for creating unique username ideas. Password generators produce random strings with letters and numbers, significantly reducing the possibility of someone identifying you.
Try creating a username with TeamPassword's password generator:
- Visit our free password generator
- Deselect symbols (most platforms don't allow symbols in the username. Keep this selected if your platform does allow it!)
- Our password generator only allows a minimum of 12 characters. If you need a shorter user name, drop the characters you don't need
- Copy/paste your random username to use when signing up for a new account
Remember to use our password generator with uppercase, lowercase, symbols, and numbers to create a secure unique password.
TeamPassword's password manager features a built-in password generator that suggests and pastes a strong password into forms during signup or resets. Sign up for a free 14-day free trial to start managing your usernames and passwords securely.
How You Can Secure Your Accounts Using a Password Manager
Usernames and passwords are the keys to your individual and company accounts. These credentials prevent attackers from breaching your devices, networks, social media, apps, financial services, and more.
Most companies have hundreds of accounts requiring authentication daily. Often team members need to share access, especially for social media, research tools, productivity apps, store accounts, and marketing tools, to name a few.
Sharing credentials over email, chat, or via spreadsheets exposes your company, clients, employees, and users to many cybersecurity risks. In some states and countries, sharing passwords this way is illegal!
Using a password manager is a secure and efficient way to store and share your company's credentials.
Here are five reasons to choose TeamPassword for your company:
- Affordable - Enterprise-grade password managers are often expensive. TeamPassword provides small businesses, agencies, and startups with an affordable password management solution.
- Secure - TeamPassword is an accredited secure hosting provider using state-of-the-art encryption technology. We store your passwords using AES-256, trusted by US government agencies and many other organizations globally.
- Efficient - Share and revoke access in TeamPassword with a single click. Quickly create passwords using our built-in secure password generator.
- Scalable - TeamPassword's plans scale with your business. Start with as few as five members and upgrade your plan as your workforce expands.
- Flexible - Employees can sign into accounts using TeamPassword's Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browser extensions—catering to both Apple and Windows users.
Password Management With TeamPassword
TeamPassword makes it easy and secure to share credentials with employees, clients, freelancers, and contractors. Everyone gets a separate TeamPassword login to manage access and monitor activity.
TeamPassword encrypts your passwords, making it impossible for employees (or even TeamPassword staff) to preview raw credentials.
Sharing Access With Groups
Add your team to TeamPassword and create groups to share access to your various accounts. If an employee, contractor, or freelancer leaves the team, simply remove them from the group—no need to worry about changing passwords!
If you're an agency working with multiple clients and accounts, one TeamPassword account is all you need! Just increase your plan accordingly.
Activity Logging
Keep track of TeamPassword activity, just like an enterprise password manager does. Monitor logins, password changes, credential sharing, and more to spot suspicious activity.
TeamPassword also lets you set up email notifications—helpful in monitoring sensitive accounts or specific actions, like sharing or adding new users.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Enabling 2FA on your TeamPassword account prevents attackers from gaining access, even if they steal your employee's username and password.
TeamPassword uses the Google Authenticator app (iOS & Android), requiring a six-digital randomly generated code as the second authentication step. Without the employee's device, hackers can't complete TeamPassword authentication.
Start With a Free Trial
Coming up with unique username ideas isn't enough to protect your company's digital assets from attack. Protect your company's usernames and passwords with TeamPassword.
Sign up for a 14-day free trial to test our robust and efficient sharing features with your team today!
