Changing your username FAQ

Changing your username

TABLE OF CONTENTS

All Residents can change their usernames at any time at SecondLife.com's Account Dashboard page. For complete instructions on how to do so, please see our Knowledge Base article Usernames and display names.

General Questions

How much does it cost to change my username?

The fee to change a username varies based on your current membership subscription:

BasicUSD $49.99
PlusUSD $49.99
PremiumUSD $34.99
Premium Plus
USD $14.99

Can I pay for my name change in Linden Dollars (L$)?

No. Username changes are charged in USD (United States Dollars). However, if you have a credit on your Tilia Account Balance from selling Linden dollars (L$), this credit can be used towards a name change. For more information on how to use your account balance in Second Life, please see our Knowledge Base article.

How often can I change my username?

There is no limit on how often you can change your username, but the standard fee will apply each time you do. 

Do I have to change my first and last name, or can I change only my first name? Is there a discount for only changing part of my name?

You can change your first name, your last name, or both – the fee is the same for any combination of changes.

What other limits are there on my name change? Can I use special characters?

When you make a new Second Life account, there are some simple rules for usernames. These same rules apply to a username change. You cannot use special characters in a username, unfortunately! However, you're welcome to use special characters in a display name if you wish.

Usernames have a suggested maximum length of 31 characters. Names which are longer than 31 characters may cause problems or poor display in the viewer's menus and buttons inworld. Also, usernames must follow the rules laid out in the Terms of Service for Account Names.

I made a spelling mistake in my name! Do I have to pay again to fix it?

If you've made a mistake in your new name's spelling, or want to fix the capitalization, please contact our Support team for assistance as soon as possible. For most recent name changes, we'll be happy to assist with a one-time fix of spelling or capitalization for no extra fee.

Can I pick a last name when I create or upgrade my account?

No. All new accounts are created with the last name of Resident by default; if you'd like a different last name, you must go through the full username change process and pay the fee.

I don't like the available last names. When will there be different names available? How often will the list of names change?

Much as we did with the original legacy surnames, we plan to update and change the available last names regularly. That way, a good variety of first and last name combinations are available at any given moment. Because we determine when to retire a last name by the number of times it's been used, it's hard to say exactly when the list might change. If you're interested in changing your name, but don't see a name that fits just yet, please check back every so often to see what names have become available. You can also suggest your favorite name on our suggestion form!

If I change my name, can someone take my old name and use it?

No. No one can use your original name. Your original name will always be yours, and you can revert back to it by changing your name again whenever you wish. Your original last name will also be available to you for future name changes. 

Will you reuse any legacy surnames from before name changes became available?

No, all surnames available for name changes will be new. We're not planning to reuse any previously available surnames from the earlier days of Second Life. Sorry! 

Is it possible to use a name change to take my partner's surname?

If your partner has a surname that is no longer on the available selection list for a name change, it is not possible to change your surname to match theirs. However, an alternative option would be for you and your partner to select a new surname from the currently available list and to both change your names to match.


Technical Questions

Help! My viewer preferences and chat logs have disappeared after I changed my username. Is there any way to fix it?

Your chat logs and some viewer preferences are saved on your personal computer in a folder named after your avatar – generally, the folder is named something like "governor.linden" (though of course it will be your avatar's name, not the Governor's!). If you change your username and log in, the viewer will create a new folder for your new name. In most cases, your viewer preferences folder (including chat logs) still exist under the old name's folder. 

For more help locating and backing up your preferences, please see Backing up your user settings and preferences.

I have banned or muted another Resident. If they change their name, can they contact me again?

No. Anyone you've banned or muted in the past will remain muted or banned after they've changed their name. Their new name will appear in your mute and banned list.

If I change my username, will people be able to find out my old name?

It is possible, yes. For instance, if someone has muted you in the past and you change your name, your new name will appear on their mute list instead. It's best to assume that your old name is not a secret, though once changed, your new name will be displayed everywhere your old one used to be.

I write scripts and want to know more about how username changes might affect my work. Where can I learn more about these changes?

We've added several new script functions to improve capabilities for translating names, including llRequestUserKey and llRequestUsername, and an API for handling the needs of external databases which use Second Life names. For more information on usernames and scripting, please see our LSL Avatar/Name page and the Name to agent ID API page on the Second Life wiki.

I just changed my name but I still see my old name on my dashboard. Did it work?

It may require a few hours for a name change to take place in all of the Second Life systems, viewer, and web site. In the meantime you may see a mix of your old name and new name. If you continue to see your old name anywhere in Second Life after 24 hours, please contact our Support team for assistance.

If someone has my calling card with my old name, can they still contact me?

Yes. Double-clicking a calling card will open the avatar's profile, even if the name has changed. Anyone who has your calling card will see your new name when they open your profile.

The only thing I want to change is capitalizing my username, but the name change system gives me an error. How can I fix this?

Please contact our Support team for assistance with name changes that only involve capitalization. At this time, technical limitations may prevent us from fixing a capitalization error, but our Support team will do what they can to assist you.

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