In Mac OS X, how do I change the full name or the short name of my OS X account?
The full name is the line of text displayed under the login icon, most commonly the user's first and last name. The short name is the name that the computer uses to validate to resources on both the computer and external sources (e.g., websites and file servers).
On this page:
- Changing the full name in Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and 10.10 (Yosemite)
- Changing the full name in Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
- Changing the short name
Changing the full name in Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and 10.10 (Yosemite)
- From the Apple menu, select .
- In "System Preferences", from the menu, select .
- If the padlock icon in the bottom left corner of the preferences window is closed, click it. Authenticate with an administrative account.
- Right-click your account name, and in the contextual menu that opens, select .
- In the Advanced Options sheet, next to "Full name:", enter your name as you wish it to appear when logging into your account. Click .
Changing the full name in Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
- From the Apple menu, select .
- In "System Preferences", from the menu, select .
- Click your account name. Under the tab, next to
"Full Name:", enter your name as you wish it to appear when logging
into your account. You may be prompted to enter your password. Press
Enterto complete the change.
Changing the short name
Performing a short name change incorrectly can cause disconnects between your account and your account files by breaking the permissions between the two, and you won't be able to open any files or applications. If this happens, proceed no further and immediately contact Apple for further instructions.
A safer alternative is to create a new account with the short name you want, and begin using that. Copy all files from the old account to an external hard drive, and then move them to the new account from the external hard drive. For more, see In Mac OS X, how do I create and delete users?
If you still wish to change the short name of your account for IU printing or other purposes, see Apple Support's OS X: How to change your account name or home directory name.
Related documents
This is document amod in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2015-10-16 00:00:00.
- Fill out this form to submit your issue to the UITS Support Center.
- Please note that you must be affiliated with Indiana University to receive support.
- All fields are required.
- Fill out this form to submit your comment to the IU Knowledge Base.
- If you are affiliated with Indiana University and need help with a computing problem, please use the I need help with a computing problem section above, or contact your campus Support Center.