How to Change Your Name on Discord: Display Name, Username and Server Nickname

The quick answer depends on which name you actually want to change. Your display name is edited in the profile settings: the gear next to your name → Profiles → the Display Name field → save. Your unique username is changed in My Account and requires your password to confirm. And a nickname for a specific server is set separately and only visible to that community's members.

Mixing up these three fields is the main reason people find they "can't" change their name. Here's each one.

Three names on Discord and how they differ

• Username. Your account's unique identifier. It's written in lowercase and used for friend requests and search. No two accounts share one.
• Display name. What people see in chats and member lists. It allows capitals, spaces and emoji, and doesn't have to be unique.
• Server nickname. A local name inside one community. It doesn't apply on other servers or in direct messages.

The display priority runs like this: if a server nickname is set, that's shown; if not, the display name; and if that's empty, the username.

How to change your display name

1. Click the gear icon next to your name in the bottom left corner.
2. Open the Profiles section.
3. Edit the Display Name field.
4. Click the save button at the bottom of the screen.

The change applies immediately across every community where you haven't set a separate nickname. The path is the same in the mobile app: your avatar in the bottom right → profile → edit.

This is the safest way to change your name: it leaves the unique identifier alone, so friends can still find you by username.

How to change your username

1. Open User Settings and go to My Account.
2. Click the edit button next to the username row.
3. Type the new option — the system tells you right away whether it's available.
4. Confirm with your account password, plus a code if two-factor authentication is enabled.

Username requirements

• 2 to 32 characters;
• lowercase Latin letters, digits, periods and underscores;
• no spaces, non-Latin scripts or most special characters;
• reserved words like everyone and here are off limits, as are misleading names;
• the value is unique across the whole platform.

Since Discord moved to the new naming system, four-digit tags like #1234 are no longer issued, so short options are largely gone. The usual tactics apply: add a word, a digit or a separator.

How to change your nickname on one server

A local name is handy when you go by one handle on a gaming server and by your real name in a work community.

1. Open the server.
2. Click its name at the top of the channel list.
3. Choose Edit Server Profile (in some versions, Change Nickname).
4. Type the new name and save.

Right-clicking your own name in the member list on the right gives the same result. To go back to your general name, simply clear the nickname field.

The option isn't always available: an admin can disable the nickname permission for particular roles. If the field is greyed out, that's the server's settings, not your account.

How to change someone else's nickname

Moderators and admins with the Manage Nicknames permission can rename others: right-click a member in the list on the right → the nickname option → the new value.

It works only inside that server and has no effect on the person's profile elsewhere. The practice is common where a single format is expected — "Name | Role", say, or an appended game ID.

The server profile: more than a name

Beyond the nickname, Discord lets you set a separate bio and profile colour for an individual community, and Nitro subscribers get a per-server avatar and banner as well. All of it lives in the same server profile editing window.

When one local profile isn't enough — when moderation duties need to be fully separated from personal chatting, for instance — the answer isn't a nickname but a separate account. That's the usual reason people pick up Discord accounts rather than tying work activity to a personal profile.

Limits and how often you can change

Discord limits how frequently a username can be changed: after several attempts in a row you'll be asked to wait. Display names and server nicknames are more relaxed, though very rapid edits can still hit temporary delays.

A released username becomes available to other people straight away, so getting your old one back isn't always possible. If the name appeared in a channel description, a stream or a business card, change it deliberately.

If the name won't change

1. "Username is taken." Pick another option — duplicates aren't possible.
2. A save error. Check the characters: capitals, spaces and non-Latin letters aren't accepted in a username.
3. You're asked to wait. The frequency limit kicked in; a pause is the fix.
4. The password is rejected. Make sure you're entering your Discord account password, not a code from your authenticator app.
5. The nickname field is inactive. The server has that permission disabled for your role.
6. The account isn't verified. Until your email is confirmed, some profile actions stay unavailable.

Common mistakes

• Changing the username when the display name was the goal. There's no need to touch the unique address — the display name is what people actually see.
• Trying to set one nickname everywhere. Server nicknames are configured per server.
• Forgetting nicknames don't apply in DMs. There, the other person sees your display name.
• Building a name out of invisible characters. Those nicknames often break community rules and lead to a forced rename.
• Changing the name mid-stream or mid-event. Your audience loses you in the member list and in mentions.

FAQ

Will I lose friends or servers after changing my name?

No. Your friend list, communities, roles and messages all stay — only the label attached to you changes.

Will other people see that I changed it?

There's no dedicated notification, but the new name appears immediately in chats and the member list. Some communities keep audit logs where admins can see nickname changes.

Can I use non-Latin characters?

In your display name and server nickname, yes. A username allows only lowercase Latin letters, digits, periods and underscores.

What's the difference between a nickname and a display name?

A nickname works within one server; the display name applies everywhere no local nickname is set.

How do I get my old name back?

For a display name, just type the old value in again. A username is trickier: if someone else has claimed it, it's gone.

Why do some accounts still have digits after the name?

That's a leftover from the old tag system. Discord moved the platform to unique usernames, and new accounts don't get those tags.

Does a name change break mentions in old messages?

No. Mentions are tied to the account rather than the text, so they keep working and show your current name.

Can I stop members from changing nicknames on my server?

Yes, the nickname permission is configured per role in the server settings.

In short

Discord has three layers of name, and the one you almost always want is the display name: it changes in the profile settings in seconds and leaves your unique identifier untouched. Save the username for when you genuinely need it, keeping the frequency limits in mind and the fact that the old value can go to someone else. And if you want to look different in different communities, per-server nicknames are the simplest route.