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

Discord gives you three separate names, and each one is changed in a different place. Most people are actually looking for the display name — the one shown in bold in chats.

The short answer

Open User Settings (the gear icon) → Profiles, edit the Display Name field and save. The change applies immediately across every server and direct message.

If it's the @handle you want to change, that lives under My Account and requires your password. And to rename yourself in one community only, use the nickname field in that server's profile settings.

The three names and how they differ

• Username — your unique handle, made of lowercase letters, digits, periods and underscores. It's how people find you and send friend requests. No two accounts can share one.
• Display name — what other people see. Capitals, spaces and most characters are allowed here, and duplicates across accounts are fine.
• Server nickname — a local name inside a single community. It doesn't appear anywhere else.

The display priority runs like this: a server nickname wins if one is set; otherwise your display name shows; and if that's empty, your username appears.

Changing your display name

Desktop and web

1. Click the gear icon next to your name in the bottom-left corner.
2. Go to the "Profiles" section.
3. On your main profile tab, find the "Display Name" field.
4. Type the new version.
5. Click "Save Changes" on the bar that appears at the bottom.

Mobile

1. Tap your avatar in the bottom-right corner.
2. Open your profile settings.
3. Edit the "Display Name" field and confirm.

No password is needed, and the change takes effect right away.

Changing your username

1. Open "User Settings" → "My Account".
2. Find the username row and click "Edit".
3. Enter the new handle — lowercase letters, digits, periods and underscores only.
4. Confirm with your account password.

Discord tells you immediately whether the handle is free. Taken names can't be claimed, so you'll need to add a digit, a period or an underscore. Changing your handle breaks nothing: friends, servers and conversations all stay in place.

Changing your name on one server only

The easiest route is through the server menu.

1. Open the server and click its name at the top of the channel list.
2. Choose "Edit Server Profile" (labelled "Change Nickname" in some versions).
3. Type a new nickname and save.

Alternatively, right-click your name in the member list on the right and pick the nickname option there. To go back to your usual name, just clear the field — your profile display name takes over again.

Rules and limits

• Length. All three names cap at 32 characters, with a minimum of 2.
• Case in handles. Usernames are forced to lowercase; capitals aren't available there.
• Blocked words. The filter rejects slurs as well as system terms like everyone and here.
• Change frequency. Discord limits how many changes you can make in a short window. If you see a warning about too many attempts, wait a while and try again.
• Server permissions. Nicknames are only available if your role has the permission for them, and admins can switch it off.
• Blank and invisible characters. Attempts to build an "empty" name out of special characters are usually caught by validation.

When the name won't change

The usual causes:

• The nickname field is greyed out. Your role lacks the "Change Nickname" permission — only a moderator can fix that.
• The username is taken. The check covers the whole platform, inactive accounts included, and someone else's handle can't be freed up.
• No save button appears. The edit hasn't registered — click outside the input field and the save bar shows up at the bottom.
• You're asked to verify by email. Accounts with an unconfirmed address are restricted; verify the address and try again.
• Others still see the old name. Restarting the app usually helps, since the client caches profiles and refreshes them with a delay.

Practical tips

Keep your handle simple and close to your display name — it makes you far easier to find and add. Exotic characters in a display name look distinctive but make you harder to mention in chat and harder to spot in a member list.

Nicknames are useful for context: your real name in a work community, a gaming handle in a gaming server, a role label like "Moderator" where that fits. Themed servers often enforce their own naming rules, and a local nickname lets you comply without touching your main profile.

When you run one community as an admin and hang out in others as a regular member, splitting things across separate profiles avoids confusion — and means one ban doesn't take everything down with it. For that kind of setup, ready-made Discord accounts work well for individual projects while your personal profile stays untouched.

Common mistakes

• Changing the handle when the display name was the goal. They're different fields: the handle is an address, not your chat signature.
• Looking for nicknames in the global settings. A nickname is set inside a specific server, not in your account profile.
• Forgetting to hit "Save Changes". Without confirmation the new name never applies.
• Trying ten changes in a row. The rate limit kicks in and blocks further attempts for a while.
• Copying another member's name. Display names can legitimately match, but impersonation breaks community rules and gets you banned.
• Using characters that break search. They stop people finding you in the member list or tagging you properly.

FAQ

Does my message history survive a name change?

Yes. Messages stay put, and the author name is shown in its current form, including in old conversations.

Does Discord notify other people about the change?

There's no dedicated notification, though on servers with logging enabled a nickname change may appear in an audit channel.

What happened to the four digits after the name?

The discriminator system was replaced by unique usernames. Most accounts no longer display digits, and they can't be added back.

Can I get my old username back?

Only if it's still free. Once released, a handle can be claimed by anyone, so there's no guarantee.

Do I need Nitro to change my name?

No. Display name, username and nicknames all work on a free account. The subscription expands profile customisation, not the ability to rename yourself.

How do I change another member's nickname?

You need a role with the manage nicknames permission. After that, open the member's profile and pick the rename option in the context menu.

Does renaming break bots or integrations?

No. Bots and integrations work with your account ID rather than the text of your name, so nothing gets misconfigured.

Wrapping up

Start by deciding which name you actually need: display name for how you look in chats, username for search and friend requests, nickname for one specific server. From there it's a matter of opening the right section, entering the new value and saving — keeping the rate limit in mind if you're experimenting.