Changing your Mac user name gets confusing when there’s more than one name to edit. You can change just the display name or rename the short user name together with its home folder using the steps below. The rename procedure applies to macOS Ventura 13 and later, including Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15, and Tahoe 26.
Change only the name displayed for your account
Editing Full name updates your display name without changing the short user name or home-folder path. Back up your Mac before making account changes. Log out of the account you want to rename.
Sign in to another administrator account. If you don’t have one, create a helper account using the next section first. Then open Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups.
Control-click the account you want to change. Select Advanced Options. Authenticate with the administrator credentials.
Edit only Full name. Spaces are allowed, so your first and last names can go here normally. Click OK, then restart your Mac.
Create another administrator account if you need one
Sign in to an existing administrator account to create the helper account needed for renaming. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups. Click Add User, then authenticate if prompted.
Choose Administrator from New User. Enter a full name for the helper account, then enter its account name. Supply a password and verify the password.
Click Create User. Keep in mind that creating an account does not rename your existing account or automatically transfer its files.
Prepare the home folder for a new short user name
Use this procedure to change the local account’s short user name and its matching folder inside /Users. Renaming the folder alone leaves the job unfinished, so complete the account settings in the next section before restarting.
Make a backup before you begin. Log out of the account you’re renaming. Log in to another administrator account, such as the helper account created above.
In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder. Enter /Users to open the folder containing the user home folders. Stop sharing the target home folder if it is shared.
Select the home folder belonging to the account you want to rename. Press Return to edit the folder name. Rename the folder without spaces; for example, change janesmith to janedoe. Authenticate to approve the folder-name change.
Match the account settings to the renamed folder
This completes the short-name change by matching the account settings to the renamed home folder. While still signed in to the other administrator account, open Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups.
Control-click the account being renamed. Choose Advanced Options. Authenticate with the administrator credentials.
Set User name to the folder’s new name, such as janedoe. The field you need is User name, not User. Set Home directory to the matching path, such as /Users/janedoe.
Click OK. Restart the Mac. Log in to the renamed account.
Remove a temporary helper account when you’re finished
Log out of the helper account before removing it. This cleanup is optional; the deletion steps here apply to macOS Tahoe 26.
Sign in to an administrator account you’re keeping. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups. Click the Info button beside the temporary account.
Click Delete User. Choose what happens to its files: Save the home folder in a disk image, Don’t change the home folder, or Delete the home folder. The last option deletes that account’s data.
Click Delete User to confirm. Before confirming deletion, double-check that you’ve selected the temporary account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing my Apple Account name change my Mac user name?
No. Your Apple Account personal name is separate from your local macOS account name. Changing it does not rename your Mac login account or its home folder.
Is my Mac’s computer name the same as my user name?
No. The computer name identifies the Mac itself. The local user name belongs to an account on that Mac, while the local hostname is its Bonjour network identity.
Why do older instructions mention System Preferences and Account name?
Those labels belong to the pre-Ventura interface, including macOS Monterey 12. They are historical labels for the settings now called System Settings and User name.
Can I rename a work or school Mac account myself?
Involve your organization’s administrator for a managed account. Renaming a domain account can result in a new home folder at the next login, and the required changes depend on the organization’s directory configuration.