# How do I change the name of the user on our new Mac?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 22, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568 "2011-03-22T04:22:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/1 "2011-03-22T04:22:20Z")
We got a new Mac, but for some reason the guys at Best Buy only put my fifrst name on the user account (you konw, the file on the desktop menu with the little house.) I wnat to change it to Mr & Mrs Piper, since it’s a shared computer, but I don’t know how to do that.
Any suggestions?
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/2 "2011-03-22T04:28:26Z")
> **[Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201548)**
>
> You can rename your macOS user account and home folder, which were named when the account was created.
But, I would avoid using an ampersand in the name.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/3 "2011-03-22T04:30:25Z")
thanks, as always, **beowulff**!
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/4 "2011-03-22T04:33:45Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> thanks, as always, **beowulff**!
Have fun with your new machine!
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### Author:  [@anyuta34i](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyuta34i)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/5 "2011-03-22T05:48:20Z")
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### Author:  [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2011, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/6 "2011-03-22T06:56:09Z")
😃 ibtl
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/7 "2011-04-17T06:04:41Z")
so, I’m finally getting around to this (it’s been a busy month).
is there a difference between “enable root user” and “log on as root user”?
I"m not sure if I’ve followed this correctly:
> **[How to enable the root user or change the root password on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204012)**
>
> Mac administrators can use the root user account to perform tasks that require access to more areas of the system.
Because when I go to change the name of the home account, as set out in point 4 of the page **beowulff** linked to, I can’t find any way to change it. Normally, I just hover and click on the name of a file and I can edit it. I tried it with the home file, and nothing happened?
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### Author:  [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/8 "2011-04-18T00:28:18Z")
Frankly, I wouldn’t go messing around with root if it’s not something you’re comfortable with, despite Apple’s easy-peasy 43-step directions. You could just create a brand new user (with admin rights, too) in the Accounts system preference, is there a reason you don’t want to do that?
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### Author:  [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-name-of-the-user-on-our-new-mac/575568/9 "2011-04-18T03:52:55Z")
Open System Preferences, open the Accounts preference pane, select the account you want to change from the bar on the right, then type a new name in under “Full Name”. Attempting to change the “short name” for the account, which is used internally by Mac OS X, is not necessary and not recommended.