# What does your username say about you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287 "2009-11-20T14:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/1 "2009-11-20T14:54:39Z")
(Not sure if here or GQ or someplace is is the best place for this, mods can move if they want) I’m sure there’s been a thread on this, but I couldn’t find one, nonetheless this could be very helpful for those new to the board such as myself. Almost everyone here uses a username that, to the best of my knowledge, isn’t related to their real name at all. (I of course, being an odd man out, as my username is merely my first and middle initials, followed by my last name). I’m wondering what is the story behind your user name, and why did you choose it? (There’s several interesting sounding ones out there I’m dying to know about!) ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/2 "2009-11-20T15:27:48Z")
Well, mine is boring, but just to get things started: In August 2003 I had just relocated, was miserable, and lonely. So I bought The Sims Online (TSO). I created my first character, and having no idea what cool names were, I decided I wanted something that pointed out that I loved music. So I named my character Melody Harmonius. Of course, I spelled “harmonius” wrong at first - but since you couldn’t edit names and I didn’t want to delete my character and start over, it stayed that way. Soon I created an email account for it, and used it on message boards, and it just morphed from there. I haven’t played TSO for like 4 years (I am a World of Warcraft player, if anything) but since most of my online friends are just used to calling me Mel - I’ve never bothered to change it. Now I usually always call myself some version of that - even in WoW, my character is Melodyn. Why buck a branding? ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/3 "2009-11-20T15:37:23Z")
I went to UIUC to do a PhD in History (which I didn’t finish, but hey). I spent a good deal of time in lit. and anth. reading groups and such. When referring to me, people would often say “Stu, you know, the history guy”. When my old email got spam-ridden, I seized on the phrase as something that no one else would call themselves. I’ve since used it as a username in multiple groups and forums. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/4 "2009-11-20T15:40:51Z")
I have a holiday home in southern Italy, near a town called San Vito Dei Normannii. Next year I’m selling the house, so the hinted glamour in the name will be rather faded. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/5 "2009-11-20T15:41:21Z")
I’m a musician, and while I play and teach all styles, my first love is bluegrass and old-time Americana. In those styles players are often referred to as pickers. Plus it’s available as a username most everywhere except specific bluegrass and instrumental websites. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/6 "2009-11-20T15:43:01Z")
It is a name for the job I used to do. Some theatres call it a charge artist, some a lead scenic artist, at my school it was call paintcharge. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/7 "2009-11-20T16:01:13Z")
There’s this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535964&highlight=user+names) ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/8 "2009-11-20T16:02:17Z")
[http://www.wheresgeorge.com](http://www.wheresgeorge.com) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/9 "2009-11-20T16:02:31Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Almost everyone here uses a username that, to the best of my knowledge, isn’t related to their real name at all. (I of course, being an odd man out, as my username is merely my first and middle initials, followed by my last name). You are not alone… ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/10 "2009-11-20T16:04:19Z")
Mine says that I am a Bolton Wanderers supporter ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/11 "2009-11-20T16:10:25Z")
Mine’s not terribly interesting. My current alias is simply a name I chose back around 1998 under which I wanted to write my music. However, it was taken as a band name (multiple times, I might add, by bands in the US and Ireland, plus a song by Prodigy, though I didn’t know that at the time) so I ended up going with a different band name instead. I kept this one as an alias instead. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/12 "2009-11-20T16:12:26Z")
Mine reflects my German heritage, being a word that means “cutie pie”. It’s also the name of my jewelry business. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/13 "2009-11-20T16:16:52Z")
I live on a [small blue planet in space](http://www.freewebs.com/1969clangers/home.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/14 "2009-11-20T16:36:04Z")
I’m only Epimetheus on this board. I thought I was being clever by picking a gods name, since intellectually this board could be said to contain gods. Anyway, I’m not nearly as intelligent (probably on any scale) as many of the users on this board so I thought I’d poke fun at myself a bit with the name. For those unaware, Epimetheus means “hindsight” and was depicted as being foolish. Seemed to fit somebody that had the foresight to know that he would be wrong more often than not, and would probably not be able to run with the big dogs. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/15 "2009-11-20T16:36:44Z")
I’m a rather cordial young chap. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/16 "2009-11-20T16:42:52Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > There’s this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=535964&highlight=user+names) :smack: And the worst part about it? Since I’m loooking foolish for not finding a fairly recent thread, and I’m lacking hindsight because of this … _I can’t even use the name Epimetheus because **it’s taken!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/17 "2009-11-20T16:57:23Z")
My username says I trigger immune responses. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/18 "2009-11-20T17:02:05Z")
I like C S Lewis. “Malacandra” is from _Out of the Silent Planet_ and is both the Martians’ own name for their planet and the personal name of the _oyarsa_ or archangel who runs the place. (The other Martians just call him Oyarsa as he is the only one there, but every other planet also has an oyarsa of its own.) It wasn’t my first choice - elsewhere I have called myself Diogenes, but that was already taken; since registering here I have used Malacandra on several other fora too, but I am not the only one out there. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/19 "2009-11-20T17:06:31Z")
My username is related to my real name, though only via translation to different languages. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287/20 "2009-11-20T17:18:07Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > :smack: > > And the worst part about it? Since I’m loooking foolish for not finding a fairly recent thread, and I’m lacking hindsight because of this … _I can’t even use the name Epimetheus because **it’s taken!** _ On the plus side, you are getting a lot of different people commenting this time around!! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-username-say-about-you/518287.md?page=2)