Think of your username as a doorstop. It’s sole purpose is to get you in the door without raising any alarms or red flags. Easier said than done? Not this time! I prescribe 3 simple steps.
Step 1: Make a list of your traits and likes. If you already have a username in mind, skip to Step 3.
Example: My name is Jeff, I’m an engineer, I’m from Wisconsin, I like cooking, my favorite movie is Forrest Gump, I own a Labrador, and I like surfing.
Step 2: Think about how to combine these aspects, whether by humor, alliteration, non-sequiturs, inside jokes, or just good old-fashioned word mashing. I have 7 pieces of information from Jeff – see how many usernames I can brainstorm in 3 minutes. I came up with 13:
Example: jeffrunforrest, jeffjustcooks, dogownsjeff, jumpinjeff, landlockedsurfer, jeffnotgeoff, labnamedforrest, dogsurf, chefineer, surfchef, cookforrestcook, wisconsinsurf, UWbadgerjeff.
Step 3: Perform a sanity check. At first glance, is it confusing or too unusual? Think about what the first impression of the username is, and whether it is at all negative. If so, make it more generic. Is it masculine? Is it an inside joke? If so, would the average user understand the reference or be weirded out? And so on