How to change WordPress admin username (all real methods)
Changing the WordPress admin username is one of those things people want to do for security, then realise WordPress makes it weirdly awkward. You can’t just click and edit it. Of course you can’t. That would be too easy.
Still, there are several ways to do it. Some clean, some clunky, all valid. I’ll go through all the ways people actually do this, step by step.
Method 1: Create a new admin user (safest and simplest)
This is the method I trust most. No messing with databases. No risk.
Steps:
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Log into WordPress
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Go to Users → Add New
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Create a new user with the username you want
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Set the role to Administrator
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Log out
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Log back in using the new username
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Go to Users → All Users
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Delete the old admin user
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When asked, assign content to the new user
Done. Clean switch.
Cost:
€0
Honest take:
This is the least stressful way. Especially if you don’t like poking around in technical stuff.
Method 2: Change username via phpMyAdmin (direct database edit)
This is faster, but you need to pay attention.
Steps:
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Log into your hosting panel
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Open phpMyAdmin
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Select your WordPress database
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Open the wp_users table
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Find the admin user
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Edit the user_login value
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Change it to the new username
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Save
Log out of WordPress and log back in with the new username.
Cost:
€0
Reality check:
One typo here can lock you out. If that thought makes you sweat, use Method 1 instead.
Method 3: Use a plugin (quick but temporary)
This works, but I don’t love it long-term.
Steps:
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Go to Plugins → Add New
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Install a plugin that allows username changes
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Activate it
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Go to Users
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Change the username
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Save
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Deactivate and delete the plugin
Cost:
€0
Why delete it after?
Because you don’t need a permanent plugin just to change one username.
Method 4: Rename admin via database + user meta check
This is for older or messy sites.
Steps:
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Open phpMyAdmin
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Go to wp_users
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Change user_login
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Go to wp_usermeta
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Confirm the user ID still has admin capabilities
Most of the time you don’t need this step, but on older sites it matters.
Cost:
€0
This is more “fixing something broken” than a normal change.
Method 5: Change display name only (not the same thing)
People confuse this one a lot.
Steps:
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Go to Users → Profile
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Change Display Name
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Save
Important:
This does not change your login username. It only changes what shows on posts.
Cost:
€0
Useful for appearance, useless for security.
Common mistakes people make
• Changing display name and thinking the job’s done
• Editing the database without a backup
• Forgetting which username they changed it to
• Leaving the old admin user active
Before doing anything, take a quick backup. Always.
What I’d actually do on a normal site
Create a new admin user
Log in as it
Delete the old one
Reassign content
No database stress. No plugins hanging around. No drama.
Changing the admin username isn’t hard, it’s just badly designed. Once it’s done, you forget about it. And that’s exactly how it should be.