Facebook Username Eligibility: 2009 Rules and How It Works Now

When Facebook launched usernames in June 2009, Facebook username eligibility came with fine print that left many people and Pages unable to claim the name they wanted. This article explains those 2009 eligibility rules, what the rules are today, and what to do if Facebook says you aren’t eligible for a username.

Quick answer: In 2009, a Facebook Page needed 1,000 fans before 31 May 2009 to get a username, and new accounts had to wait until 28 June. Those launch rules are long gone. Today any profile or Page can usually pick a username if it is unique, at least 5 characters, uses only letters, numbers and periods, and follows Facebook’s naming rules.

Facebook username eligibility in 2009

Here was another reason why you couldn’t get a Facebook username for your Page at launch: a Page needed 1,000 fans to be eligible. And even if it had more than 1,000 fans by launch day, that didn’t count. It needed those 1,000 fans before 31 May 2009.

For personal profiles, Mashable reported that early access was limited to people who joined Facebook before usernames were publicly announced at 3 p.m. (EDT) on 9 June 2009. Only these users could claim usernames when the doors opened at 12:01 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, 13 June 2009.

Anyone who joined after the cut-off had to wait until Sunday, 28 June 2009. The aim was to stop people from creating new accounts just to squat on popular usernames, so lining up new accounts before launch day didn’t help.

After top journalists got priority usernames and skipped the queue, this fine print was another blow to ordinary users. With so many people competing, you were lucky to get the username you wanted.

Facebook username eligibility rules today

The launch-day cut-offs and the fan-count requirement for Pages no longer apply. A username today must:

• Be unique: one username per profile or Page, not already taken. Periods and capital letters don’t make a name different, so john.smith and JohnSmith count as the same.
• Be at least 5 characters long.
• Use only letters, numbers and periods: no spaces, hyphens, underscores or other symbols.
• Avoid generic words and domain endings such as .com or .net.
• Not impersonate another person or brand, and follow Facebook’s community standards.

For a Page, you also need full control of the Page, not partial access. You will find the username option in the Page’s settings; the exact menu labels change from time to time, so check Facebook Help if you can’t find it.

Not eligible for a Facebook username? What to check

• Your role on the Page: ask the Page owner for full control if you only have partial access.
• The name itself: remove spaces, hyphens or underscores and make sure it is 5 or more characters.
• Availability: if the name is taken, add your city, a short word or numbers to make it unique.

Setting up a Page for your site? See how to create a Facebook Page for your blog and how to change a Facebook Page name.

FAQ

Do I need 1,000 fans to get a Facebook Page username?

No. The 1,000-fan rule only applied at the 2009 launch. Facebook later dropped fan-count requirements for Page usernames.

Why does Facebook say my Page is not eligible for a username?

Usually because you lack full control of the Page, the name breaks the character rules, or the name is already taken.

How long must a Facebook username be?

At least 5 characters, using only letters, numbers and periods.

Can two Pages have the same Facebook username?

No. Each username is unique across Facebook, and periods or capital letters don’t make a name different.