{"id":8343,"date":"2009-06-11T23:33:51","date_gmt":"2009-06-11T18:03:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=8343"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:35:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:05:53","slug":"eligiblity-facebook-username","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook Username Eligibility: 2009 Rules and How It Works Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When Facebook launched usernames in June 2009, <strong>Facebook username eligibility<\/strong> 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&#8217;t eligible for a username.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67087\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-page-username-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Facebook Page username eligibility rules in 2009 and today\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-page-username-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-page-username-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-page-username-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-page-username-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/facebook-page-username-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> 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&#8217;s naming rules.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae821cc913f1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae821cc913f1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#Facebook_username_eligibility_in_2009\" >Facebook username eligibility in 2009<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#Facebook_username_eligibility_rules_today\" >Facebook username eligibility rules today<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#Not_eligible_for_a_Facebook_username_What_to_check\" >Not eligible for a Facebook username? What to check<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#Do_I_need_1000_fans_to_get_a_Facebook_Page_username\" >Do I need 1,000 fans to get a Facebook Page username?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#Why_does_Facebook_say_my_Page_is_not_eligible_for_a_username\" >Why does Facebook say my Page is not eligible for a username?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#How_long_must_a_Facebook_username_be\" >How long must a Facebook username be?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/eligiblity-facebook-username\/#Can_two_Pages_have_the_same_Facebook_username\" >Can two Pages have the same Facebook username?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facebook_username_eligibility_in_2009\"><\/span>Facebook username eligibility in 2009<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here was another reason why you couldn&#8217;t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/facebook-username\/\">get a Facebook username<\/a> 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&#8217;t count. It needed those <strong>1,000 fans before 31 May 2009<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who joined after the cut-off had to wait until <strong>Sunday, 28 June 2009<\/strong>. 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&#8217;t help.<\/p>\n<p>After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/06\/journalists-grab-facebook-usernames\/\">top journalists got priority usernames<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facebook_username_eligibility_rules_today\"><\/span>Facebook username eligibility rules today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The launch-day cut-offs and the fan-count requirement for Pages no longer apply. A username today must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be unique:<\/strong> one username per profile or Page, not already taken. Periods and capital letters don&#8217;t make a name different, so john.smith and JohnSmith count as the same.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be at least 5 characters long.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Use only letters, numbers and periods:<\/strong> no spaces, hyphens, underscores or other symbols.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid generic words and domain endings<\/strong> such as .com or .net.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not impersonate<\/strong> another person or brand, and follow Facebook&#8217;s community standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For a Page, you also need full control of the Page, not partial access. You will find the username option in the Page&#8217;s settings; the exact menu labels change from time to time, so check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook Help<\/a> if you can&#8217;t find it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_eligible_for_a_Facebook_username_What_to_check\"><\/span>Not eligible for a Facebook username? What to check<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Your role on the Page:<\/strong> ask the Page owner for full control if you only have partial access.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The name itself:<\/strong> remove spaces, hyphens or underscores and make sure it is 5 or more characters.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Availability:<\/strong> if the name is taken, add your city, a short word or numbers to make it unique.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Setting up a Page for your site? See how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/02\/create-facebook-page-for-blogs\/\">create a Facebook Page for your blog<\/a> and how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/03\/change-facebook-page-name\/\">change a Facebook Page name<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_need_1000_fans_to_get_a_Facebook_Page_username\"><\/span>Do I need 1,000 fans to get a Facebook Page username?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. The 1,000-fan rule only applied at the 2009 launch. Facebook later dropped fan-count requirements for Page usernames.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_does_Facebook_say_my_Page_is_not_eligible_for_a_username\"><\/span>Why does Facebook say my Page is not eligible for a username?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Usually because you lack full control of the Page, the name breaks the character rules, or the name is already taken.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_must_a_Facebook_username_be\"><\/span>How long must a Facebook username be?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>At least 5 characters, using only letters, numbers and periods.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_two_Pages_have_the_same_Facebook_username\"><\/span>Can two Pages have the same Facebook username?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Each username is unique across Facebook, and periods or capital letters don&#8217;t make a name different.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Facebook launched usernames in June 2009, Facebook username eligibility came with fine print that left many people and Pages&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8343"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67090,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8343\/revisions\/67090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}