How To Pick Cool Instagram Usernames For Girls And Boys?

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in recent times, right next to Twitter and Facebook. These days, most social networking sites have a common denominator, and that’s adding usernames to your profile so that your account is much easier to find on the platform. Having a cool and unique username is crucial to ensure you stand out among the rest of the users.

This may seem like a simple task, but it can quickly become overwhelming, especially since there are so many possible usernames to choose from. It’s normal to feel like you don’t know where to start, but don’t worry, we’re here to help you out.

In this article, we’ll guide you through different tips that can help you choose an awesome Instagram username, whether you’re a boy or girl. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have countless ideas for your profile.

What Is an Instagram Username?

This may seem like basic information, but it’s worth touching upon anyway. An Instagram username functions like a unique identifier that allows other users to find and recognize your profile easily. Social media sites typically have a character limit for usernames. In Instagram’s case, usernames are limited to 30 characters, and you’ll see an error if you try to go further than that.

Handle vs. Username

Now, another thing you need to distinguish is the difference between an Instagram handle and an Instagram username. For other platforms, the two are different from each other. But for Instagram, your username is also your handle.

So, when someone asks you what your Instagram handle is, you can give them your username.

Username vs. Display Name

Aside from the username, Instagram also has a display name. New Instagram users might not know the difference, so remember not to confuse the two. Fortunately, it’s easy to distinguish the two. When using a mobile phone, you can find your Instagram display name underneath your profile photo. If you’re using a desktop, though, you can find it on the right side beneath your name.

On the other hand, you can find your username at the top-most section of your profile. Unlike the display name, you can’t use emojis or special characters.

Instagram Basics

When choosing an Instagram username, there are some guidelines you need to keep in mind.

Usernames on Instagram aren’t case sensitive, which means it doesn’t matter if someone’s username is in all caps or not because it will direct you to the same profile.

Being concise is a valuable trait to have when choosing a username, as they’re much easier to recall. After all, how can people visit your profile when they can’t remember your username?

Unless they’re a part of your branding, avoid too many underscores.

How to Change Your Instagram Username

There are various reasons why anyone would want to change their Instagram username. It could be because they want their socials to remain consistent or no longer associate themselves with their previous username. No matter the case, anyone is free to change their online persona through usernames.

If you’re looking to update your Instagram username, the steps are simple:

1. Launch the Instagram app on your device and go to your profile.
2. You should see an option that says “Edit Profile.” Tap on that.
3. Type in your new username on the “Username” field.
4. If you’re on iOS, tap on the “Done” option. On the other hand, Android users can tap on the check to mark it as save. If you’re using a mobile browser or a computer, you can tap on “Submit.”

If your Instagram account has a significant number of followers or your reach is quite expansive, Instagram may have to review the change first before approving it.

A Guide for Girls

Match the Vibe of Your Content to Your Username

One crucial part of choosing a cool and unique username for your Instagram is brainstorming. You must be willing to brainstorm and gather as much of your creativity as possible. Of course, many will find this tedious, but it will all be worth it once you get the ball rolling.

One good piece of advice we can give is that you must first decide what kind of Instagram account you want. Will you be posting more about your personal life, e.g., selfies? Or will you post more about fashion, clothing, being a girl boss? There are tons of options out there, so you must weed through the possibilities.

Make It Memorable

You may have noticed this before, but many famous Instagram accounts with many engagements have cool usernames. Instagram has over a billion active users, so naturally, many users will post the same content and niches. However, one thing that can set users apart is their username. Make yourself stand out by having a memorable one.

Use a Username Generator

If you’re having too much of a difficult time figuring things out on your own, that’s fine. There are times when we aren’t creative enough to come up with awesome usernames alone. Don’t be ashamed to use username generator tools to help you out in such instances. There are tons of tools like that online; you only have to look. Who knows? You might end up finding a catchy and optimized username that completely matches your Instagram’s mood.

Use the Same Username for All Your Social Media Accounts

Once you have the perfect username that encapsulates who you are and what your Instagram account is all about, it’s time to consider it as your brand. It’s best to be consistent and use the same username on all your social media platforms.

Why?

There are several reasons, the first of which is that it makes it easier for people to find you on other platforms like Twitter or TikTok. Not only that, but it allows you to showcase your creativity to the world while simultaneously establishing your brand.

Examples of Cool Instagram Usernames for Girls

1. archiloquy
2. charismatic-doll
3. madeincharms
4. devilmoon
5. isodynamic
6. lovelypoison
7. pinkv0dka
8. tulipsunflowers
9. floating_heart
10. angelberry
11. heart_robber
12. pastel_crimes
13. booksandpeonies
14. queentears
15. lavie_in_rose
16. cherrycola
17. basicluv
18. bleachedbabe
19. heart_less
20. kitty_bloom

A Guide for Boys

While some may believe that Instagram is only for girls or women, that’s not the case at all. The photo-sharing platform has tons of male users, so it makes sense why boys also want to know how to pick cool Instagram usernames.

That said, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Make It Catchy

It’s vital to ensure that your username is catchy because you’ll want other users to remember your username quickly and easily. At the same time, having a catchy username makes it memorable too, and that’s undoubtedly a good thing if you want to increase your social media presence.

Choose a Username That Lasts

Longevity is also a crucial factor in choosing a username for boys. Some people prefer a username based on current trends, but we don’t recommend this. Trends come and go, which means that your username will eventually become irrelevant at some point. You’ll want a username that lasts no matter the weather.

Avoid Common

You must avoid boring or common phrases or keywords to create your username. After all, the purpose is to be unique and stand apart from the rest.

Make It Simple

People tend to associate uniqueness with something complicated. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. You can embrace simplicity while being unique simultaneously. This coincides with the previous point, as simple usernames are easy to remember. As a result, it can lead to more people searching for and engaging with your profile.

It Has to Mean Something

It would be best if you chose a username that means something, something that matches the online persona you’ve given yourself. In other words, don’t go selecting any random word or name you come across.

Examples of Cool Instagram Usernames for Boys

1. dawnofdusk
2. urbanlegend
3. warrior_in_pain
4. cyberwarrior
5. gamer_slayer
6. no_name
7. FallenBox
8. AloneAgent
9. CoolCoder
10. foolforlove
11. Jawbreaker
12. beastmode
13. NatureBoy
14. tattedking
15. Hellboy
16. fitgod
17. starwarsfan
18. BobaFett
19. Heres_Johnny
20. Y0da

What if the Username Is Already in Use?

Perhaps you’ve already chosen a great username for yourself, but when you tried to use it, you see an error from Instagram stating that the username is already taken. This is a widespread occurrence, albeit a bit frustrating, because perhaps it took you hours to decide on a username you like finally.

But don’t you fret if you experience this, because there are some things you can do to remedy the situation. For one thing, you can still use your chosen username even though it’s already in use by adding a bit of variation to it.

What does that mean, exactly?

Well, you can add an underscore to the username or a different keyword that’s still relevant to your branding. This way, you can make your username of choice unique even though someone else out there has a similar one.

What NOT to Do When Choosing a Username

Now that you know how to choose or create a unique username for yourself, we have a couple of tips on what you shouldn’t do.

Too Many Underscores Is a Big No

We previously mentioned that you could include an underscore to ensure the availability of your username of choice. However, you mustn’t overdo this. Underscores can undoubtedly make usernames stand out, and if you place them correctly, you can have a cool and unique username on your hands. However, you must also understand that there’s a limit to how many underscores you should use.

Think of the username @your_love_is_my_drug, which is possibly a reference to the popular pop song by Ke$ha. The username doesn’t look good at all, and it especially doesn’t look professional. Besides, anyone who uses this username only chose it because @yourloveismydrug is probably already in use.

Typos Aren’t Cute

You have to be extra careful that your username doesn’t have typographical errors. Typos won’t lead to an excellent first impression, which is crucial if you want more engagement from your followers. That said, some Instagram users purposefully misspell their username, most likely because the correct spelling is already taken. But as much as possible, it’s better to avoid doing so because it can confuse.

Don’t Use Too Many Numbers

Finally, some people use numbers instead of periods or underscores if their chosen username is already taken on Instagram. While it can work well for some users, it’s generally not a good idea to use numbers at all. If you want to, though, you shouldn’t use a long string of numbers.

This is because having a lot of numbers on your username makes you look like a bot or spam account. Not only that, but most people also won’t remember all those numbers if they try to search for your profile. To reiterate the previous point, you must keep things simple.

Conclusion

If you want to stand out on Instagram, the first step is to have a unique and cool username. Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you can significantly benefit from having a unique username, as it can help you draw in more followers.

We’ve thoroughly discussed the different tips that boys and girls can keep in mind when choosing a cool Instagram username. To make things even simpler, we also provided some examples for you to choose from. As such, we hope that you learned a lot from this article and that you were able to brainstorm some creative usernames for yourself after reading it.

Don’t be afraid to expand your horizons, and most importantly, you mustn’t restrict your creativity.

Let your ideas soar, and make sure to write them down to ensure you don’t lose any of those ideas. You’ll be surprised what a good username can do to your social media engagement and analytics, so if those things matter to you, then you’ll need to brainstorm as much as necessary.

If brainstorming doesn’t work for you, though, there’s no need to worry. As previously mentioned above, you can also use username generators to help give you ideas. There are different varieties available on the internet, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the generator you need.