I am setting up a new Mini from scratch to get a clean start from the previous system. I used the wrong "full name" with an account name I need to reuse. Where do I change the "full name"?
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 14.8
In System Settings > Users & Groups.
For the complete set of instructions I recommend reviewing the following: Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support.
Be advised terminology is important so use caution. You can for example change only the "Full name" without altering anything else, which is what you are seeking to accomplish. Do not change the "User name". It is not necessary to create an additional Administrator Account, and in your case you will not want to rename the Home Folder either. Its name can and will remain unchanged.
Excerpted from the above, illustrating the importance of terminology:
"The full name does not need to match the user name, and can contain spaces. You will be able to use either the user name or the full name when logging in or making changes that require your account name and password."
You may want to create a Time Machine backup before proceeding. That just goes without saying, but since you are setting up a new Mini from scratch you might not have anything to lose (yet).
In System Settings > Users & Groups.
For the complete set of instructions I recommend reviewing the following: Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support.
Be advised terminology is important so use caution. You can for example change only the "Full name" without altering anything else, which is what you are seeking to accomplish. Do not change the "User name". It is not necessary to create an additional Administrator Account, and in your case you will not want to rename the Home Folder either. Its name can and will remain unchanged.
Excerpted from the above, illustrating the importance of terminology:
"The full name does not need to match the user name, and can contain spaces. You will be able to use either the user name or the full name when logging in or making changes that require your account name and password."
You may want to create a Time Machine backup before proceeding. That just goes without saying, but since you are setting up a new Mini from scratch you might not have anything to lose (yet).
To change the full user name, you can just go to the "Users & Groups" System Settings. Click on the " i " with a circle and just edit the User Name right there.
Thanks, I tried to post that I had found it shortly after I posted the question before I went to a meeting, and the web site was not accepting posts at that time.
Yes, as a UNIX user historically, I wish Apple would call it the "user name" instead of the "account name." Then I would know what I was dealing with in the fields for creating a user.
Thanks for your quick response.
Exactly. Apple used to discuss a "username" that everyone understood, and the only one that matters — as its "short name". That was less than ideal, but now they made it worse by introducing "account name". That's the reason I wanted to draw your attention to that entire Support document and the terminology it uses.
Want to change the full name of a user without changing the account name
