You change your display name in OSRS through the RuneScape website’s Account Settings — members can rename roughly every 28 days, and the change applies across Old School RuneScape immediately. There is no rename button inside the game client itself. Follow the steps below, then pick from 20 starter names if you have not decided yet.
Display names in OSRS are capped at 12 characters including spaces, and your old name stays reserved for a short period after you change it, so nobody can snipe your identity straight away. Decide carefully before you start: browse our best OSRS display names not taken for clean ideas or our funny OSRS names for jokes, both reachable from our homepage.
How to Change Your Display Name in OSRS: Step by Step
- Go to the official RuneScape website and log in with your account details.
- Open Account Settings, then find the Display Name section.
- Click the option to change your display name.
- Type your new name — maximum 12 characters, including any spaces.
- Use the availability checker on the page to confirm the name is free.
- If it is taken, adjust a letter, add a numeral or try your backup name.
- Confirm the change and review the summary before finalising.
- Log in to OSRS and check your name above your character and in chat.
Rules, Costs and the 28-Day Limit
Name changes are a membership benefit: members can change roughly once every 28 days, while free-to-play accounts typically need to redeem a bond, which grants one name change along with membership time. Your previous display name is held in reserve for a period after the change — longer if you changed recently — before it returns to the pool for others. Names recycled from inactive accounts are released by Jagex in waves, and availability is never guaranteed until the checker accepts your name. Finally, remember that your display name is not your login: your username or email login stays the same forever, and changing the display name does not affect your stats, bank or friends list, although friends will see the new name with a note of the old one for a while.
20 Starter Names If You Are Undecided
Every name here fits the 12-character limit. Test each one in the official checker before confirming — no external list can guarantee a live OSRS name.
- Vexlorn
- Oath Bound
- Moon Willow
- Log Lord
- Spec Twice
- Quiet Vale
- Zylith
- Bank Fisher
- Ember Lynx
- Claw Rusher
- Nyxora
- Slay Belle
- Frost Quill
- Thalven
- Ivory Rune
- Vandric
- Solace IX
- Herb Runner
- Amber Wisp
- One Defence
Troubleshooting: Name Taken or Rejected
If the checker says a name is unavailable, it is either in use, reserved by its previous owner, or still locked in Jagex’s release pool — the checker will not tell you which, so simply move to a variant. Rejections for length mean you exceeded 12 characters counting spaces, and names cannot begin or end with a space. Offensive or impersonating names are filtered automatically. Changed your mind right after renaming? You will usually need to wait out the roughly 28-day window, so treat every change as semi-permanent. For fresh raw material while you wait, try the rare username generator and the ghost text generator for other platforms, or compare MMO naming styles in our Zenless Zone Zero names guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an OSRS name change free?
It is included with membership — members can change roughly every 28 days at no extra cost. Free-to-play players can redeem a bond, which provides a name change plus membership days.
Does changing my display name change my login?
No. Your login username or email never changes. Only the display name shown in game, in chat and on the highscores is updated.
Can someone steal my old name after I change it?
Not immediately. Your previous name stays reserved for a period after the change, and the reservation lasts longer when you have changed names recently. After it expires, anyone can claim it.
Why does the checker reject a name that looks free?
The name may be reserved, filtered, or part of a batch Jagex has not released yet. Availability is only ever confirmed the moment the official checker accepts a name.
