Changing your Blogger account name is like changing your birth name - it can't be done, without legal complications.
You can have a nickname - I have several, depending upon who's calling me. But when a cop stops you, you're going to need your government issued vehicle operator certificate - and there's no nickname there. Just your birth name.
If you don't like your current Blogger account name, you transfer control of the blog - using two browsers - to an account that you like.
If your Blogger account uses a Blogger profile, you have three Identity elements, to consider. Two of these can be changed.
The Username.
The "Username", can't be changed - period. That is the account name - and that is what you use, when you login.
The EMail address.
You can change the "Email address" - from a non GMail address, to any other non GMail email address. This won't change the account name - or change how you login - nor will it eliminate the account name email address, when recovery is necessary.
You can change the email address, from one non GMail account, to another non GMail account. You are not supposed to be able to change to a GMail account, period - though there is some confusion about the term "GMail account", and more confusion about the term "Google account", that may be relevant.
At any rate, changing the email address does not change the account name! If you want the blog(s) owned by a different account, you transfer control to a different Blogger account.
The Display name.
You can change the "Display name" to anything you wish. This is like your nickname - which is useless when legal identity is needed. This won't change the account name, or change how you login.
If you change the display name, you'll have a different name, in any future posts published using that account. It won't change any previously published posts - nor will it affect posts published by team members.
Google and Google+ profiles provide more options - and less flexibility.
If your Blogger account uses a Google or Google+ profile, you'll have less options - and people who change to a Google+ profile have more opportunity for confusion. And there is confusion, when considering Blogger and Google accounts, and email addresses, in general.
Misuse of the profile editor causes various challenges.
There are 3 scenarios where we try to use (or misuse) the account name or email address - and where many problems start.
Logging in to Blogger.
Thanks to the Google "One account" login menu, and the blind login process, people who are not familiar with the login menu may think that they are only permitted to login to certain accounts - and surmise that Google has merged their accounts.
Managing to login to a "permitted" account (but not the necessary blog owner account), the dashboard will, of course, lack the desired blog.
Some blog owners may create new blogs, with contradicting or duplicate content - and with similar names, when unable to find the desired blog(s) in the "My blogs" dashboard list. Multiple blogs will lead to more confusion, later.
The Google "One account" wizard is used in both recovering account control ("Forgot?"), and transferring blog control ("Permissions") - and this causes more confusion.
Recovering account control.
The blind account recovery process requires you to simply identify a resource (blog name, or email address) - and Blogger sends email, with instructions for the recipient.
If you only know the blog name, you're not told what email address gets the account reset token - nor do you get a choice what email address is used. This is where the "Email address" becomes relevant.
You should get email at the "Username" and / or "Email address" Inboxes. The email may or may not tell you the "account name".
If you only know an email address, you get a list sent, to that email address, of blogs associated with that address. Again, the email may or may not tell you the "account name", for each blog.
In neither case, will you actually receive email, when either "Username" or "Email address" refers to a non accessible or non existent address - or when the address is owned by someone else.
If you're logged in to Blogger using an author account, instead of your owner account, don't be confused by the "Posting using email" setting in "Author options". That's not an email address that you can change, for any benefit.
Transferring control of a blog, to a different account.
If you try to transfer control of a blog, but use only one browser, you can get your current account mixed up with your new account email address.
Here is where the Blogger account with a different "Email address" causes more confusion, when later attempting to recover blog control. And where confusion is caused, by the Google "One account" login process.
Confusion compounds confusion.
Each of the three above scenarios may involve, or be involved by, the other two. Confusion in one process may sometimes continue into one, or both, of the other two.
You can have a nickname - I have several, depending upon who's calling me. But when a cop stops you, you're going to need your government issued vehicle operator certificate - and there's no nickname there. Just your birth name.
If you don't like your current Blogger account name, you transfer control of the blog - using two browsers - to an account that you like.
If your Blogger account uses a Blogger profile, you have three Identity elements, to consider. Two of these can be changed.
- Username
- Email address
- Display name
The Username.
The "Username", can't be changed - period. That is the account name - and that is what you use, when you login.
The EMail address.
You can change the "Email address" - from a non GMail address, to any other non GMail email address. This won't change the account name - or change how you login - nor will it eliminate the account name email address, when recovery is necessary.
You can change the email address, from one non GMail account, to another non GMail account. You are not supposed to be able to change to a GMail account, period - though there is some confusion about the term "GMail account", and more confusion about the term "Google account", that may be relevant.
At any rate, changing the email address does not change the account name! If you want the blog(s) owned by a different account, you transfer control to a different Blogger account.
The Display name.
You can change the "Display name" to anything you wish. This is like your nickname - which is useless when legal identity is needed. This won't change the account name, or change how you login.
If you change the display name, you'll have a different name, in any future posts published using that account. It won't change any previously published posts - nor will it affect posts published by team members.
Google and Google+ profiles provide more options - and less flexibility.
If your Blogger account uses a Google or Google+ profile, you'll have less options - and people who change to a Google+ profile have more opportunity for confusion. And there is confusion, when considering Blogger and Google accounts, and email addresses, in general.
Misuse of the profile editor causes various challenges.
There are 3 scenarios where we try to use (or misuse) the account name or email address - and where many problems start.
- Logging in to Blogger.
- Recovering account control.
- Transferring control of a blog, to a different account.
Logging in to Blogger.
Thanks to the Google "One account" login menu, and the blind login process, people who are not familiar with the login menu may think that they are only permitted to login to certain accounts - and surmise that Google has merged their accounts.
Managing to login to a "permitted" account (but not the necessary blog owner account), the dashboard will, of course, lack the desired blog.
Some blog owners may create new blogs, with contradicting or duplicate content - and with similar names, when unable to find the desired blog(s) in the "My blogs" dashboard list. Multiple blogs will lead to more confusion, later.
The Google "One account" wizard is used in both recovering account control ("Forgot?"), and transferring blog control ("Permissions") - and this causes more confusion.
Recovering account control.
The blind account recovery process requires you to simply identify a resource (blog name, or email address) - and Blogger sends email, with instructions for the recipient.
If you only know the blog name, you're not told what email address gets the account reset token - nor do you get a choice what email address is used. This is where the "Email address" becomes relevant.
You should get email at the "Username" and / or "Email address" Inboxes. The email may or may not tell you the "account name".
If you only know an email address, you get a list sent, to that email address, of blogs associated with that address. Again, the email may or may not tell you the "account name", for each blog.
In neither case, will you actually receive email, when either "Username" or "Email address" refers to a non accessible or non existent address - or when the address is owned by someone else.
If you're logged in to Blogger using an author account, instead of your owner account, don't be confused by the "Posting using email" setting in "Author options". That's not an email address that you can change, for any benefit.
Transferring control of a blog, to a different account.
If you try to transfer control of a blog, but use only one browser, you can get your current account mixed up with your new account email address.
Here is where the Blogger account with a different "Email address" causes more confusion, when later attempting to recover blog control. And where confusion is caused, by the Google "One account" login process.
Confusion compounds confusion.
Each of the three above scenarios may involve, or be involved by, the other two. Confusion in one process may sometimes continue into one, or both, of the other two.
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