Yes, you can hide your last name in World of Warcraft: Forever, but only from the game world. Press Escape to open the Game Menu, choose Options, then Nameplates, and click the checkbox for “My Secondary Name”: your surname stops showing over your character, though Blizzard says it “will still appear in chat.”
That one setting has limits worth knowing before you settle on a surname you would rather nobody saw. Below: how the two-name system works, the exact steps, what the setting does and does not hide, and the rules for the second name. Everything is checked against Blizzard’s Create a Name of Your Own post and its new player’s starter guide, as of November 3, the day before launch.
How Names Work in WoW Forever
WoW Forever has no realms, so a name can no longer be unique to one server. Instead, Blizzard says “each character will have two names,” a main name and a secondary name, and only the complete combination has to be unique within your region. Blizzard describes it as “a first name and a last or surname.”
That has three consequences:
- Your first name does not have to be unique. Two players can both be Asha as long as their second names differ.
- Surnames can be shared. Blizzard’s own example is a family: Asha Brightvale, Thalen Brightvale and Mira Brightvale. A guild or a group of friends can share a second name too, as long as each full name is still free.
- You cannot skip it. Both names are part of every character. If you have no use for a surname, hiding it is the way around it.
Our rulesets and surnames story covers why Blizzard moved to this system.
How to Hide Your Last Name
- Log in to a character and enter the world.
- Press Escape to open the Game Menu.
- Select Options, then open the Nameplates settings.
- Click the “My Secondary Name” checkbox. Beta players describe it as unchecking the option, which is on by default. Your second name no longer displays over your character.
Blizzard’s starter guide gives the same path in short form: “Options > Nameplates > My Secondary Name.” It is a display setting, not a service, so there is nothing to buy or unlock, and you can turn your surname back on the same way.
What Hiding Your Last Name Changes
| Where your name appears | With “My Secondary Name” turned off |
|---|---|
| Over your character, on your screen | Second name hidden |
| Chat | Full name still shown, per Blizzard |
| Other players’ screens | Full name still shown, according to beta players |
The chat row is Blizzard’s wording: your secondary name “will still appear in chat.” The last row comes from beta testers. Players who tried the setting in September reported that “when you hide your last name it only hides it for you,” so everyone else still sees your full name above your head. Blizzard’s posts do not say either way, so treat anything you type in the second name field as public.
Two more limits:
- Only the second name can be hidden. The setting is called “My Secondary Name,” and Blizzard describes no option for the main name, so you cannot hide your first name and show only your surname.
- Other players’ surnames. Blizzard’s posts mention only the setting for your own name. Beta players asked for a toggle that hides everyone else’s surnames, and they disagreed about whether the one checkbox already does it, so look through the Nameplates settings at launch if full names everywhere bother you.
Rules for Picking a Last Name
Hiding a surname does not exempt it from the rules, so choose it with the same care as your first name:
- The naming policy applies to both names. Blizzard says certain names, words, spellings and repeated-character patterns may be restricted, including names that could cause confusion or impersonate Blizzard.
- Both parts are checked together. “Separating a restricted word across the two names will not necessarily make it valid,” Blizzard warns.
- Major lore names are restricted. Blizzard keeps a list of “non-profane names that we wish to restrict, such as major Warcraft lore characters.” In an October 27 forum post, it said a bug made that check too strict (it was rejecting names containing “c-o-n”) and that the fix would arrive with the next realm restarts. If a name was refused before then, try it again.
- Roleplay rulesets are stricter. The starter guide says the Roleplay ruleset has “naming and behavior rules” and Roleplay-PvP has “strict naming conventions,” so a joke surname you plan to hide is a bad idea there. Our guide to which ruleset to choose compares them.
- No name is guaranteed. If your combination is taken or refused, Blizzard suggests trying another or “the trusty in-game random name generator.”
Before You Lock In a Surname
- Reservation versus launch. Blizzard’s Early Name Reservation window, October 27 to November 3, is only for eligible upgrade owners; everyone else claims a name when servers open on November 4 at 3 p.m. PST (6 p.m. EST). Our name reservation guide explains who qualifies, and our launch time guide has the hour in every region.
- Pick your ruleset first. A character stays on the ruleset it was created on, and Blizzard says playing under another one means creating a new character, as our guide to changing your ruleset explains.
- Changing it later. Blizzard has not said how name changes will work with WoW Forever’s two-part names, so treat your full name as permanent at launch.
- The next decision. Once the name is settled, our best race and class combos guide helps with the rest of character creation.
Every guide we have is on our World of Warcraft hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hide your last name in WoW Forever? Yes. Turning off “My Secondary Name” under Options, then Nameplates, stops your second name from displaying in the game world. It still appears in chat.
Is a last name required in WoW Forever? Yes. Every character has a main name and a secondary name, and the full combination must be unique within your region.
Does hiding my surname hide it from other players? Not according to beta players, who report that the setting only changes what you see. Blizzard has not said otherwise, so assume others can see it.
Can I hide my first name instead? No. The setting only covers your secondary name.
Can two characters share a last name? Yes. Only the full two-name combination must be unique, and Blizzard’s own example is a family sharing the surname Brightvale.
Can you change your last name later? Blizzard has not announced how name changes work for WoW Forever’s two-part names, so pick one you are happy to keep.