What’s big and bold and usually the first text you can see on a profile? Welcome to an introduction to your dating name, your handle, your alias, you’re pseudonym or your nom de plume. Simply for the fact that it sits atop your profile like a beacon to the world, this little line needs some serious attention.

First off, look at your real name. You love your name, don’t you? People have been calling you it for years. You are comfortable with it. It makes you smile when it rolls off other people’s tongues. Fantastic! Now forget about it! Never use your real name in your handle. Names are personal. They give a little insight into who you really are, even if the other person doesn’t know it’s your real name. Besides, this is a time where you get to play and have some fun. Forget about what you’re known as nine-to-five. Step out of that life and into one with a new name!

You might be living with this name for years so spend some time on it. Numbers aren’t always the best things to include in your name. Missy1980 won’t stick in people’s heads as well as JustMissy. Something like 4Justice isn’t quite as bad, but it still requires people to think a little before they punch your name in. Keep the numbers down to a minimum and take your time. This is how you’ll be known, after all.

If there’s something in your personality that you love, feel free to anchor your alias to it. If you’re kind to people you meet and happen to be tall, GentleGiant might work for you. If you like long strolls on mountain paths, HikerGirl would do you well. Gym stars could be FitGuy or FitGirl. What I would avoid is anything that sounds too over-the-top. DropDeadBlonde might say that your ego is bigger than your boobs – and we can tell from your picture how big they are! SuperSexStar might be exactly what you are and what you’re after, but you need to consider how you’ll appear to others and if that’s the image you want to portray. Never lie, but you need to consider all the angles before choosing something that will stick out in a crowd.

"Inspiration is everywhere once you know where to look."

If you’re stuck for ideas for names, there are lots of places to go for inspiration. Perhaps you can borrow a name from a favorite character in a book or movie you’ve watched. If you look like someone famous, maybe you can play off their name. If you like a name that’s common – such as Rose – you might find it already taken. Try taking it to a site like FreeTranslation.com and punching it in and seeing how it comes up in other languages. There are all kinds of name sites on the Internet, too, that can help get you pointed in the right direction. Inspiration is everywhere once you know where to look.

Try and keep it memorable. You want to stick out from the crowd, but not in any negative way. Look inside yourself for something that describes you best and see if you can make it work. If not, don’t get discouraged. There are plenty of places to search for a super name. Take some time and make sure your profile is topped with a cherry and you’ll be guaranteed better results!

Online Name Resources:

Behind The Name: A site with names from different languages and cultures

Popular Baby Names: Find out the most popular names given to babies in any given year

Free Translation: Take a look at what words mean in other languages

Rum Monkey: A horde of silly name generators like the Japanese name generator, fantasy novel names, fairy princess name generator, etc.