Is there anyway I could have the name of the user who started the topic to the left of the avatars?

UX
1

as outlined here.

jfjfr
jfjfr1470Ă—345 21.2 KB

2

This requires a complex template re-write, it is technically doable you can see an example theme that does include names here:

Do not recommend it though as a first time customization it can be costly to maintain.

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