# Only use first names

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [January 18, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189 "2023-01-18T15:50:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rstew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rstew](https://meta.discourse.org/u/rstew)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189/1 "2023-01-18T15:50:23Z")

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Hi, I’ve spent a while trying to find the answer to this but no luck.

I’d like to remove surnames from posts if possible. The forum I manage is closed to a membership and some of the early adopters that help steer the engagement have requested that only their first names are displayed as they think being identifiable may stop other members from posting.

I’ve played around with the user settings but can’t work out how I’d do this.

Thanks in advance 🙂

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**Author:** ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189/2 "2023-01-18T16:55:23Z")

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I think your best bet is to delete their last names from their profile.

Or, if those users don’t want their last name to show, then they can edit their profile and remove it.

There is also a `prioritize username in ux ` site setting, which might help.

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**Author:** ![rstew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rstew](https://meta.discourse.org/u/rstew)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189/3 "2023-01-19T08:57:55Z")

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Thanks so much! We have over 60k members so I think they’ll have to do that themselves ha!

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**Author:** ![merefield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/merefield/32/176214_2.png) [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189/4 "2023-01-19T11:03:13Z")

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You could probably run a rails console script to achieve that by reducing the field to just the first word for each User (so long as they have kept to the “First Last” convention …) … but that wouldn’t police it long term …

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**Author:** ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/only-use-first-names/252189/5 "2023-02-18T11:03:52Z")

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