> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.stargaze.zone/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.stargaze.zone/stargaze-names/what-is-a-stargaze-name.md). # What is a Stargaze Name? A **Stargaze Name** is a short, human-readable identity for your Cosmos Hub wallet. Instead of this: ``` cosmos1h7vk2ycx8m4gq3n0dzp9awufe5s6tlr4jb2xdq7mve3n8ku0y9rs2pfw6c ``` people see this: ``` @stargazer ``` Same wallet. One is impossible to remember and easy to get wrong; the other is you. ## What a name gives you Registering a name gives you four things at once: * **An identity.** Your name replaces your address everywhere on Stargaze — the navbar, your profile, activity feeds, notifications, search results, owner and buyer rows. * **A profile.** Your name carries a profile picture, a banner, and links (X, Discord, Telegram, website, EVM address). Set them once and they follow you across the site. * **An address it points to.** By default your own wallet — but a name can also point at a collection contract, which is how projects get a clean collection URL. * **An NFT.** The name *is* a CW721 NFT in your wallet. You can hold it, transfer it, list it, or auction it like any other collectible. ## The format Stargaze Names on the Cosmos Hub are **bare** — there is no `.stars`, `.cosmos`, or any other suffix. The name is just the word. Stargaze displays it with an `@` in front, the way a social handle is shown, but the `@` is not part of the name. | Rule | Detail | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Length | 3 to 62 characters | | Allowed characters | lowercase letters `a–z`, digits `0–9`, and hyphens `-` | | Not allowed | uppercase, spaces, dots, emoji, or any other symbol | | Hyphens | cannot be the first or last character, and cannot sit in the 3rd and 4th position together | Names are not case-sensitive because uppercase simply isn't valid — `Stargazer` is rejected, `stargazer` is the name. ## Names are leased, not owned permanently This is the most important thing to understand before registering. A name is registered for a **term of 1 to 10 years**, paid up front in ATOM. Before that term ends you renew it. If you never renew, the name eventually goes back to the public and someone else can take it. This is deliberate. It keeps the namespace in circulation rather than allowing names to be held indefinitely by wallets that have been abandoned. Selling or transferring a name does **not** reset the clock. The buyer inherits whatever time is left on the lease and has to renew it themselves. See [Renewing a Name](/stargaze-names/renewals.md) for exactly how renewals, the grace period, and expiry work. ## Where names show up on Stargaze
WhereWhat you see
Names in the top navbarRegister, Trade, and My Names
stargaze.zone/namesSearch for a name and register it
stargaze.zone/m/namesThe Names collection on the marketplace — browse, buy, and sell names
/m/names/<name>An individual name's page, like any other NFT
Profile → Names tabEvery name a wallet owns, its expiry date, and Edit / Renew buttons if it's yours
Your profile headerYour name as your display name, plus the profile picture and banner you set on it
Everywhere an address appearsActivity, notifications, search, offers, owner rows — the address is replaced by the name it resolves to
Collection URLsA collection whose creator pointed a name at it gets a readable URL instead of a contract address
## Coming from the Stargaze chain? Names that existed on the original Stargaze chain were migrated to the Cosmos Hub for you — you don't need to re-register them. They arrived with a **one-year lease** starting from the August 2026 migration, so they will need renewing like any other name. Check yours: open your profile, go to the **Names** tab, and look at the **Expires** column. {% hint style="info" %} Migrated names kept their text records where possible, but it's worth opening **Edit** once to confirm your links and profile picture are the ones you want. {% endhint %} ## Next steps * [Registering a Name](/stargaze-names/registering-a-name.md) — check availability, pricing, and claim one * [Renewing a Name](/stargaze-names/renewals.md) — keep it, step by step * [Managing Your Name](/stargaze-names/managing-your-name.md) — profile picture, banner, links, and where it points * [Buying & Selling Names](/stargaze-names/buying-and-selling-names.md) — trade names on the marketplace --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.stargaze.zone/stargaze-names/what-is-a-stargaze-name.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.