GitHub is read by recruiters, hiring managers, open-source maintainers, and conference organizers. Your handle here ends up on a resume, on conference badges, in PR review queues, and in npm packages if you publish.
Rules: 1 to 39 characters. Alphanumeric and single dashes. Cannot start or end with a dash. Cannot have two consecutive dashes.
Conventions that work:
- first-last if available. Strongest possible professional handle.
- first.craft as a fallback: "alex-codes", "marina-builds", "linokim-dev".
- invented short word that you also use as your craft brand.
What to avoid:
- Numbers, especially years.
- Joke handles ("hireme-now", "willbreakprod").
- Pure leetspeak.
- The word "dev" or "coder" alone — too generic and almost always taken.
PickName's "Pro" or "Tech" style applied with a GitHub filter is the right tool here. Generate, pick the three you'd be willing to put on a resume, then go to github.com/username to check availability before signup.
Related: How to pick a professional handle.