Question

What can my email address be?

Overview

This document discusses the naming conventions for UC Davis email addresses.

In cases where a user’s default email address is not available, a user may configure an alternative email address as long as the new email address meets the restrictions outlined below.

When a user has a name change, the email address may be changed using the same set of rules. Please submit this form for that request.

Answer

The structure of your UC Davis email address reflects your lived/preferred name as you submit on your new hire, new student, or affiliate paperwork. When your computing account is created, the system will attempt to assign you an email address based on the following default settings:

[Prefix][Suffix]@ucdavis.edu

• Prefix: The first letter of the first name, the first letter of the middle name.
• Suffix: The full last name or the last name up to the maximum letter count.

Example: John Doe Christopher
Default: jdchristopher@ucdavis.edu

If this combination is not available, the next closest one may be assigned or you may be presented with fields you can modify. Common last names can create issues when looking for a Mail ID with the current naming convention. It may mean there are alternate combinations that need to be tested to find one that works.
Please select carefully as performing a Email rename has the potential to disrupt account access to various systems across campus. Some disruptions are temporary (24-48 hours) and some cause permanent disruptions (no more access). 

The rules that apply to all email addresses are:

• No numbers
• No special characters such as @.#-$%&*+
• The prefix should contain your first and middle initials.
  • If you have difficulty finding an available email address, the prefix can be anything between 1 and 3 letters.
• The suffix should contain your last name.
  • If you have difficulty finding an available email address, you do not need to include your full last name, though the suffix must at least have 2 consecutive letters from your last name and can not include characters not in your last name. For example if your last name is Smith, you can use smit, mith, smi, sm, mit, mi, ith, th but not smith2, smithtwo, etc.
• The suffix cannot bring the address beyond 24 letters.

Below is a short list of examples showing how one might choose an email address if their assigned default is unavailable.

Example: John Doe Christopher
Default: jdchristopher@ucdavis.edu
Alternative: jonchristopher

This uses different letters in the prefix.

Alternative: jdchris

This leaves out letter from the suffix but still contains enough letters to be valid.

Alternative: dchris

This is a combination of changing the prefix and the suffix.

If you have any questions or need assistance, you can open a ticket here: https://servicehub.ucdavis.edu/servicehub?id=ucd_help_ticket or for faster service, you can reach them at 530-754-4357 from 7 am to 6 pm PST Monday through Friday. They are closed weekends and university holidays.