Whether you want to know when Onyen got its name or if you can change your Onyen, check out these fun facts about UNC’s primary user ID.

1. Is Onyen an acronym?
You probably know Onyen is pronounced like “onion,” but here’s the first thing you probably didn’t know — Onyen isn’t an acronym. While it means “the only name you’ll ever need,” it’s actually a word.
Because it’s a word, we write Onyen, not ONYEN. It even has its own entry in the official UNC Editorial Style guide.
2. How long has Onyen existed?
If Onyen was a person (and bonus fact, it had an anthropomorphic logo for many years), there’d be two dates that could be its birthday. The Onyen name was announced on July 11, 2000, and took effect on UNC systems on August 1, 2000.

3. Where else can I use an Onyen?
Onyens are found only at UNC. The University filed Onyen as a service mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2001. It’s one of the 46 registered trademarks owned by UNC-Chapel Hill.
However, your Onyen does travel with you and helps you connect to encrypted Wi-Fi around the world. First, register your device with eduroam, UNC’s primary Wi-Fi network. Then, whenever you’re in range of a participating eduroam hotspot — more than 10,000 worldwide — you’ll automatically connect to encrypted Wi-Fi. Your Onyen credentials are never shared with the other Wi-Fi provider, just UNC.
4. When do new students and employees create their Onyens?
When you create your Onyen depends on your role at the University. Onyen creation is a self-service process that requires a few pieces of information to verify your identity.
Incoming students can create their Onyens any time after they’re offered admission to the University. Prospective students must use their Onyens to view their financial aid packages.
New UNC employees can create their Onyens on the first day of their employment.
5. Are there rules to create an Onyen?
UNC lets new Tar Heels choose their own Onyen — unlike many other universities that assign a username. The Onyen creation tool even shares some variations based on your first and last name to help you pick.
Onyens must be between three and eight characters long and not already in use by another current or former Tar Heel.
Our main guidance? Don’t choose anything embarrassing — or offensive — and don’t use part of your password as your Onyen (and vice versa).
6. What happens to my Onyen when I leave Carolina?
The Onyen Policy lays out how long an Onyen stays active once a person is no longer affiliated with the University. Generally, graduating students maintain access for 180 days after graduation and faculty for 60 days after affiliation ends. For SHRA and EHRA Non-Faculty staff and other University affiliates, Onyens and access to University computing resources end as soon as the person is no longer employed by or affiliated with the University.
But don’t worry, once you pick your Onyen, it’s yours! Even when your time at Carolina ends, your Onyen will never be reused or assigned to someone else.
And if you return to UNC, even in a different role, you’ll reactivate your existing Onyen instead of creating a new one. This is a great reason for undergrads to create a professional Onyen — your funny choice may come back to haunt you!
7. Can I change my Onyen?
Generally, once you make an Onyen, it doesn’t change. However, Onyens can be renamed under certain limited circumstances. These include a legal name change, an issue of personal security referred by the Office of University Counsel or University Police, clearly offensive Onyens and to resolve a technical issue.
Another option is to create an email alias. Aliases give you an alternate email address, like firstname.lastname@unc.edu, but don’t change your Onyen. You can have up to five email aliases and can create your own using Self Service.
Have more questions about your Onyen?
If this list didn’t answer all your questions about your Onyen, you can always ask the ITS Service Desk. You can contact the ITS Service Desk using the Help Portal, by calling 919-962-HELP (4357) or by visiting in person at the Frank Porter Graham Student Union (room 1506 on the lower level, near Bojangles).