How to Change a Mac’s Name in Four Clicks

Changing a Mac’s name is easy. Here’s how to change a Mac’s computer name is four clicks. A Mac name change will affect the name that other computers see when they’re browsing the local network.

I’ve tested this method on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (10.6.7 and 10.6.8).

The Mac computer name is sometimes called a network name,  or even a host name or hostname, which comes from OS X’s origins in Unix.

Here’s how to change a Mac’s name:

1. Click and hold the Apple menu and choose System Preferences…
   To open the Apple menu, click on the Apple icon at the top left of the screen.
   The System Preferences window will open.
2. Click the Sharing icon.
   The Sharing icon is about the center of the widow.
   It is in the row titled Internet & Wireless.
   The contents of the window will change and
   the window’s title will change to Sharing.
3. Click in Computer Name field and type the Mac’s new name.
   The Computer Name field is at the top of the window.
4. Click the red circle at the top left of the Sharing window.
   The Sharing window will close.
   Your Mac’s name will change.

You’re done! – The Mac’s network name is now changed.

The source for this article is Change Your Mac’s Name at Mac Crazy.

This method was tested on Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 (10.6.7).