Nickname — The Most Complete Cross-Platform Nickname System
by NotAyaan
Nickname lets server owners give players a display name that replaces the username in chat, the tab list, join and leave messages and death messages.
What it does
The mod is a server-side nickname system for Fabric servers and for Paper-family servers such as Paper, Spigot, Bukkit, Purpur and Folia. It requires Fabric API and fabric-permissions-api. Files cover 12 release versions, 1.21 – 1.21.11, and the latest Fabric build, 1.0.0 for 1.21.11, was published on 2026-04-13 on the beta channel. Only the server needs it, so players join without installing anything.
Nicknames are stored persistently and can be reloaded at runtime. Players can manage their own nickname, while staff can assign nicknames to others. Join and leave messages, death and advancement announcements and overhead nametags all use the nickname instead of the username, and each of these behaviours can be configured. Recipe advancement messages can be filtered out to reduce chat noise. The project is licensed under the MIT License and is not open source.
Key features
Nickname-aware messages
Join, leave, death and advancement announcements show the nickname in place of the username.
Overhead nametags
The nametag shown above a player's head can be configured, including whether it displays the nickname.
Self and staff management
Players set their own nickname, and staff can assign or change nicknames for other players.
Persistent storage
Nicknames are saved between sessions and the stored data can be reloaded while the server runs.
Advancement message filtering
Recipe advancement announcements can be suppressed so that only the messages server owners want appear in chat.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 2
Use cases
Who it’s for: Server owners running Fabric or Paper-family servers who want nicknames to apply to chat, messages and nametags. Players only need to join the server, and no client install is needed.
How it compares
Show me your nickname is a Fabric mod for 1.21.11 under the Apache License 2.0, and it runs on the player side only, so it does nothing on a server. ExNameTags is a Fabric mod for 1.21.5 under All rights reserved, and it works on either side, and neither needs it. Autonickname is server-side only for 1.21.5, open source under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, and changes nicknames on the server like this mod does.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname — The Most Complete Cross-Platform Nickname System | Fabric | 1.21 – 1.21.11 | Server-side only | 2026-04-13 |
| Show me your nickname | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-04-18 |
| ExNameTags | Fabric | 1.21.5 | Client or server, optional | 2025-08-17 |
| Autonickname | Fabric | 1.21.5 | Server-side only | 2025-06-01 |
Questions
Does Nickname need Fabric API?
Can Nickname run on Paper servers?
Do players need to install Nickname?
Which game versions does Nickname support?
In the catalog
Nickname — The Most Complete Cross-Platform Nickname System is one of 8,499 Technology mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,201 Technology mods for Fabric. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
Similar mods
What the author says
The best nickname solution for modern Minecraft servers. One project, one command style, and one consistent player identity experience across both Fabric and Bukkit-family servers. Unlike typical nickname plugins that only rename chat or tab, Nickname is built as a full identity layer: join/leave, death…
Official listing
- Owner
- NotAyaan
- Published
- 2026-04-13
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-04-13
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15