---
title: "USER_NAME (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "03/06/2017"
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  - "USER_NAME"
  - "USER_NAME_TSQL"
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  - "TSQL"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "usernames [SQL Server]"
  - "IDs [SQL Server], databases"
  - "USER_NAME function"
  - "users [SQL Server], database username"
  - "names [SQL Server], database users"
  - "identification numbers [SQL Server], databases"
  - "database usernames [SQL Server]"
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---
# USER_NAME (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)]

  Returns a database user name from a specified identification number.  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
-- Syntax for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Parallel Data Warehouse  
  
USER_NAME ( [ id ] )  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 *id*  
 Is the identification number associated with a database user. *id*is **int**. The parentheses are required.  
  
## Return Types  
 **nvarchar(256)**  
  
## Remarks  
 When *id* is omitted, the current user in the current context is assumed. If the parameter contains the word NULL will return NULL.When USER_NAME is called without specifying an *id* after an EXECUTE AS statement, USER_NAME returns the name of the impersonated user. If a Windows principal accesses the database by way of membership in a group, USER_NAME returns the name of the Windows principal instead of the group.  
  
## Examples  
  
### A. Using USER_NAME  
 The following example returns the user name for user ID `13`.  
  
```  
SELECT USER_NAME(13);  
GO  
```  
  
### B. Using USER_NAME without an ID  
 The following example finds the name of the current user without specifying an ID.  
  
```  
SELECT USER_NAME();  
GO  
```  
  
 Here is the result set for a user that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role.  
  
 `------------------------------`  
  
 `dbo`  
  
 `(1 row(s) affected)`  
  
### C. Using USER_NAME in the WHERE clause  
 The following example finds the row in `sysusers` in which the name is equal to the result of applying the system function `USER_NAME` to user identification number `1`.  
  
```  
SELECT name FROM sysusers WHERE name = USER_NAME(1);  
GO  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
 `name`  
  
 `------------------------------`  
  
 `dbo`  
  
 `(1 row(s) affected)`  
  
### D. Calling USER_NAME during impersonation with EXECUTE AS  
 The following example shows how `USER_NAME` behaves during impersonation.  
  
```  
SELECT USER_NAME();  
GO  
EXECUTE AS USER = 'Zelig';  
GO  
SELECT USER_NAME();  
GO  
REVERT;  
GO  
SELECT USER_NAME();  
GO  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
 `DBO`  
  
 `Zelig`  
  
 `DBO`  
  
## Examples: [!INCLUDE[ssSDWfull](../../includes/sssdwfull-md.md)] and [!INCLUDE[ssPDW](../../includes/sspdw-md.md)]  
  
### E. Using USER_NAME  
 The following example returns the user name for user ID `13`.  
  
```  
SELECT USER_NAME(13);  
```  
  
### F. Using USER_NAME without an ID  
 The following example finds the name of the current user without specifying an ID.  
  
```  
SELECT USER_NAME();  
```  
  
 Here is the result set for a currently logged-in user.  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
```  
------------------------------   
User7                              
```  
  
### G. Using USER_NAME in the WHERE clause  
 The following example finds the row in `sysusers` in which the name is equal to the result of applying the system function `USER_NAME` to user identification number `1`.  
  
```  
SELECT name FROM sysusers WHERE name = USER_NAME(1);  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
```  
name                             
------------------------------   
User7                              
```  
  
## See Also  
 [ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-table-transact-sql.md)   
 [CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/create-table-transact-sql.md)   
 [CURRENT_TIMESTAMP (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/current-timestamp-transact-sql.md)   
 [CURRENT_USER (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/current-user-transact-sql.md)   
 [SESSION_USER (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/session-user-transact-sql.md)   
 [System Functions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-functions/system-functions-for-transact-sql.md)   
 [SYSTEM_USER (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/system-user-transact-sql.md)