diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/timeline_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/timeline_controller.rb
index 846a2d55..64ae526c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/timeline_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/timeline_controller.rb
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def show
 
     # For Stimulus: provide initial selected users with details
     @initial_selected_user_objects = User.where(id: @selected_user_ids)
-                                        .select(:id, :custom_name, :slack_username, :github_username, :slack_avatar_url, :github_avatar_url)
+                                        .select(:id, :username, :slack_username, :github_username, :slack_avatar_url, :github_avatar_url)
                                         .map { |u| { id: u.id, display_name: "#{u.display_name}", avatar_url: u.avatar_url } }
                                         .sort_by { |u_obj| @selected_user_ids.index(u_obj[:id]) || Float::INFINITY } # Preserve order
 
@@ -185,10 +185,10 @@ def search_users
         avatar_url: user_id_match.avatar_url
       } ]
     else
-      users = User.where("LOWER(custom_name) LIKE :query OR LOWER(slack_username) LIKE :query OR CAST(id AS TEXT) LIKE :query OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM email_addresses WHERE email_addresses.user_id = users.id AND LOWER(email_addresses.email) LIKE :query)", query: "%#{query_term}%")
-                  .order(Arel.sql("CASE WHEN LOWER(custom_name) = #{ActiveRecord::Base.connection.quote(query_term)} THEN 0 ELSE 1 END, username ASC")) # Prioritize exact match
+      users = User.where("LOWER(username) LIKE :query OR LOWER(slack_username) LIKE :query OR CAST(id AS TEXT) LIKE :query OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM email_addresses WHERE email_addresses.user_id = users.id AND LOWER(email_addresses.email) LIKE :query)", query: "%#{query_term}%")
+                  .order(Arel.sql("CASE WHEN LOWER(username) = #{ActiveRecord::Base.connection.quote(query_term)} THEN 0 ELSE 1 END, username ASC")) # Prioritize exact match
                   .limit(20)
-                  .select(:id, :custom_name, :slack_username, :github_username, :slack_avatar_url, :github_avatar_url)
+                  .select(:id, :username, :slack_username, :github_username, :slack_avatar_url, :github_avatar_url)
 
       results = users.map do |user|
         {
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def leaderboard_users
     all_ids_to_fetch.unshift(current_user.id).uniq!
 
     users_data = User.where(id: all_ids_to_fetch)
-                     .select(:id, :custom_name, :slack_username, :github_username, :slack_avatar_url, :github_avatar_url)
+                     .select(:id, :username, :slack_username, :github_username, :slack_avatar_url, :github_avatar_url)
                      .index_by(&:id)
 
     final_user_objects = []
diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/trust_level_audit_logs_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/trust_level_audit_logs_controller.rb
index 60959f55..a9257983 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/trust_level_audit_logs_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/trust_level_audit_logs_controller.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def index
     if params[:user_search].present?
       search_term = params[:user_search].strip
       user_ids = User.joins(:email_addresses)
-                    .where("LOWER(users.custom_name) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.slack_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.github_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(email_addresses.email) LIKE ? OR CAST(users.id AS TEXT) LIKE ?",
+                    .where("LOWER(users.username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.slack_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.github_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(email_addresses.email) LIKE ? OR CAST(users.id AS TEXT) LIKE ?",
                            "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term}%")
                     .pluck(:id)
       @audit_logs = @audit_logs.where(user_id: user_ids)
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def index
     if params[:admin_search].present?
       search_term = params[:admin_search].strip
       admin_ids = User.joins(:email_addresses)
-                     .where("LOWER(users.custom_name) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.slack_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.github_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(email_addresses.email) LIKE ? OR CAST(users.id AS TEXT) LIKE ?",
+                     .where("LOWER(users.username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.slack_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(users.github_username) LIKE ? OR LOWER(email_addresses.email) LIKE ? OR CAST(users.id AS TEXT) LIKE ?",
                             "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term.downcase}%", "%#{search_term}%")
                      .pluck(:id)
       @audit_logs = @audit_logs.where(changed_by_id: admin_ids)
diff --git a/app/controllers/api/admin/v1/admin_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/admin/v1/admin_controller.rb
index 42afaf27..14f9da24 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/admin/v1/admin_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/admin/v1/admin_controller.rb
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def check
             },
             creator: {
               id: creator.id,
-              username: creator.custom_name,
+              username: creator.username,
               display_name: creator.display_name,
               admin_level: creator.admin_level
             }
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def user_info
           render json: {
             user: {
               id: user.id,
-              username: user.custom_name,
+              username: user.username,
               display_name: user.display_name,
               slack_uid: user.slack_uid,
               slack_username: user.slack_username,
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 6a450b6d..df3d0d9a 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ def user_params
       :timezone,
       :allow_public_stats_lookup,
       :default_timezone_leaderboard,
-      :custom_name,
+      :username,
     )
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 94514547..ab28023e 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -2,23 +2,23 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
   include TimezoneRegions
   include PublicActivity::Model
 
-  CUSTOM_NAME_MAX_LENGTH = 21 # going over 21 overflows the navbar
+  USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH = 21 # going over 21 overflows the navbar
 
   has_paper_trail
 
   after_create :create_signup_activity
-  before_validation :normalize_custom_name
+  before_validation :normalize_username
   encrypts :slack_access_token, :github_access_token
 
   validates :slack_uid, uniqueness: true, allow_nil: true
   validates :github_uid, uniqueness: { conditions: -> { where.not(github_access_token: nil) } }, allow_nil: true
   validates :timezone, inclusion: { in: TZInfo::Timezone.all_identifiers }, allow_nil: false
   validates :country_code, inclusion: { in: ISO3166::Country.codes }, allow_nil: true
-  validates :custom_name,
-    length: { maximum: CUSTOM_NAME_MAX_LENGTH },
+  validates :username,
+    length: { maximum: USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH },
     format: { with: /\A[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\z/, message: "may only include letters, numbers, '-', and '_'" },
     allow_nil: true
-  validate :custom_name_must_be_visible
+  validate :username_must_be_visible
 
   attribute :allow_public_stats_lookup, :boolean, default: true
   attribute :default_timezone_leaderboard, :boolean, default: true
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ def avatar_url
   end
 
   def display_name
-    name = custom_name || slack_username || github_username
+    name = username || slack_username || github_username
     return name if name.present?
 
     # "zach@hackclub.com" -> "zach (email sign-up)"
@@ -517,9 +517,9 @@ def create_signup_activity
     create_activity :first_signup, owner: self
   end
 
-  def normalize_custom_name
-    original = custom_name
-    @custom_name_cleared_for_invisible = false
+  def normalize_username
+    original = username
+    @username_cleared_for_invisible = false
 
     return if original.nil?
 
@@ -527,16 +527,16 @@ def normalize_custom_name
     stripped = cleaned.strip
 
     if stripped.empty?
-      self.custom_name = nil
-      @custom_name_cleared_for_invisible = original.length.positive?
+      self.username = nil
+      @username_cleared_for_invisible = original.length.positive?
     else
-      self.custom_name = stripped
+      self.username = stripped
     end
   end
 
-  def custom_name_must_be_visible
-    if instance_variable_defined?(:@custom_name_cleared_for_invisible) && @custom_name_cleared_for_invisible
-      errors.add(:custom_name, "must include visible characters")
+  def username_must_be_visible
+    if instance_variable_defined?(:@username_cleared_for_invisible) && @username_cleared_for_invisible
+      errors.add(:username, "must include visible characters")
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/users/edit.html.erb b/app/views/users/edit.html.erb
index 73b0ae44..039d8f19 100644
--- a/app/views/users/edit.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/users/edit.html.erb
@@ -73,24 +73,24 @@
         <div class="p-2 bg-red-600/10 rounded">
           <span class="text-2xl">🪪</span>
         </div>
-        <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-white" id="user_custom_name">Display Name</h2>
+        <h2 class="text-xl font-semibold text-white" id="user_username">Display Name</h2>
       </div>
       <%= form_with model: @user,
         url: @is_own_settings ? my_settings_path : settings_user_path(@user),
         method: :patch, local: false,
         class: "space-y-4" do |f| %>
         <div>
-          <%= f.label :custom_name, "Custom display name", class: "block text-sm font-medium text-gray-200 mb-2" %>
-        <%= f.text_field :custom_name,
+          <%= f.label :username, "Custom display name", class: "block text-sm font-medium text-gray-200 mb-2" %>
+        <%= f.text_field :username,
           class: "w-full px-3 py-2 bg-gray-800 border border-gray-600 rounded text-white focus:border-primary focus:ring-1 focus:ring-primary",
           placeholder: "HackClubber",
-          maxlength: User::CUSTOM_NAME_MAX_LENGTH %>
-          <% if @user.errors[:custom_name].present? %>
-            <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-red-400"><%= @user.errors[:custom_name].to_sentence %></p>
+          maxlength: User::USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH %>
+          <% if @user.errors[:username].present? %>
+            <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-red-400"><%= @user.errors[:username].to_sentence %></p>
           <% end %>
         </div>
         <p class="text-xs text-gray-400">
-          Choose a name to use in Hackatime. This will take priority over Slack or GitHub names when possible. Letters, numbers, "-" and "_" only, max <%= User::CUSTOM_NAME_MAX_LENGTH %> chars.
+          Choose a name to use in Hackatime. This will take priority over Slack or GitHub names when possible. Letters, numbers, "-" and "_" only, max <%= User::USERNAME_MAX_LENGTH %> chars.
         </p>
         <%= f.submit "Save Settings", class: "w-full px-4 py-2 bg-primary text-white font-medium rounded transition-colors duration-200 cursor-pointer" %>
       <% end %>
diff --git a/db/migrate/20251021211039_rename_custom_username.rb b/db/migrate/20251021211039_rename_custom_username.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ad02cd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20251021211039_rename_custom_username.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class RenameCustomUsername < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.0]
+  def change
+    rename_column :users, :custom_name, :username
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 135c13a0..2a7bd550 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[8.0].define(version: 2025_10_21_202329) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[8.0].define(version: 2025_10_21_211039) do
   create_schema "pganalyze"
 
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@
     t.boolean "allow_public_stats_lookup", default: true, null: false
     t.boolean "default_timezone_leaderboard", default: true, null: false
     t.integer "admin_level", default: 0, null: false
-    t.string "custom_name"
+    t.string "username"
     t.index ["github_uid", "github_access_token"], name: "index_users_on_github_uid_and_access_token"
     t.index ["github_uid"], name: "index_users_on_github_uid"
     t.index ["slack_uid"], name: "index_users_on_slack_uid", unique: true
diff --git a/db/seeds.rb b/db/seeds.rb
index a821f48c..5318f9f4 100644
--- a/db/seeds.rb
+++ b/db/seeds.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 if Rails.env.development?
   # Creating test user
   test_user = User.find_or_create_by(slack_uid: 'TEST123456') do |user|
-    user.custom_name = 'testuser'
+    user.username = 'testuser'
     user.slack_username = 'testuser'
 
     # Before you had user.is_admin = true, does not work, changed it to that, looks like it works but idk how to use the admin pages so pls check this, i just guess coded this, the cmd to seed the db works without errors