WhatsMyName
WhatsMyName, started by Micah Hoffman (WebBreacher) in 2015, maintained a curated JSON dataset of hundreds of websites and the request URLs and responses that show whether a username exists on each. It is free to use under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. It is delivered as a web service. It is marked as deprecated.
Updated
- Pricing
- Free
- License
- CC-BY-SA-4.0
- Platforms
- Web
- Category
- Open Source Intelligence Tools
Deprecation Notice
The project README states: "As of November 9, 2026, WhatsMyName is no longer maintained." The repository is archived and read-only, and the final dataset of 691 sites remains available.
What Is WhatsMyName?
WhatsMyName, started by Micah Hoffman (WebBreacher) in 2015, maintained a curated JSON dataset of hundreds of websites and the request URLs and responses that show whether a username exists on each. The project closed on November 9, 2026: the repository is archived, and the final dataset of 691 sites stays available under its license, though its detections will grow less accurate as sites change. The whatsmyname.app web interface by OSINT Combine and other third-party checkers build on the data.
Use Cases
Username attribution across hundreds of websites during authorized investigations.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- +Each site entry records the status codes and strings that mark an existing or missing account.
- +Hosted web interface, no install required.
- +Dataset is reusable in custom tooling.
Limitations
- -Only covers the 691 sites in the final dataset, and its detections will drift as sites change.
- -No bundled checker; lookups run through whatsmyname.app or third-party tools.
Defensive Use
Investigating impersonation accounts and exposure of staff usernames.
WhatsMyName Alternatives
3 tools| Tool | License | Platforms | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holehe OSINT tool that checks which sites have an email registered via registration, login, and password-reset flows. | GPL-3.0-only | Linux, macOS, Windows | Open Source |
| Maigret Username OSINT tool that checks thousands of sites and builds a dossier report with profile metadata. | MIT | Linux, macOS, Windows | Free / Commercial |
| Sherlock Python command-line tool that searches a username across more than 400 social networks and returns links to matching public profiles. | MIT | Linux, macOS, Windows | Open Source |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WhatsMyName?→
WhatsMyName, started by Micah Hoffman (WebBreacher) in 2015, maintained a curated JSON dataset of hundreds of websites and the request URLs and responses that show whether a username exists on each. The project closed on November 9, 2026: the repository is archived, and the final dataset of 691 sites stays available under its license, though its detections will grow less accurate as sites change. The whatsmyname.app web interface by OSINT Combine and other third-party checkers build on the data.
What is WhatsMyName used for?→
Username attribution across hundreds of websites during authorized investigations.
What are the strengths of WhatsMyName?→
- +Each site entry records the status codes and strings that mark an existing or missing account.
- +Hosted web interface, no install required.
- +Dataset is reusable in custom tooling.
What are the limitations of WhatsMyName?→
- +Only covers the 691 sites in the final dataset, and its detections will drift as sites change.
- +No bundled checker; lookups run through whatsmyname.app or third-party tools.
How is WhatsMyName used defensively?→
Investigating impersonation accounts and exposure of staff usernames.