Digital Socio-Onomastic Analysis of Username Naming Practices for Secondary Instagram Accounts

Abstract

This study examines the social meaning of second Instagram account naming among Generation Z users, framed within socio-onomastics and social semiotics. Second accounts. often referred to as "finsta" or alternate accountshave become a common practice through which users construct identities separate from their main, more curated profiles. The study addresses three research questions: (1) what onomastic patterns and linguistic structures characterize second account usernames, (2) what semantic meanings these usernames convey, and (3) what social functions they perform for their owners. Using a qualitative descriptive method, data were collected through a survey, semistructured interviews, and a data of second account usernames, which were analyzed structurally, semantically, and functionally. Structurally, the usernames display a variety of morphological formations, including reduplication, compounding, affixation, and phrasal constructions, organized into a nine category taxonomy. Semantically, drawing on Van Langendonck's (2007) model of presuppositional name meaning, categorical meaning is present in all usernames (100%), followed by associative meaning (72%), emotive meaning (48%), and grammatical meaning (32%), indicating that usernames function primarily as referential markers layered with connotative and affective content. Functionally, self presentation and identity performance emerges as the most dominant social function, alongside community affiliation, emotional expression, creative identity construction, and privacy management. These findings suggest that second account usernames are not arbitrary labels but deliberate linguistic choices through which young users perform, manage, and index multiple facets of their digital identity. The study contributes to socio-onomastic scholarship by extending naming analysis into the context of contemporary digital youth culture.