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Name Your PC Day

Fun · November 20

Name Your PC Day invites you to give your computer a proper name, the way people name cars, boats and houseplants they spend a lot of time with.

Name Your PC Day falls on Friday, November 20, 2026. That is 24 days away.

Most computers already have a name, though it is rarely a good one. Look in the settings and you may find something like a model number followed by a string of letters, chosen by a machine for a machine. This day suggests replacing it with something a person would actually say out loud.

Naming objects is an old habit. Sailors name boats, drivers name cars, and plenty of people have a nickname for the kettle. A computer is an easy candidate, since many of us spend more hours with it than with most of our friends. Giving it a name can make it feel less like equipment and more like a familiar coworker, one that occasionally needs restarting.

The name can live in two places. One is informal: what you call the laptop when it is slow to wake up. The other is the device name in the system settings, which shows up on home networks, in file sharing and in lists of connected devices. Households with several machines often pick a theme, such as planets, rivers, cartoon characters or favorite snacks, so everyone can tell at a glance which computer is which.

Good names tend to be short, easy to spell and free of spaces or odd symbols, which keeps them tidy on a network. Beyond that, the choice is personal. A sturdy old desktop might suit something dignified, while a small, quick laptop might earn a nickname with a little more bounce.

Ways to celebrate

• Change your computer's device name in its system settings to something memorable.
• Pick a naming theme for every device in your household.
• Ask friends what they call their computers and why.
• Make a small label with your computer's new name.
• Write a short backstory for your PC's name, just for fun.

Dates

All national days on November 20

Also on November 20

• National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
• National Absurdity Day
• Future Teachers of America Day

Categories: Fun days