AuthNames

AuthNames is a term used to describe the set of identifiers that a system uses to refer to an authenticated principal. An authentication name, or auth name, is the label assigned to an identity after successful verification. AuthNames may include human-friendly usernames, email addresses, or system-generated unique identifiers. The concept is used to support access control, auditing, and interoperability across authentication domains.

In practice, auth names are issued or asserted by identity providers and can appear in tokens or assertions used by applications. A single principal may have multiple auth names, such as a user’s primary username, their email address, and a federated alias from another domain. Systems typically designate a primary (canonical) auth name for policy checks while maintaining aliases for compatibility or auditing purposes. When a user authenticates through multiple mechanisms (for example, a local account and a federated identity), the underlying identity management layer usually maps these auth names to a single internal identity.

AuthNames play a role in directory services and identity and access management (IAM) solutions. They enable consistent policy decisions, allow cross-domain trust, and support event logging by providing stable references to authenticated principals. Applications commonly rely on the presence and normalization of auth names in authorization logic, consent flows, and auditing records.

Security considerations include ensuring the privacy of auth names, preventing leakage through logs or error messages, and maintaining robust mapping between aliases and the canonical identity. Proper management of auth names helps prevent impersonation risks and supports accurate identity reconciliation across systems.

See also: authentication, identity provider, tokens, federated identity, access control.