SN

What does SN stand for in online messaging?

Screen Name

SN is the online alias or username a person uses to represent themself on a digital platform. It was especially popular during the early days of the Internet in the 1990s, when services like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo Messenger, and early chat rooms required users to pick a unique identifier.

Back then, picking an SN was a big deal because it represented your digital identity. It was possibly cool, cringey (or both), and almost always was a window into your interests or personality (e.g., "SkaterDude88" or "xXDragonQueenXx").

Origin of SN

The term "screen name," and eventual "SN" shorthand became widely used in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when online chat rooms and messengers were where teenagers and young adults often mingled. While "SN" isn't as commonly used now, replaced by terms like handle or @, it still shows up in nostalgic Internet circles or throwback convos about the AIM era.

Example

Do you remember your old AIM SN?
Haha, yeah... it was GuitarHeroX99. I thought I was so cool
That’s amazing. Mine was PandaPrincess87. No regrets

Entering your SN and PW for AIM

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Updated July 8, 2025

SN definition by Slang.net - The Slang Dictionary

This page explains what the acronym "SN" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been manually compiled and written by the Slang.net team.

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