diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 2134f81..d35ec1d 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -4565,9 +4565,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/qs": {
-      "version": "6.15.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/-/qs-6.15.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-6YHEFRL9mfgcAvql/XhwTvf5jKcOiiupt2FiJxHkiX1z4j7WL8J/jRHYLluORvc1XxB5rV20KoeK00gVJamspg==",
+      "version": "6.15.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/-/qs-6.15.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Rzq0KEyX/w/tEybncDgdkZrJgVUsUMk3xjh3t5bv3S1HTAtg+uOYt72+ZfwiQwKdysThkTBdL/rTi6HDmX9Ddw==",
       "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
       "dependencies": {
         "side-channel": "^1.1.0"
diff --git a/packages/backend/routes/users.js b/packages/backend/routes/users.js
index 649caa8..b78e214 100644
--- a/packages/backend/routes/users.js
+++ b/packages/backend/routes/users.js
@@ -38,6 +38,20 @@ function getAllowedUpdates(body, allowedFields) {
   );
 }
 
+export function normalizeUserName(name) {
+  if (typeof name !== "string") {
+    return { error: "Username is required" };
+  }
+
+  const value = name.trim();
+
+  if (!value) {
+    return { error: "Username is required" };
+  }
+
+  return { value };
+}
+
 //check if email exists
 function isDuplicateKeyError(error) {
   return error?.code === 11000;
@@ -246,6 +260,16 @@ router.put("/:userParam", requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
 
     const updates = getAllowedUpdates(req.body, allowedUserUpdateFields);
 
+    if (Object.hasOwn(updates, "name")) {
+      const normalizedName = normalizeUserName(updates.name);
+
+      if (normalizedName.error) {
+        return res.status(400).json({ error: normalizedName.error });
+      }
+
+      updates.name = normalizedName.value;
+    }
+
     if (Object.keys(updates).length === 0) {
       return res.status(400).json({
         error: `At least one valid field is required: ${allowedUserUpdateFields.join(", ")}`,
diff --git a/packages/frontend/src/components/Profile.jsx b/packages/frontend/src/components/Profile.jsx
index fb0fd90..2565d84 100644
--- a/packages/frontend/src/components/Profile.jsx
+++ b/packages/frontend/src/components/Profile.jsx
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ function getInterestError(value, currentInterests) {
 function Profile() {
   const [user, setUser] = useState(null);
   const [form, setForm] = useState({
+    name: "",
     age: "",
     interests: [],
     profileVisibility: "private",
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ function Profile() {
       .then((data) => {
         setUser(data.user);
         setForm({
+          name: data.user.name || "",
           age: data.user.age || "",
           interests: normalizeInterests(data.user.interests),
           profileVisibility: data.user.profileVisibility || "private",
@@ -141,11 +143,19 @@ function Profile() {
     setError("");
     setMessage("");
 
+    const name = form.name.trim();
+
+    if (!name) {
+      setError("Username is required");
+      return;
+    }
+
     fetch(`${AZURE_URL}/api/users/${user._id}`, {
       method: "PUT",
       headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
       credentials: "include",
       body: JSON.stringify({
+        name,
         age: form.age === "" ? null : Number(form.age),
         interests: form.interests,
         profileVisibility: form.profileVisibility,
@@ -160,6 +170,7 @@ function Profile() {
         setUser(data);
         setForm((current) => ({
           ...current,
+          name: data.name || "",
           age: data.age || "",
           interests: normalizeInterests(data.interests),
           profileVisibility: data.profileVisibility || "private",
@@ -244,8 +255,18 @@ function Profile() {
       <div className="profileContainer">
         <div className="profileCard">
           <div className="profileRow">
-            <label className="profileLabel">Name:</label>
-            <div className="profileValue">{user.name || "—"}</div>
+            <label className="profileLabel" htmlFor="profile-name">
+              Username:
+            </label>
+            <input
+              id="profile-name"
+              className="profileValue profileInput"
+              type="text"
+              value={form.name}
+              onChange={(e) =>
+                setForm((current) => ({ ...current, name: e.target.value }))
+              }
+            />
           </div>
 
           <div className="profileRow">
diff --git a/packages/tests/backend/users.test.js b/packages/tests/backend/users.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8cfdda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tests/backend/users.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { normalizeUserName } from "@backend/routes/users.js";
+
+describe("user update helpers", () => {
+  it("trims valid usernames", () => {
+    expect(normalizeUserName("  New Goat  ")).toEqual({ value: "New Goat" });
+  });
+
+  it("rejects blank usernames", () => {
+    expect(normalizeUserName("   ")).toEqual({
+      error: "Username is required",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("rejects non-string usernames", () => {
+    expect(normalizeUserName(null)).toEqual({
+      error: "Username is required",
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/tests/frontend/Profile.test.jsx b/packages/tests/frontend/Profile.test.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4c837f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tests/frontend/Profile.test.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { MemoryRouter } from "react-router";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import Profile from "@frontend/components/Profile.jsx";
+
+const AZURE_URL =
+  "https://goattimer-hgh5bxcub9hrdgha.centralus-01.azurewebsites.net";
+
+const profileUser = {
+  _id: "user-123",
+  name: "maastest",
+  email: "maastest@example.com",
+  age: 19,
+  interests: ["math"],
+  profileVisibility: "public",
+  featureSettings: {
+    groupsEnabled: true,
+    leaderboardEnabled: true,
+  },
+};
+
+function mockFetchResponse(body, ok = true) {
+  return Promise.resolve({
+    ok,
+    json: () => Promise.resolve(body),
+  });
+}
+
+function renderProfile(fetchMock) {
+  vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
+
+  render(
+    <MemoryRouter>
+      <Profile />
+    </MemoryRouter>,
+  );
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+});
+
+describe("Profile", () => {
+  it("saves an edited username with the rest of the profile data", async () => {
+    const fetchMock = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(mockFetchResponse({ user: profileUser }))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(
+        mockFetchResponse({
+          ...profileUser,
+          name: "New Goat",
+        }),
+      );
+
+    renderProfile(fetchMock);
+
+    const usernameInput = await screen.findByLabelText(/username/i);
+    expect(usernameInput).toHaveValue("maastest");
+
+    fireEvent.change(usernameInput, { target: { value: "  New Goat  " } });
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /save/i }));
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2));
+
+    const [url, options] = fetchMock.mock.calls[1];
+    const body = JSON.parse(options.body);
+
+    expect(url).toBe(`${AZURE_URL}/api/users/user-123`);
+    expect(options).toEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        method: "PUT",
+        credentials: "include",
+        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(body).toEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        name: "New Goat",
+        age: 19,
+        interests: ["math"],
+        profileVisibility: "public",
+        featureSettings: {
+          groupsEnabled: true,
+          leaderboardEnabled: true,
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(await screen.findByText(/profile updated/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(usernameInput).toHaveValue("New Goat");
+  });
+
+  it("rejects blank usernames before sending a profile update", async () => {
+    const fetchMock = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(mockFetchResponse({ user: profileUser }));
+
+    renderProfile(fetchMock);
+
+    const usernameInput = await screen.findByLabelText(/username/i);
+
+    fireEvent.change(usernameInput, { target: { value: "   " } });
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /save/i }));
+
+    expect(await screen.findByText(/username is required/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});