ICANN Approves Verisign Proposal to Terminate All Third-Level .name Domains

Verisign proposed destruction of all xxx.yyy.name registrations to simplify administration. ICANN approved the change on 28 July 2026. The registrar notified Neil Fraser on or about 3 September 2026. Fraser had registered neil.fraser.name in 2001 and paid through 2040; the same domain hosted email and API endpoints for multiple IoT devices.

The proposal cited administrative simplification yet contained documented inaccuracies about .name's original structure as an exclusively third-level registry operated by Global Name Registry before Verisign's acquisition. Comparable third-level namespaces such as *.co.uk and *.ny.us retain full WHOIS records and independent registrars; the .name termination removes that model without migration provisions. 22,000 domains are affected according to the registrar notice.

Operationally, all third-level records vanish in February 2027 regardless of prepaid status. Second-level names become available for new registration, enabling potential control of previously linked email addresses and commit signatures. No public enumeration of dependent accounts exists. Affected registrants must migrate services or accept loss of identity continuity within the six-month window.