ENS Subnames Explained: How to Turn One Name Into Many

If you own an ENS name, you probably know it can replace your long wallet address with something readable like yourname.eth. But did you know your name can actually be many names? With subnames, one .eth name becomes a whole tree of identities, projects, and accounts. Here is how it works.

What Is a Subname?

A subname is any name that comes after yours, separated by a dot. If you own company.eth, you can create:

• payments.company.eth
• blog.company.eth
• alice.company.eth
• wallet-1.company.eth

Each subname is its own address that can hold funds, receive tokens, and resolve to a wallet. But they all hang off your main name. That is why they used to be called subdomains. In the ENS world, they are officially called subnames.

Why Would You Use Subnames?

Subnames solve a real problem: separating identities. Here are the most common use cases:

For individuals

• One name for your main wallet, another for spending money
• A subname for each of your projects
• A subname for a shared family or group wallet

For projects and businesses

• Give each product its own subname
• Issue subnames to team members
• Create a consistent, recognizable identity for every wallet in your ecosystem

For creators

• A subname for your art, another for your newsletter
• Give fans a way to verify your official accounts

Because subnames are free for you to create (they cost only gas), you can experiment as much as you want.

The Old Way vs the New Way

There are two main ways subnames have worked over ENS history:

Unwrapped subnames (the classic way)

This is how it worked originally. The owner of company.eth could create alice.company.eth. However, the owner of company.eth always had the power to delete or reclaim any subname. If you gave alice.company.eth to Alice, you could take it back. That made it risky for anyone to rely on a subname they did not control.

Wrapped subnames (the modern way)

With ENSIP-5 (the standard that introduced name wrapping), a new option appeared. You can wrap your name in an NFT, which unlocks granular control. You can give someone a subname and set it so that:

• They own it permanently (the parent cannot take it back)
• Or it expires after a set date
• Or they can create their own subnames

This is the key improvement. It means a project can safely issue subnames to users and users can trust them. The parent name sets the rules up front, and the rules are enforced by the smart contract, not by goodwill.

Wrapped Names: The Important Note

If your ENS name is wrapped (shown as a special NFT in your wallet), it supports all the modern subname features. If your name is unwrapped (the classic ENS NFT), subnames work the old way: the parent owner keeps full control.

Wrapping and unwrapping are reversible. You can wrap a name, use the modern features, and unwrap it later if you want. Just be aware that when you wrap, the classic ENS NFT is swapped for the wrapped ENS NFT, and the reverse happens when you unwrap.

How to Create a Subname

The exact steps depend on which app you use (ENS Manager, a third-party app, or a custom smart contract). But the general flow is always the same:

1. Make sure you own the parent name (for example, company.eth).
2. Open the subnames section for your name.
3. Choose a subname you want (for example, alice.company.eth).
4. Set the wallet address it should point to.
5. Set any permissions or expiry if the name is wrapped.
6. Confirm the transaction and pay the gas.

That is it. Your new subname is live and can start receiving funds.

Keeping Subnames Safe

The most important rule: understand who controls the subname before you rely on it.

• If you create a subname for yourself under someone else's name, read the permissions. Can they delete it? Does it expire?
• If you are a project issuing subnames, decide whether you want permanent ownership (irrevocable) or temporary (revocable or expiring) for your users.
• Remember that the parent name owner controls the whole tree. If company.eth expires, all its subnames go with it. Keep the parent renewed!

FAQ

Do subnames cost money?

Creating a subname costs only gas (network fees). There is no separate registration fee. The name itself inherits its usefulness from the parent.

Can I sell a subname?

Yes. A subname is an NFT, so it can be transferred or sold like any other NFT. If it is wrapped, the ownership rules you set apply.

Can a subname have its own subnames?

Yes. You can create team.alice.company.eth if the owner of alice.company.eth has permission to create subnames. You can build as many levels as you want.

Is a subname the same as an ENS name?

Functionally yes, it resolves to an address. But it is not registered through the main registrar, so it does not have its own expiration and cannot be renewed independently unless the parent allows it.

What happens to subnames when the parent expires?

If the parent name is not renewed and is eventually released, the subnames lose their resolution. Keep the parent name renewed to protect the whole tree.

Key Takeaways

• Subnames let one .eth name become many identities.
• Wrapped names give you fine-grained control over subname ownership.
• Always check who controls a subname before you rely on it.
• Subnames cost only gas to create.
• Keep the parent name renewed to protect everything underneath it.

Want to go deeper? Check out our guides on wrapped names and primary names next.