Is there a way to change a short name in OS X

Use these steps to change the short username of an account on your computer:

  1. Open System Preferences
  2. Choose the "Users & Groups" preference pane
  3. If the padlock at the bottom left is locked, click on it to unlock it with an administrator password
  4. Control-click on the account in the users list
  5. A menu will appear with "Advanced Options…". Select that and you will get a sheet where you can change the account name.

There's a good knowledge base article, HT1428, on how to change the short name of an account.