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With your own domain, you can shorten the part before the '@'. You could call it "forename@lastname.com" instead of "forename.lastname@gmail.com".

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Only if nobody got lastname.com first. My last name is squatted, and the leech will sell it for "only $2995". I later discovered I could get the "lastna.me", but that's prone to be mistyped as well.

So register something else that's short and memorable. It doesn't have to be your name.

My "firstname.com" and "first.in" (shorter version of my first-name and that is name I am actually known by pretty much everywhere) are both squatted by a lawyer and it is being renewed every year since last 10+ years. It's not being used. Not at all.

I tried to contact them but the contact email (Hotmail) probably doesn't exist or expired as my emails bounced off. I tried to contact the registrar but didn't receive any email from them either.

I am thinking of going for firstname.net. I am not sure whether it's better than my already registered "first.im".

Note: first as in if "firstname " is Michelangelo then " first" is Michel.

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