How to Rename a Column in MySQL

Last updated July 24, 2026 · By the SaturnSQL team

On MySQL 8.0+ use ALTER TABLE ... RENAME COLUMN, which keeps the type. On 5.7 you must use CHANGE and restate the full column definition.

MySQL 8.0+

ALTER TABLE orders RENAME COLUMN amount TO order_amount;

MySQL 5.7 and older

ALTER TABLE orders CHANGE amount order_amount DECIMAL(10,2) NOT NULL;

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