Are names permanent?

It's impossible.

I meant that I did not use it between 2009 to 2012 i.e. I played ZERO games in this period. So, all those games were played between 2012 (when I returned to CC after that 3 years interim) to this present date.

I too had a habit of registerting accounts on every site I came across (I still don't know why), without actually using them. This changed as I became more aware about the issues surrounding internet privacy.

I had an account on Wikipedia for over 3 years before I made my first edit. I've made over a thousand since then, but I see your point.

I think accounts with 0 games should be deleted after some time (e.g. 6 months). But if they have one of more games on their account, you might as well keep them around.

I wanted the name Cynosure, and it was available.

I win?

I'll go you one better: I recently received a message from Wikimedia that I had to select a new username on the Meta site due to a conflict with another user account and the switch to a single-signon system. I got all offended and railed against it on the grounds of using that username for over a decade and blah, blah, blah ... then I realised the other account was mine. Oops. :)

This has to be one of the only sites ever I've been able to lock this name.