How to fix ERROR 1102: Incorrect database name in MySQL

First, check if the database you're trying to access actually exists on your MySQL server:

SHOW DATABASES;

Look through the output for your database name. If it's not listed, you'll need to create it first:

CREATE DATABASE my_database;

If the database should exist but doesn't appear, verify you're connected to the correct MySQL server (check hostname and port).

Review your SQL statement or connection configuration for typos. Common mistakes include:

- Misspelled database names: USE databse; instead of USE database;
- Wrong database selected in connection string
- Copy-paste errors from documentation or configuration files

Compare the name in your query character-by-character with the output from SHOW DATABASES;. Check for:
- Extra or missing letters
- Swapped letters
- Numbers instead of letters (0 vs O, 1 vs l)

If your database name contains special characters like hyphens, spaces, or dots, you must quote it with backticks:

USE `my-database`;
-- or for spaces
USE `my database`;
-- or for dots
USE `my.database`;

This tells MySQL to treat the entire string as an identifier, not as SQL syntax. Without backticks, MySQL interprets hyphens as subtraction operators and spaces as separators.

Best practice: Avoid special characters in database names and use underscores instead:

CREATE DATABASE my_database;

If your database name is a MySQL reserved word (CREATE, SELECT, DATABASE, etc.), you must enclose it in backticks:

USE `select`;
USE `database`;
USE `create`;

Without backticks, MySQL interprets these as SQL keywords instead of identifiers, causing ERROR 1102.

Best practice: Avoid using reserved words as database names. If you must use one, always quote it with backticks.

On Linux and Unix systems, database names are case-sensitive. Windows and macOS are case-insensitive.

If you're migrating between systems, ensure consistency:

-- On Linux, these are THREE different databases:
USE MyDatabase;
USE mydatabase;
USE MYDATABASE;

-- On Windows, they all refer to the same database

Check the actual database names with SHOW DATABASES; and use the exact case:

USE MyDatabase;  -- Matches the output exactly

If moving databases between systems, rename them to lowercase for consistency:

ALTER DATABASE `OldName` MODIFY NAME = new_name;

If ERROR 1102 appears after deleting a database, a leftover directory in /var/lib/mysql/ might be causing issues.

Warning: This requires MySQL server access and admin privileges.

1. Stop the MySQL server:

sudo systemctl stop mysql
# or on some systems
sudo service mysql stop

2. List contents of the data directory:

ls -la /var/lib/mysql/ | grep "^\.\|^\.\."

3. Move any directories starting with a dot (.) to a backup location:

sudo mv /var/lib/mysql/.directoryname /tmp/mysql-backup/

4. Restart MySQL:

sudo systemctl start mysql

During mysql_upgrade, you might see ERROR 1102 for system directories like "#mysql50#.ssh":

ERROR 1102: Incorrect database name '#mysql50#.ssh'

This happens when upgrading from MySQL 5.0 and legacy directories remain. The fix:

1. Check what's in the data directory:

ls -la /var/lib/mysql/ | grep "^d"

2. Move the legacy directories:

sudo mv /var/lib/mysql/#mysql50# /tmp/mysql-legacy-backup/

3. Run mysql_upgrade again:

sudo mysql_upgrade -u root -p

If you're getting ERROR 1102 from your application, check your database connection configuration:

Common connection string formats:

Node.js / mysql2:

const connection = mysql.createConnection({
  host: 'localhost',
  user: 'root',
  password: 'password',
  database: 'my_database'  // Check this matches exactly
});

Python / mysql-connector:

connection = mysql.connector.connect(
  host="localhost",
  user="root",
  password="password",
  database="my_database"  # Must be exactly correct
)

PHP / mysqli:

$conn = new mysqli("localhost", "root", "password", "my_database");
// Last parameter is database - verify it exists

Verify:
1. The database exists: SHOW DATABASES;
2. The name matches exactly (including case on Linux)
3. No typos or extra spaces
4. Restart the application after fixing