ORA-00955: name is already used by an existing object

What does it mean?

The name of the object you are trying to create (table, index, view, sequence, synonym, etc.) is already used by another object in the same schema. In Oracle, object names are unique within a schema, and even different types such as tables, views and sequences share the same namespace.

Why does it happen?

The name chosen in the CREATE statement conflicts with an existing object. A common trap: trying to create a sequence or view with the same name as a table; or an automatically created index name (e.g. the primary key index) colliding with the name you specified.

How to fix it

Choose a different name or remove the conflicting object. To find which object uses the name: SELECT object_type, object_name FROM user_objects WHERE object_name = 'YOUR_NAME'; If you really want to replace it, DROP the old object (back up its data first). CREATE OR REPLACE is available for views, synonyms, types and PL/SQL objects (procedure, function, package, trigger); it does not exist for tables, indexes and sequences.