A set of managed application programming interfaces (APIs) are presented to allow management of a user's name and identity within a peer to peer networking environment. These managed APIs enable a user to successfully create and manage their peer names and identities within this environment. The creation of peer names for the purpose of resolving to a third party is also provided through the managed APIs of the invention. Importing and exporting of peer identities is also provided, as is the ability to delete a peer identity.