Google now allows you to edit your @gmail email address.

 

Google has updated its Support page to announce that it is gradually rolling out the ability for users to change their Google account email address ending in gmail.com to a new gmail.com email address. Previously, this was not possible.

The Google account email address is used to log in to various Google services. It appears on the profile page and is displayed when performing actions such as sharing files from Drive and sending Calendar invitations. Many users may want to change their email address, but previously, Google only allowed email addresses from external services.

Google states that when users choose to change their email address from their old gmail.com to a new gmail.com email, the old email will become an "alternate email" that can be used for login or password recovery. Emails will still be received from both the old and new email addresses.