When I installed the latest version of Ubuntu with GNOME Shell, I saw it displays my name on the right-hand side of the top panel. I know my own name, I don't need to see it on screen all the time and besides, it takes up way to much space.
How do I remove my name from the GNOME Shell panel?
Check out the GNOME Shell Extensions site. There's an extension called Remove User Name that should do the trick.
Ubuntu Tweak has that option under Session Control, it's called Fast User Switcher.
http://ubuntu-tweak.com/