Google is now finally letting you change your Gmail address, the part before @gmail.com. This is currently rolling out in the US only, but hopefully will make it to other countries as well in the near future.
The company has published the quick video embedded below that tells you exactly what you need to do.
Basically, go to your Google Account settings, and tap Personal info, then Email, then Google Account email. Then you should see a big blue button saying “Change Google Account email”. Tap it, and pick a new email.
The original address, the one you’re replacing, will remain on your account as an alternate, so those emailing you at that address will still get through. The one significant caveat here is that you can only perform this change once every 12 months – so make sure you like the new email you pick, otherwise it’s going to be a long wait before you can change it again.
As this is a Google rollout, keep in mind that it might take a while to make it to all accounts, so if you don’t see the option right now (and you’re in the US), check back in a few days.