How to Say "What is your name" in Spanish
The usual way to ask “What is your name?” in Spanish is ¿Cómo te llamas? Use it with people you address as tú; for formal situations, use ¿Cómo se llama usted?
The most common way
¿ ?
What’s your name? — the standard informal question for someone you address as tú.
How to say it: Stress the first syllable of CÓ-mo and the first syllable of LLA-mas; the ll sounds like the y in “yes” in most Spanish-speaking areas.
Other ways to say it
- formal
¿ ?
What is your name? — polite and explicitly formal, addressing the person as usted.
When to use it: Use it with strangers, older people, clients, or anyone you need to address formally.
- neutral / administrative
¿ ?
What is your name? — clear and slightly formal; common in offices, forms, and service situations.
When to use it: Use it when checking details with a customer, patient, or in a formal but not overly warm context.
- polite request
¿ ?
Could you tell me your name? — very polite, softened with podría.
When to use it: Use it in formal service, phone calls, or when you want to sound especially courteous.
- phone / reception
¿ ?
Who am I speaking with? — a natural way to ask for the other person’s name on the phone or at a desk.
When to use it: Use it when answering a call or when a staff member needs to identify the person speaking.
In a conversation
- A
, ¿ ?
Hi, what’s your name?
- B
. ¿ ?
My name is Ana. And you?
- A
. .
I’m Luis. Nice to meet you.
- B
.
Likewise.
Common mistakes
¿Cómo es tu nombre?→ ¿Cuál es tu nombre?Spanish uses cuál to ask which name someone has; cómo would ask what the name is like.
¿Qué es tu nombre?→ ¿Cuál es tu nombre?Qué asks for a definition, not for which name a person has.
Me llamo es Ana.→ Me llamo Ana.Llamo already includes the idea “I call myself”; adding es is ungrammatical.