How to Say What Is Your Name in Italian: 10+ Ways to Ask and Respond

The Short Answer

The most common way to ask "what is your name" in Italian is Come ti chiami? (KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee). In formal settings, use Come si chiama? (KOH-meh see KYAH-mah). To answer, say Mi chiamo [your name] (mee KYAH-moh).

Italian is spoken by approximately 68 million native speakers worldwide, with an additional 16 million second-language speakers, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. What makes asking someone's name in Italian distinctive is the reflexive verb chiamarsi, literally "to call oneself." While English asks "What is your name?" as if a name is a possession, Italian asks "How do you call yourself?" treating the name as something you actively do. Whether you're looking up "what is your name in italian" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"The way a language structures the act of asking someone's name reveals deep cultural assumptions about identity, formality, and the relationship between speaker and listener."

(Anna Wierzbicka, Cross-Cultural Pragmatics, Mouton de Gruyter)

This guide covers every way to ask and answer "what is your name" in Italian (casual, formal, and regional) plus the cultural traditions behind Italian names that will make your introductions feel genuinely natural.

Quick Reference: Italian Name Phrases at a Glance

Understanding "Chiamarsi": The Key to Italian Introductions

Before diving into the individual phrases, it is worth understanding the verb that powers all of them: chiamarsi. According to the Accademia della Crusca, Italy's oldest linguistic authority (founded in 1583), the reflexive form has been the standard way to exchange names in Italian since the medieval period.

The verb chiamare means "to call." Adding the reflexive pronoun turns it into chiamarsi, meaning "to call oneself." Here is how it conjugates:

This reflexive structure is not unique to Italian. French (Comment tu t'appelles?) and Spanish (Como te llamas?) work the same way. But mastering chiamarsi unlocks not just name exchanges but a whole class of Italian reflexive verbs.

Casual Ways to Ask Someone's Name

These are the phrases you will use with friends, peers, people your age, and anyone in a relaxed social setting. In Italian, the informal register uses the tu pronoun.

Come ti chiami?

This is the phrase you will hear and use most often. The word order is straightforward: Come (how) + ti (yourself, informal) + chiami (you call). The rising intonation at the end signals a question. Italian does not always use inverted word order for questions the way English does.

A common follow-up after the other person answers is Piacere! (Nice to meet you!) or Piacere, [your name] to introduce yourself simultaneously.

Tu come ti chiami?

Adding tu at the beginning is a subtle emphasis: it signals "and what about you?" This is especially natural in group settings or when you have just introduced yourself and want to prompt the other person to do the same.

Formal Ways to Ask Someone's Name

Italian formal address centers on the Lei pronoun (literally "She," but used as the formal "you" regardless of gender). According to Treccani, the Lei form has been the standard formal address in Italian since the Renaissance, when it evolved from courtly language. Getting this right is one of the most important aspects of Italian social etiquette.

Come si chiama?

The shift from ti chiami (casual) to si chiama (formal) is the single most important distinction in Italian introductions. Use Come si chiama? with anyone you would address as signore (sir) or signora (ma'am): older people, authority figures, professionals you are meeting for the first time, and anyone in a formal context.

Notice that the verb form si chiama is identical for "he/she calls himself/herself" and "you call yourself (formal)." Context makes the meaning clear. If you are speaking directly to someone and asking a question, it is always understood as "you."

Qual è il Suo nome?

This phrase follows the English structure more closely ("What is your name?") rather than the reflexive pattern. It sounds formal and slightly administrative. You will encounter it at hotel check-ins, government offices, medical appointments, and any situation involving paperwork.

In written Italian, Suo is capitalized when it refers to the formal Lei to distinguish it from the lowercase suo meaning "his/her." This is a standard convention in Italian correspondence, as noted by the Accademia della Crusca.

How to Respond: Telling Someone Your Name

Knowing how to ask is half the conversation. Here are the three main ways to give your name, ranked from most natural to most formal.

Mi chiamo...

This is the standard response and the one you should default to. It works perfectly in both casual and formal situations. Pair it with Piacere! (Nice to meet you!) for a complete, polished introduction.

Sono...

Sono means "I am," the simplest, most direct way to state your name. It is slightly more casual than Mi chiamo and works best when the context already makes it clear you are exchanging names. At a party, when someone leans in and says Ciao!, responding with Sono Marco is perfectly natural.

Il mio nome è...

This is the direct translation of "My name is..." but native speakers rarely use it in casual conversation. It sounds stiff and overly formal, like saying "My name is John" instead of "I'm John" in English. Save it for formal presentations, official contexts, or when giving your full name in professional settings.

Response Patterns at a Glance

Regional Variations and Dialect Forms

Italy's linguistic landscape is remarkably diverse. Before Italian unification in 1861, the peninsula was a patchwork of mutually unintelligible dialects. According to Ethnologue, Italy still has 34 recognized regional languages and dialects. While standard Italian dominates formal settings, regional variations appear constantly in casual speech.

Come te chiami? (Southern dialects)

Southern Italian dialects often modify the pronoun and verb endings. Neapolitan (Comme te chiamme?), Sicilian (Comu ti chiami?), and Roman dialect (Come te chiami?) each have their own flavor. You will encounter these in Italian cinema, particularly in films set in Naples, Sicily, and Rome.

Come che te ciami? (Northern dialects)

Northern dialects diverge even further. Venetian replaces the chi sound with ci, while Lombard and Piedmontese have their own unique conjugations. These forms are primarily heard among older speakers and in very local contexts, but understanding they exist helps you appreciate the depth of Italy's linguistic heritage.

Italian Naming Traditions: The Onomastico and Beyond

Understanding Italian names goes far beyond the phrases themselves. Italy has some of the richest naming traditions in Europe, and knowing them gives you genuine cultural insight.

The Onomastico (Name Day)

Every day on the Italian calendar is associated with one or more Catholic saints. If your name matches a saint's feast day, that day is your onomastico (name day). According to Treccani, this tradition dates back to the early medieval period and remains culturally significant across Italy, particularly in the south.

For example, all men named Giuseppe celebrate on March 19 (San Giuseppe / St. Joseph's Day), while all women named Anna celebrate on July 26 (Sant'Anna). On your onomastico, you might receive phone calls, text messages, or small gifts from friends and family. In some regions, the onomastico was historically considered more important than the birthday.

Double Names (Nomi Doppi)

Italian has a strong tradition of double first names: Maria Teresa, Giovanni Paolo, Anna Maria, Pier Luigi. These are not first-and-middle names as in English; they function as a single compound first name. Pope John Paul II's Italian name was Giovanni Paolo, both parts used together as one name.

When asking someone with a double name Come ti chiami?, they will give you both parts: Mi chiamo Maria Teresa. Using only the first half (Maria) without being invited to do so can feel presumptuous.

Diminutives and Nicknames

Italians are prolific creators of diminutives. Almost every name has at least one shortened or affectionate form:

The diminutive someone uses often signals their region of origin. Peppe for Giuseppe is Neapolitan, while Beppe is more common in the north. Asking Come ti chiamano gli amici? ("What do your friends call you?") is a warm way to invite someone to share their nickname.

Practice With Real Italian Content

Reading about these phrases builds your foundation, but hearing them spoken naturally by native speakers in real conversations is what makes them stick. Italian cinema and television are excellent resources, from classic films like La vita è bella to modern series like Suburra and L'amica geniale, name exchanges and introductions appear in nearly every episode.

Wordy takes this further by letting you watch Italian movies and shows with interactive subtitles. When you hear Come ti chiami? in a scene, you can tap the phrase to see its breakdown, pronunciation, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases in isolation, you absorb them from authentic conversations with real intonation and body language.

For more Italian content, explore our blog for guides including the best movies to learn Italian. You can also visit our Italian learning page to start practicing today.