How to Say What Is Your Name in Japanese: 12+ Phrases & Name Culture

The Short Answer

The most common way to ask "what is your name" in Japanese is Onamae wa nan desu ka (お名前は何ですか, oh-nah-mah-eh wah nahn dehs-kah). But here is the crucial cultural insight most textbooks miss: Japanese speakers rarely ask someone's name directly. Doing so can feel forward or even intrusive. Instead, names are exchanged through jikoshoukai (自己紹介, self-introduction), where each person volunteers their own name.

Japanese is spoken by approximately 125 million people, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. The language's elaborate system of politeness levels means that even a simple question like "what is your name?" has multiple forms depending on the social context. The Agency for Cultural Affairs' 2023 National Language Survey found that 78% of Japanese adults consider proper name-related etiquette (including how you ask, how you use suffixes, and how you handle business cards) essential to smooth social interaction. Whether you're looking up "what is your name in japanese" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"In Japanese culture, asking someone's name directly is not a neutral act. It carries an implicit claim to a relationship that may not yet exist. The preference for self-introduction reflects a broader cultural pattern where individuals offer information rather than extract it."

(Anna Wierzbicka, Cross-Cultural Pragmatics, Mouton de Gruyter, 2003)

This guide covers 12+ essential phrases for asking and sharing names in Japanese, organized by formality level. It also explains the cultural mechanics of name exchange, from jikoshoukai self-introductions to meishi (名刺) business card rituals, so you understand not just what to say, but when and how Japanese people actually handle names.

Quick Reference: Name Phrases at a Glance

Why Japanese People Rarely Ask "What's Your Name?"

Before diving into the phrases, understanding this cultural context will save you from an awkward moment. In English-speaking cultures, asking "What's your name?" is perfectly natural: at a party, in a class, at a networking event. In Japanese culture, directly asking someone's name can feel presumptuous.

The preferred method is jikoshoukai (自己紹介), mutual self-introduction. Each person offers their own name voluntarily. In professional settings, this is replaced entirely by meishi koukan (名刺交換, business card exchange), where the printed card does the talking for you.

According to NINJAL (National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics), direct name-asking phrases like Onamae wa? are most commonly heard in official settings: hospitals, government offices, hotels, and schools, all situations where someone in authority needs your name for a record. Between peers meeting socially, self-introduction is the norm.

Polite Ways to Ask Someone's Name

These phrases work in everyday polite situations: meeting someone through mutual friends, at a community event, or when you genuinely need to know someone's name.

お名前は何ですか

This is the textbook-standard way to ask someone's name. The honorific prefix o- before namae (name) signals respect. The structure follows basic Japanese question format: topic (onamae wa) + question word (nan) + polite copula (desu ka).

You will hear this phrase most often in service contexts: a hotel receptionist, a nurse at a clinic, or a teacher on the first day of class. Between social equals meeting casually, it is more natural to introduce yourself first and let the other person reciprocate.

お名前は

Dropping nan desu ka and letting the question trail off with just wa? is a common Japanese conversational strategy. It feels less like an interrogation and more like a gentle prompt. Pairing it with shitsurei desu ga (失礼ですが, "excuse me, but...") at the beginning softens it further, a technique Wierzbicka identifies as characteristic of Japanese indirect communication style.

Very Formal Ways to Ask Someone's Name

In business settings, with elderly strangers, or in any situation requiring maximum respect, these elevated forms show cultural fluency.

お名前を伺ってもよろしいですか

This is the highest level of politeness for asking someone's name. The verb ukagau (伺う) is the humble (kenjougo) form of kiku (to ask), which lowers the speaker's position relative to the listener. Combined with yoroshii desu ka (the polite form of "is it alright?"), this phrase communicates deep respect.

You will hear this at high-end hotels, formal ceremonies, and in Japanese corporate environments. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, proper keigo usage in name-related interactions is considered a marker of professional competence.

お名前をお聞かせいただけますか

This alternative uses itadaku (いただく), the humble form of morau (to receive), framing the act of hearing someone's name as a favor you are humbly receiving. Both this and the ukagau version are standard keigo and signal professional-level Japanese.

Casual Ways to Ask Someone's Name

Among friends, classmates, or people your age in relaxed settings, these shorter forms are natural. Using the polite forms above with close friends would sound stiff and create awkward distance.

名前は？

Stripping the honorific o- from namae shifts the register from polite to casual. This is what you would hear at a college party, an informal group gathering, or between young people meeting through mutual friends. It still implies that you are asking because you need to know, not as a conversation starter.

何て呼べばいい？

This phrase sidesteps the directness of asking for a name entirely. Instead, it asks how the person wants to be addressed, which might be their given name, a nickname, or a shortened form. Among younger Japanese speakers, this is often more natural than Namae wa? because it focuses on the ongoing relationship rather than extracting personal information.

How to Respond: Giving Your Name

Knowing how to ask is only half the equation. Here is how to share your own name at every formality level.

〇〇です

The simple, versatile response. In most Japanese contexts, you give your surname: Tanaka desu rather than Tarō desu. Given names are reserved for close relationships. This fundamental difference from Western name customs catches many visitors off guard.

〇〇と申します

The humble verb mousu (申す) replaces the neutral iu (言う, to say), lowering the speaker's status. This is the go-to form for business introductions, formal events, and any situation where you want to show respect. In Japanese corporate culture, using desu instead of to moushimasu in a formal introduction would be noticed as too casual.

〇〇と呼んでください

This is especially helpful for non-Japanese speakers. Japanese phonetics do not include some sounds common in English (like "th," "l/r" distinction, or certain consonant clusters), so offering a simplified version of your name (Maiku to yonde kudasai, "Please call me Mike") shows cultural awareness and makes the interaction smoother for everyone.

The Self-Introduction Formula (自己紹介)

In Japan, the structured self-introduction is far more common than direct name-asking. Whether at a school, workplace, or social gathering, the jikoshoukai follows a predictable pattern.

Standard Self-Introduction Structure

This formula is taught in Japanese schools from elementary age. According to NINJAL, children practice jikoshoukai formally from first grade, making it one of the earliest structured communication skills Japanese speakers learn. The closing phrase yoroshiku onegaishimasu has no clean English equivalent; it expresses humility and a request for the listener's goodwill.

Japanese Name Culture: What Every Learner Should Know

Understanding how Japanese names work gives you a significant advantage in real interactions. Here are the key concepts.

Surname First, Given Name Second

Japanese names follow the order surname + given name. 田中太郎 is Tanaka Tarō, where Tanaka is the family name and Tarō is the given name. In 2020, the Japanese Cabinet Office issued an official directive that Japanese names in English-language documents should also follow surname-first order, reversing the long-standing practice of Westernizing the order for foreign audiences.

In everyday Japanese life, people are addressed by surname plus suffix: Tanaka-san, not Tarō-san. Using someone's given name without permission implies a level of intimacy that may not exist.

The Name Suffix System (敬称)

Dropping the suffix entirely, called yobisute (呼び捨て), is significant. Between close friends or romantic partners, it signals deep intimacy. From a stranger, it signals disrespect. The Agency for Cultural Affairs survey found that 91% of Japanese adults consider correct suffix usage important in daily communication.

Business Card Exchange (名刺交換)

In professional Japan, the meishi (名刺, business card) replaces the verbal act of asking someone's name entirely. The ritual is precise: present your card with both hands, Japanese text facing the recipient, while stating your name and company. Receive their card with both hands, study it carefully, and never write on it or put it in your back pocket. During meetings, place received cards on the table in seating order.

This ritual is so central to Japanese business culture that it effectively makes the phrase Onamae wa? unnecessary in corporate settings. The card speaks for you.

"The exchange of meishi in Japan is not merely an exchange of contact information. It is a mutual act of self-presentation, a physical manifestation of the social contract being established between two professionals."

(Sachiko Ide, Formal forms and discernment, Multilingua, 1989)

How to Respond to Name-Related Phrases

Practice With Real Japanese Content

Textbook phrases are a solid foundation, but hearing the natural rhythm of Japanese self-introductions (the slight bow, the measured pace, the formality shifts between business and casual settings) is what builds real fluency. Japanese films and anime are filled with jikoshoukai scenes, especially in school and workplace settings where characters constantly introduce themselves to new groups.

Wordy lets you watch Japanese movies and shows with interactive subtitles. Tap on any name-related phrase to see its meaning, romaji pronunciation, formality level, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases from a list, you absorb them from authentic conversations where the social dynamics are visible.

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