Mein Name — My Name in German

Say your name, two ways — and ask someone else's.

How to say your name

Amina and Daniel just told each other their name — in two different ways. Ich heiße … and Ich bin … both mean "My name is …" here. heißen literally means "to be called," so Ich heiße Amina is like saying "I am called Amina." Ich bin … is simpler — just "I am …" — used for names as naturally as in English. Both are completely normal, native ways to introduce yourself; neither is more correct than the other.

Try it with different names:

Quick check

How to ask someone else's name

To ask someone else’s name, use Wie heißt du? — "What is your name?" (informally, to one person).