Which one is correct when asking a person for their name:
- May I take your name, please?
- May I get your name, please?
- May I have your name, please?
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4What's the context?– Tyler James YoungCommented Jan 21, 2014 at 20:11
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2 Answers
May I take down your name is for people registering visitors on a piece of paper
May I have your name can be used in a formal manner
If you ask someone their name in an non-official name-taking place, you would use What is your name?
May I get your name does not sound idiomatic to me unless you are planning to marry them and take their name for yourself
If someone introduces themselves and you did not quite understand it, you can say
I did not quite get your name, please repeat?
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And on the telephone, on a business call, May I ask who's calling? or May I ask who's speaking? or even Who shall I say is calling? if taking a message for a third party.– chosterCommented Jan 21, 2014 at 19:41
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I've certainly heard “may I have your name?” (as well as “can I get your name?”) in informal situations where that person is about to write down my name (waiting for a table at a diner, for example). Commented Jan 21, 2014 at 20:02
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@TylerJamesYoung - Yes, those forms I have heard as well, spoken by the waiter who would inform me when a table would be available. Most people would consider that a formal situation. Commented Jan 22, 2014 at 7:26
May I have your name is kind of too forward so the best when approaching them is to ask "How May I Address You"
