Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

你叫什么名字？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi) is slightly more explicit and very common.
你叫什么？ (nǐ jiào shénme) is shorter and casual. Context makes it clear you’re asking a name. Neither is rude by itself; tone and context matter more for politeness.

Why use 叫 “to be called” instead of 是 “to be”? Can I say 你是什么名字?

In Chinese, the idiomatic way to ask someone’s name is with 叫: “you are called what (name)?”
你是什么名字？ is ungrammatical as a neutral question.
You can ask with 是 by rephrasing to a copular structure: 你的名字是什么？ (nǐ de míngzi shì shénme) — acceptable but more bookish.
Don’t insert 是 before 叫 in a neutral wh-question: 你是叫什么名字？ sounds like you’re double-checking/recalling (a different nuance), not asking cold.

Can I add the question particle 吗 at the end: 你叫什么名字吗?

No. 吗 (ma) is for yes/no questions, not for questions with 什么. Say:

Correct: 你叫什么名字？
Yes/no pattern: 你叫王明吗？ (“Are you called Wang Ming?”)

How do I answer this question naturally?

Common patterns:

我叫王明。 (Wǒ jiào Wáng Míng.) — “I’m called Wang Ming.”
我姓王。 (Wǒ xìng Wáng.) — “My surname is Wang.”
我叫李华，李白的李，中华的华。 — Adding character hints is common in real life. Any of these answers the question; you can also just say your name.

Does 名字 mean my full name or just my given name?

Usually it just means “your name,” and people will give whatever is contextually appropriate (often the full name).

To ask only for family name: 你姓什么？ (nǐ xìng shénme)
To ask only for given name (less common to ask directly): 你的名字（里）叫什么？ or more naturally just ask for their name and they’ll provide what fits. Context (formal setting, classmates, etc.) guides what people give.

Is 你的名字是什么 natural?

Yes, it’s grammatical and often taught to beginners, but everyday speech favors 你叫什么名字？ The 是…什么 version can feel a bit textbook-y or formal in casual conversation.

Should I use 你 or 您 here?

你 (nǐ): default, casual/neutral.
您 (nín): polite to elders, customers, clients, teachers, or when you want extra respect. In Taiwan, 您 is used more sparingly than on the Mainland, but it’s always polite and safe in formal contexts:
请问，您叫什么名字？

How can I make this question more polite or formal?

Options:

请问，您叫什么名字？ — add 请问 to soften.
请问，您怎么称呼？ — “How should I address you?” Very polite.
您贵姓？ — asks only for surname; very polite, common in first-time formal introductions.

Can I add sentence-final particles like 呢 or 啊?

Yes, they soften the tone:

你叫什么名字呢？ — gentle, inviting.
你叫什么名字啊？ — friendly, casual. Avoid adding 吗 with 什么.

What’s going on with the word order? Why is 什么 in the middle instead of at the front like English?

Chinese is a “wh-in-situ” language: the question word stays where the answer would appear.

你叫什么名字？ → Answer fills that spot: 我叫王明。 Other examples:
你在哪儿工作？ “Where do you work?” (在哪儿 stays in place)
你想吃什么？ “What do you want to eat?”

How do I pronounce this correctly? Any tone tips?

Tones:

你 nǐ (3rd) — often a low, half-third in running speech.
叫 jiào (4th).
什么 shénme — shén is 2nd tone; me is neutral (not “má”).
名字 míngzi — míng is 2nd tone; zi is neutral. Sound tips:
The zi in 名字 is not “zee.” It’s an apical syllabic [dz̩], very short and light.
Keep the neutral tones light and quick.

Are there regional or colloquial variants?

Mainland North: 你叫啥（名/名字）？ (nǐ jiào shá …?) with 啥 for “what,” and sometimes 名儿 (míngr) with -r sound.
Taiwan: traditional characters 你叫什麼名字？, fewer uses of 您 in casual settings. All are understood nationwide, but match your environment.

What else does 叫 mean? I’ve seen it used in other ways.

Besides “to be called,” 叫 can mean:

“to call/shout”: 他大声叫。 (He shouted.)
“to ask/tell someone to do something”: 妈妈叫我回家。 (Mom told me to go home.)
“to order (a taxi/food)”: 叫出租车/叫外卖。 Context makes the meaning clear.

Do I need a measure word here? Can I say 你叫什么个名字?

No measure word is needed. 你叫什么个名字 is dialectal/nonstandard in Mandarin. Stick to 你叫什么名字？

How do I ask for the characters or spelling of someone’s name?

你的名字怎么写？ — “How do you write your name (which characters)?”
哪个字？ / 是哪几个字？ — “Which character(s) is/are they?” People may answer with references: 王的王，明白的明。

Is 你名字叫什么 okay?

You’ll hear 你的名字叫什么？, but the most idiomatic and concise order is 你叫什么名字？ Prefer the standard pattern in speech and writing.