Questions & Answers about Ich heiße Maria.
Both are correct, but they focus on slightly different things:
Ich heiße Maria.
Literally: I am called Maria.
This is the standard way to introduce yourself in German, especially when first meeting someone.Ich bin Maria.
Literally: I am Maria.
Also correct, but sounds a bit more like you are identifying yourself in a context where people might already know of you (for example, in a group where someone is looking for Maria and you say Ich bin Maria).
In everyday introductions, Ich heiße Maria is usually the most natural first sentence, and Ich bin Maria often follows in more specific contexts or to confirm your identity.
The verb heißen means to be called or to be named.
- Infinitive: heißen
- Ich heiße Maria. → I am called Maria. / My name is Maria.
So heiße is the ich (I) form of heißen in the present tense. The sentence is literally I am-called Maria, which is very close to English I am called Maria, but is used more commonly in German than that phrasing is in English.