How to Sign "Name" in American Sign Language

In American Sign Language (ASL), you sign NAME by making an H handshape with both hands and tapping the fingers of your dominant hand across the fingers of your other hand, usually twice. This guide covers the sign itself, how to use it to introduce yourself or ask someone's name, and how to check your form. It describes ASL, the sign language most widely used in the US. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, use different signs for this word.

Which "sign name" do you mean?

The phrase can mean a few different things, and each one has a different answer:

• The ASL sign for the word NAME. This is covered in the next section.
• Saying your own name in ASL. You normally fingerspell it, letter by letter, after signing MY NAME.
• A "name sign." This is a personal sign that stands for a specific person. It is not the same thing as the sign for the word NAME.
• Signing your name on a document. That is a handwritten signature, which is not a sign-language topic.

How to sign NAME, step by step

Your dominant hand is the one you write with. If you are left-handed, swap the roles of the hands in these steps.

• 1. Form an H handshape with both hands. Extend your index and middle fingers and hold them together. Curl your other fingers down and rest your thumb against them.
• 2. Turn both hands so the extended fingers point sideways, roughly parallel to the floor, with palms facing your body or angled toward each other.
• 3. Hold your non-dominant hand steady in front of your chest.
• 4. Bring your dominant H down so its fingers cross the top of the non-dominant H fingers. Seen from the front, the two hands make a rough X or cross shape.
• 5. Tap the crossed fingers together twice with a small, light movement.

Check your result: the two fingers on each hand should stay together rather than spread into a V, the fingers should cross instead of lining up end to end, and the taps should be short. A double tap is the common form for the noun NAME. Related forms, such as the verb meaning "named" or "called," use a different movement. Check a video dictionary or a fluent signer if you need those forms.

Saying "My name is…" and asking someone's name

ASL has its own grammar and does not use a sign for "is" in these phrases. Common ways to sign them are:

• My name is ___: Sign MY by placing your flat palm on your chest. Sign NAME, then fingerspell your name.
• What's your name?: Sign YOUR by pushing a flat palm toward the other person. Sign NAME, then sign WHAT. Lower and draw your eyebrows together while you sign. That facial expression marks a who/what/where-type question in ASL and is part of the grammar, not decoration.
• Nice to meet you: This often follows an introduction. Look it up separately, because it uses its own signs.

Fingerspelling your name

Fingerspelling uses one handshape for each letter of the English alphabet. Use these basics:

• Use only your dominant hand, held near shoulder height with your palm generally facing the person you are signing to.
• Keep your hand in roughly one place. Don't bounce it or push it forward on every letter.
• Aim for a smooth, even rhythm. Clarity matters more than speed.
• For double letters, as in "Anna" or "Scott," signers usually make a small slide or a slight repeat of the same handshape. Check how this is done for the specific letters in your name.

About name signs

Many people in the Deaf community have a name sign, a short sign used in place of fingerspelling their full name. By widespread custom, a name sign is given to you by a Deaf person or by members of the Deaf community. You should not make one up for yourself. Until you have one, fingerspelling your name is the expected and respectful choice.

How to confirm you're signing it correctly

Written descriptions can't fully capture handshape, angle and movement. To check your sign, compare it against a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or a course taught by Deaf instructors. A mirror or a short recording of yourself lets you compare your handshape and movement against that video. A recording only shows whether your form matches the example. It can't tell you whether your signing reads naturally to a fluent signer. For that, get feedback from a Deaf signer or a qualified ASL teacher.

Limitations of this guide

This guide describes the common ASL form in text only, without videos, and no specific dictionary or source was checked for it. ASL varies by region and community, so you may see small differences in hand orientation or movement. If you are learning for a particular person or community, follow how the signers around you use the sign.