German Phrase
Es ist auf den Namen John Doe.
Meaning
The sentence states that something (a contract, a bank account, a reservation, etc.) is registered under the name John Doe. It is a formal way to indicate ownership or the name on a document.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell someone whose name appears on an official record, such as a bank account, a ticket, a lease, or a legal document. It is common in business, administrative, and formal spoken contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
EsistaufdenNamenJohnDoe.
Es (pronoun)
Neutral pronoun used as a placeholder subject, often meaning 'it' or referring to a previously mentioned thing.
ist (verb)
Third‑person singular present of 'sein' (to be).
auf den Namen (prepositional phrase)
The preposition 'auf' governs the accusative case here, indicating the name under which something is registered.
Namen (noun, masculine)
Singular masculine noun 'der Name' in the accusative case (den Namen).
John Doe (proper name)
A foreign proper name is inserted unchanged; German treats it as a masculine noun in the accusative.
🗨In Conversation
Auf welchen Namen ist das Konto eröffnet?
Under which name is the account opened?
Es ist auf den Namen John Doe.
It is in the name of John Doe.
✕Common Mistakes
Es ist im Namen John Doe.
‘im Namen’ means ‘in the name of’ in a figurative sense and is not used for official registrations.
Es ist auf dem Namen John Doe.
The preposition ‘auf’ requires the accusative case here, not dative.
Es ist auf den Namen JohnDoe.
Proper names should be written with a space (or hyphen) and capitalized.
↔Alternatives
Es steht auf den Namen John Doe.
It is registered under the name John Doe.
Der Name ist John Doe.
The name is John Doe.
Das Dokument ist auf John Doe ausgestellt.
The document is issued to John Doe.
Cultural Tip
In German, the preposition 'auf' with the accusative is the standard way to talk about the name on a document. Avoid using 'im Namen' (which means 'in the name of' in a more abstract sense) when you refer to a concrete registration. The phrase sounds formal; in casual conversation you might simply say 'Der Name ist …'.