Italian Phrase
È a nome di John Smith.
Meaning
The sentence states that something – a reservation, an account, a document – is registered under the name of John Smith. It is a concise way to point out the legal or official holder of the item in question.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell a clerk, a receptionist, or a colleague that a service, ticket, or piece of paperwork is recorded under a specific person's name. Typical situations include hotel check‑ins, airline bookings, bank accounts, or signing contracts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
ÈanomediJohnSmith.
È (verb essere)
Third‑person singular present of 'essere', meaning 'is'.
a nome di
Fixed prepositional phrase meaning 'in the name of', used to indicate ownership or registration.
di (preposition)
Introduces the possessor after 'a nome', equivalent to English 'of'.
Proper names in Italian
Foreign proper names keep their original spelling; they are not declined.
🗨In Conversation
Buongiorno, ho una prenotazione a nome di John Smith.
Good morning, I have a reservation under the name John Smith.
Perfetto, la trovo subito. È a nome di John Smith, giusto?
Perfect, I’ll find it right away. It’s under the name John Smith, correct?
✕Common Mistakes
È al nome di John Smith.
The fixed expression is 'a nome di', not 'al nome di'.
È a nome di John Smiths.
Foreign surnames are not pluralised in Italian.
È nome di John Smith.
The preposition 'di' must follow 'a nome', not replace it.
↔Alternatives
È intestato a John Smith.
It is registered to John Smith.
È registrato a nome di John Smith.
It is recorded in the name of John Smith.
È a nome di John Smith.
It is in the name of John Smith.
Cultural Tip
In Italian business and administrative contexts, 'a nome di' is the most common way to indicate whose name an item belongs to. For more formal documents you may hear 'intestato a' or 'registrato a nome di'. Remember that the phrase stays the same regardless of the gender of the person; you do not add an article before the name.