Are questions like "What would be your Native American name?" offensive to Native Americans?

Only if you think the...

I'm not a Native American beyond some untrue rumors about family ancestry, but from what I've seen the reactions to well-meaning but patronizing and clueless gestures by non-Indians ranges from bemusement to bitterness and indignation. Think of all the ways people imitate Native Americans: Dressing up as them at costume parties Making fake names, gestures, sounds, and words Naming sports teams, automobiles, etc. Out-of-place geegaws, e.g. rubber tomahawks, dream catchers and beadwork made in China, miniature teepees sold in regions that didn't build that kind of housing Lots of words and phrases with racist overtones. Let's pow wow on that, don't be an Indian giver, we're on the warpath, etc. Engaging in pretend rituals (vision quests, sweat lodges, pow wows, shamanism, burning incense, praising of the ancestor spirits) Ethno-tourism. Yes, Germany, this means you. Taking up what you think to be their causes, helping out the poor disadvantaged people, etc. Can be useful, can be patronizing. Plus a lot of efforts at charity and social justice end up doing more harm than good. Proclaiming who is the real Indian, taking sides, decrying supposed outrages by one faction of the Tribe or the other, and generally, meddling To see how crazy all this is, just turn the tables and imagine there were 300 million Indians in America who would pay good money to come to your reservation on a bus, taste some white food, do a little gambling and drinking, buy some white people feathers to wear around. They praise you for being spiritual and in touch with nature, and they acted astonished and sad that you've lost your way and you're inauthentic because you have an iPhone or any other technological device from the last 100 years. A couple observations, though. First, it's a lot better to be a member of a minority group that people consider cool and want to be like than one that is shunned. Second, Indians tend to be smart and culturally aware, and many have a wicked sense of humor about things. Just like African Americans have coopted and repurposed the N-word, I see some Native Americans making fun of the stereotypes.

For Natives who follow their tribal traditions this question would be like asking a Catholic the name they are given during First Communion. It's something sacred which is only shared with those who are close to the person. While the person may not be offended they will most likely not tell you the answer unless you are extremely important to them. Names are often given by the Elders of the tribe, specifically by a direct relation. They are often given in the dialect of their language, there are several different languages and dialects spoken amoung Natives, which is why they sound odd when translated to American English.