How to Remember Names

No, it isn’t ok to say dude/duddete instead of the name. Remembering names is not a mammoth task. If you’ve ever had a voice in your head go “whatwashisnameagain”, then this guide’s for you. Lets get cracking!

Listen

You always do? Think again! If you can’t recall a name after scooping every corner of your brain, then you didn’t pay attention in the first place! Being interested is the most critical part of remembering a name, have you ever forgotten the name of your favorite author? How about someone you look up to? No? It’s because you were interested. Pay attention to the person you’re being introduced to, if you’re not paying attention, your not remembering.

Imagine

Yes, imagine! Imagine the persons name etched all across their face, its on their cheeks, on their nose, even across their lips! How does this help? This method is the name-picture association technique; you just associate a name with a unique picture, what’s more unique than the persons face? Assign different colours for different people, green for people you like, red maybe for you people you don’t really fancy? Use your imagination!

Write

Remember your school days? The mathematics professor would make you write your tables over and over and over again, why? Writing concretes what we’re writing about; you concentrate solely on what you’re writing, which helps you remember it. Try to write the name at least three times after meeting a person. If you don’t have a paper or pen on hand, imagine your fingers holding a pen and ‘air-write’ the name while you pronounce it.

Associate

This takes the name-picture association technique a step further, try and associate the name of the person with a humorous picture or someone who’s famous. Like if the person’s name is Jared Green, you could imagine the person having green skin, or if someone’s name is Elizabeth, you could picture them wearing a crown or sitting on a throne.

Repetition

Try and use the name of the person a couple of times in your conversation. People love hearing their names, so it shouldn’t be awkward. Using a name registers the person’s name in your memory, and should help you remember their name a little more easily.

Tips

• Ask the person if you didn’t hear their name properly the first time, it’ll be more awkward later if you use a wrong one.
• Try spelling the name; it should help you memorize the name a little more easily.
• No one’s perfect, so if you do forget a name, ask them politely for it.

These techniques should hopefully help you remember names a little more easily. Erring, isn’t it best left for others?