When you can’t remember somebody’s name, just make one up. As long as you are consistent everyone involved will catch on in no time.

Curiously, I forget the name instantly. I’m so worried about what I will say to this new person that I don’t take anything in. I don’t like to ask again, so if I don’t get it that first time, I don’t get it.

When introduced to several people at once in an informal situation, I’ve found that being obvious about your attempt to remember names works surprisingly well. Repeat all the names, going around the circle and including your own name, two or three times. Pointing is optional, but in the circles I travel in, perfectly acceptable in this context. Make sure you smile.

Repeating the names several times helps them stick, and sometimes if you can’t remember a particular person’s name, you can reconstruct it by picturing how everyone was standing when you met. Including yourself makes it a friendly joke that helps out the others in the circle, so they’re more likely to forgive the weirdness.

I am amazed by how many people, having forgotten a name, simply avoid the issue and don’t ask again.

Personally I am always happy to ‘fess up with a smile and say ‘I’m sorry I have forgotten your name, I’m Chris.’

I have some tips in my my memory improvement guide on remembering names. There are two keys to doing this effectively, in my view. The first is to repeat the name outloud. Most of the time when someone forgets a person’s name it’s because they never really stored it in memory at all. So if someone introduces himself, shake his hand and say, “hi, .” Just saying the first name outloud goes a long way. The second key is association. Associate the name with a feature of the peron which stands out. Using sound-alike words or famous people with similar names helps.

The repetition technique works for me, when I remember to do it. I’ll give the picture-making method a shot, but I’m worried that my mind will get lost in all the fun of fleshing out the picture, and I’ll end up botching the conversation. Hah!

Try this, Write the person’s name on your hand

1. When you don’t remember someone’s name, and in a context where you should remember it: ask “what is your name again?” If the person answers by its first name, then say: of course, I know it’s John, I meant what is your last name ? (better need his last name)

2. more generally, I think you should view remembering names as a fun game, where it is a self-imposed challenge !

While conversing, repeat the person’s name silently to yourself, again and again. Then when you’ve got time for a break you go the loo and write something like this on a bit of paper: “Robert- big nose, glasses, kayaker.”

My favorite trick is to ask for the spelling - eg. mikael or michael, knowing the spelling ease the memory for me. Oh and repetition!

I’m with handsome loser on this one. If it’s just one person, i might be ok, but if there is more than one, the first name is gone instantly while i hear (and then forget) the next…

[…] “I’m terrible with names…” Well get un-terrible with Merlin Mann’s collection of helpful hints!read more | digg story […]

I’m always forgetting names! The worst is when someone recognises you and you have absolutely no idea of thier name!

Thanks for the tips

This is great info, and I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who has this problem.

However, I’m wondering WHY it’s so difficult to remember names. I remember names of cities, websites, new apps to download for my computer, restaurant names, but people’s names are always a challenge for me.

Some good hints there, i’ll have to give them a try! I find I remember names better if I can remember where and when I met them, tieing a person to an event will make their names easier to remember if you remember the event.

Good tips. The best one, for me, is to commit to remembering the person’s name. When I don’t catch someone’s name, which is most of the time, it’s because, like many others, I was too busy thinking of what I’m going to say to even know what they said to me at all.

Frontpage Digg W00t!

[…] As could probably be expected, I’m currently horrible at remembering names. But that’s all going to change! I just ran across Merlin Mann’s 43 Folders post on tips for remembering names he culled together through a bit of googling. (Yes, I can use that word correctly now. Thanks Merriam Webster!) […]

[…] So here is a list of tricks for remembering names that I need to try…  […]

I’ve tried the repeating trick and it helps, but you have to remember to do it. Plus, you have to admit that it makes you sound a little weird (doesn’t that paragraph sound like something out of The Shining? Just change the name from Jim to Johnny…)

At conferences where I speak, I’m totally overwhelmed — everybody knows who I am, but I’m just one person to them, and they’re very plenty in number! Two conferences ago I came up with the idea of asking people to pose for a photo with their business card. Then I can look through my iPhoto library when I have a business card to match to a face OR when I need to match a face to a name.

Here’s a trick that always works: When someone introduces themselves, just laugh, shake their hand and say, “What a coincidence! That’s my name, too!” Then when you meet someone you know you’ve met before, but can’t remember their name, just introduce yourself again with a laugh and boisterously ask, “What’s my name?” They’ll tell you. Because people will remember that you have the same name they do. Of course, this technique breaks down fast in a crowd. :)

On a related note, it often happens that I’m with a friend, and we encounter a third person known to my friend but not to me. If my friend does not immediately introduce the third person to me, I frequently jump in and introduce myself quickly, just in case my friend has not made an immediate introduction because he or she has forgotten the third person’s name. It saves everyone an awkward moment. My friends will frequently confide after the fact that they had indeed forgotten the person’s name, and they were grateful that I introduced myself. I have yet to be scolded for not giving a friend the opportunity to make the introduction themself.

[…] I am terrible with names, as are a lot of people. Maybe it’s because when I introduce myself I stop listening after I introduce myself. Ok, it’s a bad habit. Here’s a cool little list of how to remember people’s names. […]

OK OK OK… HERE’S THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION.

When you don’t remember someones name and you don’t want to be embarrased, just go like this:

“I’m sorry, what was your name?” - Steve “yeah Steve, sorry that I know, I’ve ment your LAST name” - Oh, Jobs… “great, see… bla bla bla”

That’s is by FAR the best way to do it, that way people don’t feel like they didn’t matter and you did remember your name, and save your self that awful moment of not remembering.

Wingman and codeword:

Have a friend with you and introduce them as your best friend.

You: “Hey, you should meet my BEST FRIEND Bill.” Bill: “Nice to meet you, what’s your name?”

Unless one has made a conscious decision to NOT remember names, one has the ability to remember the names of people whom they are introduced to. However, if upon hearing the name of another, one chooses to say the other’s name aloud, this effectively releases the energy of the remembrance of the name back into the universe. This becomes dangerous if one is in a setting where meeting multiple people is expected. My advice is to simply pay attention to the person you meet, and don’t say their name outloud — you will remember it if you try.

When I meet someone I know but whose name I forget, this has never failed me:

“Hi. You know, I remember that you are a dancer, and that you have a loud cat, and that you met David Hasselhoff once, but I can’t remember your least significant feature—your name.”

The person is always impressed that you have remembered details about them and, unless they have renamed themselves to actualize their chakra energy or something (and let’s hope you don’t have to meet too many of that sort), they will tend to agree that their name is less important than the fact that you really listened the first time you met.

Of course, this requires you to remember those details, but I find that much easier than remembering names. And, since I no longer feel fear, dread, or pressure to recall a name after I’ve heard it, I can concentrate on really listening to the person.

See, my trick is just to ask them how to spell their name AFTER I’ve forgotten it. Not only will you get the mystery person to tell you their name again, but it also shows a slightly-deeper-than-average interest that will help them warm up to you.

That is, unless their name is really easy. And then, just excuse yourself for being curious about alternate spellings of common names. :)

Yeah, sounds easy enough… when we’re talking about whitey names like Joe and Mike and Sarah and Gregory, but the majority of my wife’s friends are Kenyan, and it’s difficult to differentiate Wangui from Wajohi from Wangari from Watiri from Wyremu from Wanjiru from Kimani from Karanja from Muchemu from Gachuhi from Kamau from Kamami from Njoki from Kibbe from Musheri from Mwangi from Gakenya etc. etc. etc. I’m sure it’s just as difficult for a whitey like me to remember Chinese names like Suk Long Fat from Long Wang from Yung Loud Suk, etc.

-he who stacks pork

Something I’ve found useful is to practice remembering character names when watching movies. Since the movies are visual, it can help you get in the habit of associating faces with names the first time you hear them. You probably won’t want to do this every time you watch a movie, but it can be handy to practice from time to time, to refocus yourself on giving names your attention.

What? Chris you really don’t believe that saying the name out loud will “release it back into the Universe”, do you? Remembering depends on your prefered way of taking in new information, if you are an auditory learner, saying the name out loud will in fact help you remember the name more easily, if you are a visual learnern, probably you need to visualize it or see it in paper.