5 Incredibly Useful Tips For Remembering Names

I have always been pretty good at remembering names. I could match names to faces, but as life becomes more complex at work and home, and as I get older (eek), my faculties have become a bit challenging.

I recently attended a soccer tournament for my daughter’s team, which made it into the semi-finals for the state. This was a traveling event with all the kids and parents in the same hotel. 

Some parents I knew well from past experiences. But embarrassingly, I could not remember many of their names. Despite numerous conversations on the sidelines and more than one introduction the name just went in one ear and out the other. 

Additionally, many of them knew my name, so I pretty much felt like a jerk.

Now in all fairness, my husband is well-known in the soccer circle, so I am known mostly by association as “Dave’s wife.” 

Action Steps For Remembering Names

So here I am in the middle of the tournament, feeling like a doofus, so I decided to take action.

I dug out old emails to the parents and started reverse-engineering first/last names. Not always easy as plenty of folks have emails that have nothing to do with their names (Dog names? Nicknames? Help me out, people!).

I also looked through group texts to piece together which parent belonged to which kid.

Then I cross-checked the last names with the kids’ jerseys. This too was a bit of a bust because once I started this hunt for names and faces, the girls switched to the jerseys that did not have their names written on the back…sigh.

Now all of this checking and cross-checking from different places felt like a puzzle. I will confess, I put all this together in the car. All while watching the game with my three-year-old sound asleep (thankfully) in her car seat.

The only scrap of paper I found to scribble down these names and connections was on a Victoria’s Secret size card for a bra. Clearly, I was desperate.

However, based on this set of barely legible scribbles, I cobbled together almost all the names. Then I wrote it all up as a note on my phone. Whew!

The work environment is much easier. 

At conferences, people have name tags, but this, too, is not foolproof. How many people wear them backward, are wearing a colleague’s name tag or the font is too small to see (and how weird does it look squinting and peering at someone’s chest or lapel)? 

Five Tips for Remembering Names

So, whether it’s on the soccer field or in the conference room, here are some ideas for remembering names so you can avoid those stressful situations where you just can’t remember.

1.    When you are first introduced, PAY ATTENTION.

2.    When you hear the name, repeat it back to them: “Nice to meet you, Bob. Hey Bob, do your kids go to such and such school?” I can’t emphasize enough how much this helps.

3.    In your mind, repeat the name at least three times.

4.    Make an association with the person. It’s best if you can rhyme words or connect the person with something already strongly anchored in your brain. For example, “Angela, looks like an angel” or “Jenny is a ginger” These sound silly, but they work.

5.    If you are really ambitious, write down the name or put a note in your phone. Or, better yet, connect on a social network so you can look them up later. 

In Closing

My fantasy to ease the pain and suffering of all busy, distracted sideline parents who want to at least give the appearance that they have it together is using name tags as a mandatory accessory for any kid-related activity.

But let’s face it, this is highly unlikely!