There’s a sneaky people skill most people forget — remembering someone’s name! Is it often a problem where you can’t remember names? You are not alone! I am going to show you how to always remember a name.
Researchers from Emory University wanted to improve people’s ability to remember names over three training sessions. In the first session, each participant took a face recall test to establish their baseline ability. In the following sessions, each participant was taught a memory strategy.
After only a month, the participants significantly improved their recall ability, some by up to 69 percent!
The Name Association Trick
Here’s what they learned. Attach a visual cue to a unique facial or body feature. This memory strategy comes from the EON-Mem (Ecologically Oriented Neurorehabilitation of Memory) program, which is used to help patients with neurological conditions quickly improve memory and daily functioning.
Here is an example: This is my friend, Lacy. If I met her at a party, I would think her hair looks just like an Ace with the pointed A top. Ace = L-ACE-y
Let’s look at a few other examples using common facial and body features. We’ll play a game where I give you a name and a picture and you try to come up with an identifier yourself. Then I can give you some ideas.
Hair Identifiers
This is Avery. If you met him at a networking event, how would you remember his name?
I’d probably notice his unique hairstyle. It looks like a wave. Wave = AVE-ry.
This is Coltun. How would you remember his name?
We can remember his name by his bun. Bun = Colt-UN.
This is Ingrid. How would you remember her name?
I can remember her name by her bangs, otherwise known as fringe. Just swap a soft “g” for a hard “g” sound. Fringe = ING-rid.
This is Monica. How would you remember her name?
Her hair is long and blond, so we can use the “on” sound from these descriptors to remember her name. Blond = M-ON-ica. Long = M-ON-ica.
Facial Identifiers
This is Eric. How would you remember his name?
I can remember his name by his beard. Beard rhymes with “ear.” Ear = EAR-ic.
This is Ash. How would you remember his name?
You can remember his name by his facial hair or mustache. Mustache = ASH.
This is Shana. How would you remember her name?
You notice she blushes when talking about herself or when she’s a little nervous. Blush = SH-ana.
This is Marilee. How would you remember her name?
One way to remember her name is with her big, beautiful smile or teeth with the double “e” sound. Teeth = Mari-LEE.
Accessory Identifiers
This is Douglass. How would you remember his name?
We can remember his name by his glasses. Glasses = Dou-GLASS.
This is Noelle. How would you remember her name?
One way you could remember her name is by her nose rings. Nose = NO-elle.
Body Identifiers
This is Alden. How would you remember his name?
When you first meet him, you notice he’s towering over you and incredibly tall. Tall = AL-den.
This is Courtney. How would you remember her name?
You notice she’s shorter than you, so you can remember her name with Short = C-OURT-ney.
Link to a Sound
How to remember names gets easier when you tie them to a noise—sound it out to make it stick. Here’s how to hook it in.
- Match a Word: Pick a sound-alike word fast. Meet “Jake”? Think “snake” hissing. “Clara”? Hear “clear” ringing. The sound bridges the name to memory—like “snake” slithers into “Jake.”
- Say It Loud: Voice it in your head or under your breath. For “Mark,” whisper “bark” like a dog. For “Tina,” hum “tune” softly. Saying it locks the link—like “bark” yaps “Mark” into place.
- Replay the Pair: Run it back quick. Meet “Sam”? Pair it with “slam,” then repeat “slam-Sam” twice silently. For “Lily,” use “chilly” and echo “chilly-Lily.” Repetition cements it—like “slam” pounds “Sam” in.
If it falters, adjust. Sound off? Swap it—“Tom” not clicking with “bomb”? Try “hum.” Too quiet? Mutter it louder—“Lee” with “bee” buzzes better spoken. No spark? Flip to a sharper word—“Rose” might stick with “roar” over “doze.” It’s not random—it’s aural glue. A “Ben” with “pen” clicking sticks after you hear it click twice. A “Nia” with “near” hums into recall at the next meet. Sound it, say it, replay it—names won’t slip. Try it next time you shake a hand.
Action Step: Meet someone today, pick a sound (e.g., “Kate” = “gate”), say it silently three times, and test if it sticks when you see them again tomorrow.
Remember: the key to remembering names is to get creative. You can use these hair identifiers, facial cues and visual tricks along with anything else you can think of. Whatever pops into your head as a reminder…use it!
Getting ready for an event where you will have to remember a lot of names? Use our other guides as well:
- At a party
- At a networking event
- At a conference