Remembering Names

When you want to remember names, you may want to try to associate the name with an object, or something visual. Some last names are concrete, such as Bird, while others are more abstract, like Thomas. Some are easy to create an image with, such as Hart, or Brown, while others are more challenging, such as Sutterlin or Kim. Another possible factor is how common the name is. If you already know someone with the name you are trying to associate with a new face, you are likely to relate that person in your mind with the other person of the similar name.

When you are trying to remember someone's name, the first step is to come up with a mental image with which you will associate person, and perhaps even facts about him or her.

Once you have chosen the person's symbol, choose a particular feature of the person - perhaps a distinctive freckle on the cheek, slightly pointy ears, a long ponytail, or curly bangs. Hopefully the feature you choose will be both fairly permanent and unique for the individual whose name you are trying to remember. Now, picture that particular feature and associate it with your symbol for that person. Let's say Mr. Bird has a noticeable brown freckle on his left cheek that is larger than all his other freckles. Imagine that this freckle is a seed. Picture a bird swooping down to pluck the seed right off of Mr. Bird's cheek! Now it will be harder to forget Mr. Bird's name when you see his "seed" - I mean his freckle. Just be sure not to laugh!

Here are some names and ideas for associations.

• Blair - If Blair has black hair or blue eyes, the name should be simple to memorize -- take the "bl" from black and pit it with the "air" from hair!
• Brown - All you have to do for this is visually associate the person with the color brown. If he or she has brown eyes or brown hair, you're set. Otherwise, imagine the person being covered in mud.
• Gold - Imagine the person as a golden statue. This should create a vivid image to help you recognize the person.
• Johnson - Imagine the person jumping on top of the sun.
• Rosenberg - Take a characteristic of the person named Rosenberg and turn it into an image. Then associate that image with an image of an iceberg with roses growing on it! This unusual image should definitely stand out in your memory.
• Shumaker - Think "shoe maker" ... Picture the person making a shoe. If this image is not vivid enough for you, imagine the person inside a giant shoe.
• Smith - If you can picture the person as a blacksmith, great. If this is not affective enough for you, try visualizing the person as someone from mythology.
• Thomas - Is the person Catholic? If so, remember that they must go to mass! (sounds like Thomas) If not, you'll have to either associate them with an image that makes you think of Catholicism or come up with a different mnemonic!
• White - If you are unable to do the obvious (associating the person with the color white), try thinking of height (which rhymes with white). If the person is not already very tall, imagine how he or she would look if (s)he were six and a half feet (two meters) tall!

Some additional tips:

• Learn as much information about someone as you can before you meet him or her for the first time. (Gruneberg and Herrmann, 1997, p. 35-35)
• Repeat the person's name aloud after it is said to you.
• Comment on the name, or ask how (s)he got it or how to spell it (if appropriate, of course). This helps encode the information into your brain. People usually appreciate your interest.
• As you are leaving the person, say the name aloud again, "Good-bye, Heather. It was nice meeting you."

Combining these tips with the visual association work very well. It's okay to look for physical features or personal characteristics while with the person, but it's best to come up with your exact visual association after you have left the person.