Anyone Else Forgetful When It Comes To Names?

[Suzanne]

hate calling someone by their name. I don't know why, but

I am like this. Feels like uncharted territory I am going down, when I ask someone's name. Sort like asking a very personal question.

I also find it weird when someone else mentions a person's name, when I do not know that person.

 

[Rich Gray]

Is anyone else really forgetful when it comes to names? I mean, I've never been any good with names. I usually have a hard time remembering people's names unless they're someone I see on a daily basis. And even then, I still tend to call people by the wrong name. Or I just flat out forget the person's name all together, which makes for an awkward dance of me trying to avoid asking them, "I'm sorry, but what's your name again?"

I'm not sure if this could be spectrum related or if I just have a memory lapse when it comes to people's names, but this isn't getting any better. It's gotten to the point where I'll meet or be introduced to someone at work and as soon as they say their name, amid the handshaking or questions of what I do or where I'm from, I immediately forget the person's name that was just mentioned a few seconds ago. And no matter how hard I try to remember, I just draw a blank.

I've tried doing the name association thing where you associate a person's name to something memorable like a tv personality or cartoon character, etc. But that doesn't work if I can't even recall the person's name in the first place. Does anyone else experience this?

I find that I think in concepts rather than remembering the names of people or things.
- I rely on my wife to help me remember peoples names.
- I would prefer to have a seating chart so that I may better learn the names and the locations of my co-workers.
- It is easier for me to figure out how to program the clock, then to remember how to program the clock.
- I used to memorize phone numbers by the pattern rather than the number. I memorized my sisters password to Amazon.com via memorizing the pattern.
- I remember the concept behind something before I remember the word for it.
- I seem to place more value on how the concept works, and how such a concept could be beneficial, than what it is labeled.
- I especially find someone adding a layer to a series of concepts and giving it a new name to be annoying. It does not help me learn the concept, and is only good for verbal shorthand and/or historical comparisons when writing a paper.

Yes and it's starting to get embarrassing. As soon as they say it, I forget it. I've found that sometimes repeating their name helps.

I'm in a mommy/child group and we used to wear nametags for both the parents and kids. We don't anymore and now I don't know anyone's name! Other moms will say hi to both myself and my son by name and I'm like, 'hi...you.' It doesn't help that some of the kids look exactly the same. There's only maybe 8 other moms in the class.

Me too. It helps to create a mnemonic device (something that helps one remember something).

For example, one of the supervisors, who left the company, was named Alberto. I created a picture in my mind of Al Bundy clipping his toe nail, and never forgot his name again.

Pretty good with faces, terrible with most full names especially if they're new. I have some sort of visual memory for facial recognition. Never, ever forget a face. I can look at pictures and figure out who's related to who by their faces.

For some reason I've memorized faces all of my life without even realizing it until recently in the last ten years. Think it has something to do with the way I understand language, when people speak I have to look at their face, to comprehend what they are saying. I stare at them when they speak, mainly I look at their mouths and eyes and facial expressions.

But otherwise my memory for things is terrible in other areas. Used to look at peoples mug shots online, and one day I recognized someone, the face was very familiar. I had seen the person a few days before, but I couldn't remember where. This person was wanted for something like robbery in another city. Never could remember where I saw him and even spoke with the person at the time. Sometimes I can't even find the car in parking lot, but I could probably draw the face of any person I talked to that day. Just don't ask me todays date, or when a relatives birthday is.

Are you crazy super good at remembering faces? You could wander around the city with a bounty hunter and/or be a police officer and/or work with the police as a consultant. Finding wanted criminals while wandering around a city could pay off!

 

[sidamo]

One of my earliest school memories is realising that all other classmates knew each other's name when I had no clue who most of them were by name.

 

[phyljack1]

I never remember names. I could be a member of a club for over twenty years and still forget who I am sitting next. Forgetting family names is routine; how would you like to forget the name of one of your grandkids?
For those who are married, MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT FORGET HIS/HER NAME. lol

 

[cory]

I've always been terrible at this to the point it can lead me to very embarrassing situations. Mnumenoic devices do not work for me. One thing I recently figured out does work is writing the name down and looking at it every so often. Eventually I can see the picture of the name written down. I've been pretty clueless as to why this has been such a problem for me.

 

[Uhura]

I hate trying to remember names. I am even worse with faces and think I am at least mild/moderate face blind. I see faces but people look identical to me even if they look different to other people. I uses people's voices and confirm them with faces to know who they are unless I know them really well, in which case I might be able to use their face to know who they are. It's hard because I look like I am snubbing people because they have to talk first before I know who they are. And often I just end up faking it anyway. In groups of more than one person I am always waiting for someone to say their or another person's name. I'm lucky if I can get the context of how I know them into a conversation and have had people ask if I am mad at them because I didn't talk to them when in reality I needed them to come talk to me first so I knew who they are/were. Prosopagnosia is something people might want to look into it. It's the medical term for face blindness.

 

[tree]

I am not too bad with names, actually.
Names are words and I like words.

It helps to hear the person's voice in my head,
to know what name goes with it, though.

That's true in real life and people that I see
on television/in movies. If I can hear the voice,
then I am more certain who the person is.

 

[Atreyu]

I am terrible with names. But only human names.

I used to work at a boarding kennel and I could remember every single dog's name with shocking ease... but couldn't for the life of me remember the owner of the kennel (my manager)'s name.

For months I couldn't recall off the top of my head who I worked for, but I could name just about every dog (we had hundreds of customers) that ever came in.

 

[EstimatedProphet]

I'm pretty bad at remembering names but have worked on it over the years. Just yesterday I told an NT friend that like @xudo I can remember every kid in my first grade class but not someone who told me their name 20 seconds ago.

Post-diagnosis I realized that I remember names and other stuff by recalling the scene at the place I met them. This has worked well, but now I understand why I blank on people's names when I see them out of context. I may have worked in the same office with someone for 10 years, then see them at the grocery store and totally blank on their name. It happens every time.

I had no idea this trait is unusual but read it's apparently common with Aspies. Must be the whole thinking in pictures thing, coupled with sensory overload seeing someone in the wrong context, with social anxiety to boot!

 

[James Hardy]

very bad with names, but if the guy knows your talking to him who cares

 

[Laughingowl1975]

I often struggle with names, I know most people by their voice or some other trait and if I am at a get together then I hope someone will call them by name and try to remember it (it does not always work and I can get names muddled).

 

[Steve666]

I am shocking at remembering names, I find it easier to remember someone's phone number than their name.

 

[Khendra]

Quite honestly, this seems to be a universal, or near-universal, human tendency. And I actually brought it up on social media the other day because it is about as predictable as anything could possibly be in people. I have literally NEVER met a single person, neurotypical or otherwise, who was BETTER at remembering names than faces, or even good at remembering names, for that matter. Every single person says this -- "I am better with faces than names."

If you know anyone who is different, they are a rare breed indeed.

 

[Sashi]

I'm terrible at names. I work as a sub teacher's aide and even when I've subbed in a class several times, I usually don't remember the students' names unless they have a peculiar name such as "Heaven" or "Reality".

 

[Flugt]

Is anyone else really forgetful when it comes to names? I mean, I've never been any good with names. I usually have a hard time remembering people's names unless they're someone I see on a daily basis. And even then, I still tend to call people by the wrong name. Or I just flat out forget the person's name all together, which makes for an awkward dance of me trying to avoid asking them, "I'm sorry, but what's your name again?"

I'm not sure if this could be spectrum related or if I just have a memory lapse when it comes to people's names, but this isn't getting any better. It's gotten to the point where I'll meet or be introduced to someone at work and as soon as they say their name, amid the handshaking or questions of what I do or where I'm from, I immediately forget the person's name that was just mentioned a few seconds ago. And no matter how hard I try to remember, I just draw a blank.

I've tried doing the name association thing where you associate a person's name to something memorable like a tv personality or cartoon character, etc. But that doesn't work if I can't even recall the person's name in the first place. Does anyone else experience this?

 

[Flugt]

Forgetting people's names has been a massive source of guilt feeling for me! If I don't see it written it's not etched into my memory - if I only hear a name it evaporates. People are impressed I can remember random names, but it's only when I've seen it in print. I'm worried I give the impression of being cold and reserved when I can't remember people's names. The extra challenge comes when you've got to remember their partner's or children's names. It's taken me two years to become absolutely sure of the names of work colleague's two daughters. It's become a mental block. I also agree with another post here that it's uncomfortable to say people's names. It feels too intimate, but I force myself to.

 

[LillBeanSprout]

I remember details, such as names, when it comes to fiction, like my favourite books. That comes easily. Real life is often harder. Bit I do have a way with numbers, puzzles and such.

 

[Wander]

I can tell you the names of all 108 Stars of Destiny from both Suikoden and Suikoden II, but I don't know my piano teacher's name.

Also, I recently noticed while watching movies that I have trouble differentiating faces sometimes.
Power Rangers: I was certain that the Red Ranger was Zack Efron. It wasn't.
Life: I couldn't tell the two white guys apart.
IT: I confused Stan for Richie / Richie for Stan. Very confusing, considering Stan died so early.

 

[Katleya]

I can tell you the names of all 108 Stars of Destiny from both Suikoden and Suikoden II, but I don't know my piano teacher's name.

Also, I recently noticed while watching movies that I have trouble differentiating faces sometimes.
Power Rangers: I was certain that the Red Ranger was Zack Efron. It wasn't.
Life: I couldn't tell the two white guys apart.
IT: I confused Stan for Richie / Richie for Stan. Very confusing, considering Stan died so early.

Those 108 names... did you see them in writing first?
Your reply made me realize I do memorize fairly quickly names I see written. Say, beginning credits of a TV show: I can tell you the name of everyone in the thing, up to the director of photography. But I couldn't associate any of these names with the people on screen, unless they have a very distinguishing feature.

 

[Wander]

Those 108 names... did you see them in writing first?
Your reply made me realize I do memorize fairly quickly names I see written. Say, beginning credits of a TV show: I can tell you the name of everyone in the thing, up to the director of photography. But I couldn't associate any of these names with the people on screen, unless they have a very distinguishing feature.

Yeah I did, with portraits alongside the names. Maybe the visuals aid my memory?

But I also know all of their ages and several facts about each character... Special interest powers might be at work.