How to find out someone’s name when you’ve forgotten –
What we're covering..
Introduction 👋
Have you ever gone to say hi to someone before, and completely forgotten their name? 😵
It’s so frustrating!
You don’t want to seem rude by telling them you’ve forgotten their name, but you also want to find out their name!
Day-to-day we meet so many different new people, and it can be really difficult to keep track of all their names. 🤝
Today we’re going to teach you 11 different ways to find out someone’s name when you’ve forgotten it!
1. Ask for their social media handle 📱
These days, almost everyone is on social media, and usually it has their name attached to it!
Why not ask them for their social media handle?
They’ll likely see it as a compliment. ✨
If you’re in a professional work environment where it might be a bit weird to ask for someone’s Instagram or Snapchat, why not ask about professional networks instead like Linkedin?
2. Get them to add you on social media 🤳
If you don’t want to run the risk of someone saying “my social media is just my name” (which you’ve forgotten 🤦♀️), why not ask them to add you instead? 📱
3. Ask for their email address or business card 📧
If you’re in a more professional environment and you don’t think social media is a good idea, why not ask for their email address or business card so that you can keep in touch? 👔
Both of these are really likely to have their name attached to it!
4. Get them to add their phone number to your phone 🔢
Another option could be to ask the person to add themselves as a contact to your phone. 📱
You could say something like “It would be great to keep in touch – would you mind adding yourself as a contact on my phone?” – you can then hand them a blank “new contact” form, where they can type in their name! ✨
5. Ask them how to spell their name 👩🏫
If you know the person has an unfamiliar name that could easily be spelled wrong, it might be worth asking them how they spell it!
Be warned though! ⚠️
If the person has a really common name this could catch you out as a name forgetter! 😬
6. Ask someone else 🙋♀️
People forget names all the time! 🧠
If you know someone else who knows the name you’ve forgotten, why not ask them instead?
You could say things like:
- I totally missed that person’s name! Do you know what it is?
- Really sorry I completely blanked out and forgot that person’s name! Do you know what it is
They’re likely to be really understanding about it, because people forget names all the time! 🤷♀️
7. Find out if they’ve ever had a nickname 🤔
If you’re having a fun conversation, “Have you ever had a nickname?” can be a fun conversation starter! 🎉
If they tell you a nickname but it doesn’t give any clues to their real name, you could ask things to dig a bit deeper like,
- Did everyone call you that?
- What did your family call you?
- What do your friends call you?
- (Jokingly) Shall I start calling you that? What would you prefer me to call you?
This can be a fun way to learn someone’s name!
8. Introduce them to someone else 🤝
Another way to learn someone’s name could be to ask them to introduce themselves to someone else.
You could say things like,
- Oh hey you haven’t met John! – This is John! Would you like to introduce yourselves?
Hopefully, when they introduce themselves they’ll reveal their name!
9. Search online based on what you know about them 👩💻
Another way you can find out someone’s name is to search for them online, based on what you know about them. 🔍
You could use information like their:
- Job title
- Location
- Workplace
- Family members
- Friends that you know
To find out what their name is!
Often you can find photos of them online or social media profiles, which will help you to match up the name. 🔗
10. Check friends lists on social media 🔗
If you know that you have a mutual friend with the person whose name you’ve forgotten, why not check your friend’s social profiles to see if you can find the person?
You could do things like:
- check your friend’s friend/follower lists – look at the photos!
- check your friend’s photos and posts for likes or comments from the person whose name you’ve forgotten!
11. Just be honest and ask their name! 🤷♀️
Ultimately it can be a lot of work trying to find out someone’s name when you’ve forgotten it, without just asking them! 🥴
Why not save the time and just ask them their name?
You could say things like:
- I totally drew a blank, I’m really sorry but would you mind telling me your name again?
- Sorry I’m so forgetful! I’ve completely lost your name. Would you mind telling me your name again?
A lot of people will be really understanding because it’s really common to forget names. 🤷♀️
Some people might feel flattered that you’re making a point of trying to remember their name! ✨
Conclusion 👍
So that’s it!
You can help avoid explosive arguments by following these tips:
- Ask for their social media handle 📱
- Get them to add you on social media 🤳
- Ask for their email address or business card 📧
- Get them to add their phone number to your phone 🔢
- Ask them how to spell their name 👩🏫
- Ask someone else 🙋♀️
- Find out if they’ve ever had a nickname 🤔
- Introduce them to someone else 🤝
- Search online based on what you know about them 👩💻
- Check friends lists on social media 🔗
- Just be honest and ask their name! 🤷♀️
If you know any friends or family members who might benefit from learning about how to find out someone’s name when you’ve forgotten, share this post with them!
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