Forgetting names is common, but there are ways to fix it, such as repeating the name and creating a connection. A German printer had the longest name ever with 26 first names and a 666-letter surname, while in Iceland, parents choose from a limited list of names. Using an average initial can make people appear more favorable.
You are introduced to someone at a party and then you meet them minutes later… but you have no idea what their name is. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry — you have several legitimate excuses. For example, you may have focused on what you would say when asked to introduce yourself. Or maybe it’s the fact that short-term memory is just that: short. And there’s always the chance that you don’t really care about your new acquaintance. Charan Ranganath, director of the Memory and Plasticity Program at the University of California, Davis, says there are many reasons why we tend to forget names. There are also some ways to fix it. Repeating a person’s name right after being introduced can help, as can creating a connection between the name and something about the person. For example, instead of trying to remember someone named John – a very common and easily forgotten name when combined with all the other Johns you know – remember him as “John the jogger”.
What’s in a name?
A German-born printer holds the record for the longest name ever used, with a combination of 26 first names and a surname consisting of 666 letters. His shortened name was Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff, Sr. – still a mouthful.
In Iceland, new parents have to choose the names of their babies from 1,712 boys and 1,853 girls.
According to a study published in The European Journal of Social Psychology, people who use the average initial are held in higher consideration than others.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
