“A rose is a rose/is a rose” especially if your name is Rose. That’s not so hard for people to remember. However meeting someone named DaVita might be more difficult. You could always associate it with Evita, but first you have to conjure up Argentina, and then hopefully remember, “It’s dat DaVita.”

I once met a man whose name was Theodore. “Wow!” I thought. “That’s easy. I’ll just recall Teddy Roosevelt.” So, the next time I saw him, I said, “Hi, Frank!” He excused himself after I said, “You’re the wrong President.” I have a visual memory, so when I meet someone, and write the name down, I can usually recall it by visualizing the piece of paper whereupon the name is written. However, when I am introduced to someone in a crowd, that name usually flies into one ear and out the other.

Hiking in Sabino Canyon, I often pass some of the same hikers everyday, and we usually exchange greetings. One nice couple always gives me a cheery hello. After doing this for a few years, I finally introduced myself. It was my lucky day. His name is Jack and her name is Jean. I just have to be careful not to call them Uncle Jack and Aunt Jean since I had one of each of those.

It’s most embarrassing when you see someone you know well and can’t remember her name. Sometimes you can get away with, “I’m having a senior moment” and everyone laughs, but when that person is your sister-in-law, forgetting her name can go over like a lead balloon.

I know a famous Atlanta based author who never remembers anyone’s name. It’s a tip-off when he greets someone with, “Hello, Darlin’!” The only time he lucked out was at a book signing when a woman’s name was Darlene. She was extremely flattered, because she’d never even met him.

The Eskimos have 52 names for snow. At least a person should remember one of them. “Snow” works for me. A good way to ensure that people will remember your name is to make a discovery or have a disease named after you. Who could ever forget that cut up, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin?

Mitch Hedberg said, “I wish my name was Brian because maybe sometimes people would misspell my name and call me Brain. That’s like a free compliment and you don’t even gotta be smart to notice it.”

Remembering someone’s name makes him feel important and special, so don’t say, “I haven’t forgotten your name, I’ve repressed it. That might not go over so well.

Most people are lousy listeners and that is part of the problem with names. I’ve already mentioned mnemonic device as a memory method.  Here are a few others suggested by experts:

When meeting someone, ask him to spell his name. Of course if his name is Joe, he will think you are stupid and it won’t matter if you remember it or not.

Keep repeating the name. “Hi, Jill.” “Nice to meet you Jill.” “So what’s new Jill?”
“Why are you leaving, Jill?”

Visualize her name on her forehead. If you meet someone named Cat, you can always visualize a litter box.

Associate the name with an outstanding facial feature, but be sure to pick a good one, because “Hi, Wart” might not go over so well.

Esther Blumenfeld (“Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell---the name will carry.”) Bill Cosby