In other chapters of this book we have related a number of examples of persons possessing a wonderful memory for names. In addition to these, hundreds of well known cases could be cited. Nearly every successful politician has been forced by necessity to develop this faculty. James G. Blaine and Henry Clay owed much of their popularity to their ability to recall the names of chance acquaintances, and to call them by their names after having met them but once. Of Thomas Wharton, Macaulay says: “It was impossible to contend against this great man who called the shoemaker by his Christian name.” Napoleon’s wonderful memory of names and faces endeared him to his soldiers. Aristotle had a remarkably clear memory for names, and Pericles is said to have known the names of all of the citizens of Athens.
The man who readily recalls names has a powerful weapon at his command in gaining the good will of people, and it will be worth the while of anyone to develop this faculty. Memory for names may be developed just as one would develop any other faculty of the mind, or part of the body, i. e., by Attention and Practice. Many persons content themselves with bewailing the fact that they have a poor memory for any special thing, and make no effort to improve it. When Man realizes that he can practically make himself over by gradual improvement, and practice, he will have opened the door to great things.
The first requisite for the development of the memory for names, is, of course, the recording of clear and distinct impressions. It is often found that it is a help to repeat aloud the name of a person to whom we have just been introduced, thereby appealing to the ear memory by a repeated impression of the sound as well as the abstract general impression of the name. The trouble with many people is that they do not think of the names of people they meet. They do not let the name impress itself upon the mind, the entire attention being given either to the appearance or to the general personality of the stranger, his business, motives, etc. Carelessness in this respect will invariably result in the failure to recall the name a little later on. And that is not the worst of it—by allowing ourselves to get into a careless habit regarding the names of others, we are practically losing what little namememory we have, as nothing will so quickly resent a careless attention as the memory, which seems to act upon the principle that if its owner does not take the trouble to interest himself in a thing, it will not take the trouble to store it away with any degree of care.
If you have found it hard to revive the impressions of names, you may feel assured that it is because you have paid but little attention to people’s names. Begin at once to take an interest in names. Analyze names; think about them; notice their peculiarities; their resemblances; their points of difference, etc. There are books published giving the origin of surnames, which are read by some people with considerable interest. We venture the assertion that no man who has ever read such a book with interest, will ever have any trouble in remembering names. He will remember them because they will mean something to him. He will remember them as he remembers the names of the goods he sells, or the names of anything else possessing an interest for him. Every name has its origin and meaning, and it is quite interesting to trace back a name, through all its variations to its origin. We remember a family in Pennsylvania, whose ancestors came over from Germany bearing the name of Buchley. (pronounced Beekley). The grandchildren scattered and gradually adopted the spelling of their English neighbors, various changes being undergone by different branches of the family. At the present time the family reunions are composed of Beachleys, Beachlys, Beechlys, Beechleys, Beckleys, Bickleys, Bockleys, Backleys, Buckleys, Beechys, Beachys, Beachleys, Beachlys, Beechlys, Beekleys, Beckleys, Bickles, Buckles, Peachys, Peaches and Pecks. Given a few more generations and the resemblance will have been entirely lost, the dropping of a letter here, and the change of spelling there, destroying all connection. Now, we had much trouble in remembering the original name when we first heard it, but after hearing from an old member of that family a history of his family, we never had the slightest trouble in remembering the name of anyone bearing the original name or any of its variations. We also had much trouble in remembering the long German name of a merchant with whom we once had business relations, until we discovered that the name was the German equivalent for “rabbitskin,” when the trouble was over and the man’s name was remembered as easily as Smith.
We merely mention above instances in order to give you an idea of the change wrought by an acquired interest in a particular name. If you will remember something suggestive about a name, you will be very apt to have no trouble in recalling the name itself. A man named Miller may be remembered by thinking of the miller at work. Baker, Painter, Carpenter, etc., may be remembered in the same way. Names derived from those of animals may also be remembered by association, Lyon, Fox, Lamb, etc., being instances. Names derived from the names of trees are also in the rule, Mr. Cherry being associated with the fruit. Black, Brown, Green, Blue, White and Gray have an easy means of association. Bacon, Clay, Gun, Cannon, Hall, Kane, etc., are easily handled. We knew a woman who could not remember the name of a man called Hawlk, until she fixed in her mind the fondness of that man (a preacher, by the way,) for chicken, when the association of Hawk and Chicken occurred to her, and she had no trouble thereafter. A ridiculous association is sometimes the better, particularly if one has a sense of humor.
But all of the above plans are, at the best, makeshifts. The better way is to begin to pay attention to the names of people whom you meet, and thus train the mind to take an interest in the same, and to store away clear impressions. Force your attention upon the name, and by an act of Will impress it upon your memory. Take an interest in the name—think of it and give it your attention. Then endeavor to fasten it to your impression of the person’s appearance. We once knew a man who would associate names with noses, his mind seeming to be open to such associations, the result being that when he saw a man’s nose he would remember his name; and when he would think of a man’s name he would form an involuntary mental image of his nose. After leaving the person, endeavor to recall his appearance always in connection with his name. Form the strongest possible connection between the appearance and the name, so that they will be fused. Bring up a mental picture of Dr. Street, whom you have just met, and repeat the name several times, “Street, Street, Street,” fairly forcing the name in upon the image, by an effort of the will. You will find that this practice will soon result in your taking an unusual interest in persons’ names, and the consequent attention will give clear impressions. The clear impressions once obtained, the remembrance or recollection easily follows.
We have found it easy to remember the names of writers by forming a mental image of the book or poem, and attaching to it the name of the writer. This plan may be assisted by always associating the name of the writer with the title of the book or poem, in speaking of the latter, thus: “Hawthorne’s ‘Scarlet Letter’;” “Poe’s ‘Raven’;” or “Tennyson’s ‘In Memorium.’” This association will render it difficult to ever speak or think of the work unless the name of the writer also comes before the mind.
Many find it advisable to also get the benefit of the eyeimpression, and therefore, when possible, write down the name and regard it for a moment then throwing away the memorandum. In this way they are enabled to see the name in their “mind’s eye,” as well as remembering the sound and other impressions. It is well to get the impressions of as many faculties as possible. Louis Napoleon is said to have acquired his great memory of names by this plan of writing them down. His famous uncle did not need this aid as he always connected the sound of the name with the appearance of the man. But the nephew found it impossible to duplicate this and was compelled to resort to the plan above mentioned, and by constant practice he soon acquired the reputation of having inherited his uncle’s gift.
Sometimes a name, which has a tendency to escape one, may be recalled by association with a similar name, or something having some real or fancied connection. We remember once having met a Philadelphia lawyer named Townsend, whose name for some reason always escaped our memory, although we knew other people of the same name. For some reason we could never think of him as “Mr. Townsend.” At last, however, we happened to think of the well known