How do I find out her name?

[sillysituation]

In the grand scheme of life this isn't a major problem. But it's a little embarrassing.

We moved house in April last year so have been here a little over a year. The next door neighbour introduced herself in the first few weeks and was so lovely and friendly. She obviously would have told me her name at that point. Anyway, I've forgotten it 🙈

It's more and more awkward with each conversation. We see each other a lot and chat over the garden fence. I had a baby earlier this year and she was so interested in my pregnancy asking for updates on baby's arrival etc, and coos over baby every time I'm outside with her. Basically, I feel as though I have developed quite a lovely friendship with my neighbour over the past year or so. But I have no clue what her name is 😂

And now it feels like it's gone too far for me to ask, if that makes sense? If someone you'd been chatting to for the best part of a year suddenly said "sorry, what's your name again?" you'd be pretty offended right?

My question is ... how the hell do I find out her name without offending her?!

You could be my neighbour. She's been here for about 3 years and I think she's forgotten my name. I went into the garden this morning and said hi to her and her 3 children ( all by name. I'm good with names, not faces), and she just said hi back. She's very chatty etc, lovely but when I sat down I thought to myself I think she's forgotten my name. If she asked me now, I honestly would not be offended. I'd just ask your neighbour. Although the postman is a great suggestion.

I was in the gym not long ago. A small group of us were chatting and one lady said, quite aggressively, that she kept seeing me around town and she's been shouting my name and I've ignored her. She continued, " Yeah, I'm shouting Oi Lorna!"
I said that maybe I 'ignored' her because my name's not bloody Lorna.

Start a petition.

Ask her to sponsor you.

Get a card for someone else on the street and ask her to sign it.

I think asking the postman or getting her to put her details in your phone are best. I'm bloody awful with names too so sypathise.

I would ask what did her parents call her when she was a small child. Hope she wouldn't say "sunshine" 😅

Ask her what her name is in a random conversation, when she goes ‘it’s Sheila?!’ And looks at you funny, you go ‘no sorry, what’s your surname?’ Make up some story about finding her on Facebook or knowing some ‘Thompson’s’ in the neighbouring town.

Get a friend round, get chatting to neighbour, get friend to introduce herself, then neighbour will introduce herself

Send her a 50th card with indistinguishable writing, then she will come on here and asks us what it says.

Hopefully at some point she will say 'my name is Pam' 😆

Not, you could say shall we sea numbers just in case an emergency crops up at any time

@Roseily

Go to your local library and ask for the electoral register for your area and then look up your street - she will be listed

1) If they are on the open register - many aren't 2) If they are eligible to vote - many aren't.

Ridiculous- I'm so invested in this thread and need to know her name!

Tell her next time you're talking to her that you're having a total brain fart and can't remember her name. Blame lack of sleep thanks to the baby.

I love Ebonyivory's suggestion - just ask her name and when she tells you laugh and say that that you went to look her up on fb and realised you didn't know her surname after all this time.

Bit late to this but if they own the house, hopefully she's on the title. Order a copy of their house deeds from the Land Registry. Can't remember hpw much it costs but it's not a lot.

Conjour up a story about how people mispronounce your name, or call you something short of your name, try and get her to agree with you and her name might just slip out

Ask her how she spells her name? There are so many unusual spellings of names these days that you don't want to be getting it wrong in your address book, do you?

I’m with a previous poster. Ask the postman. Ours seems to know everyone and we’re on first name terms.

We moved here in March 2020 we see our neighbour and chat all the time. Last week I said hello Anna she said hello I don’t know your name!! So I told her my name no offence well she’s in the 80s.

Invite another friend round and make her ask lol

@Mumvschildren

We had this years ago We knew a bloke called Stan Years later my grandad said 'you know stan?his names Matthew!' 9 bloody years we'd called him stan! Lovely bloke...

Hahahaha! My mum had something similar with my brother and a shop woman she saw every week to pay a bill back in the 80's.

This isn't really our surname but you get the idea.

"Ah hello, nice to see you again! How is Richard, Mrs Richardson?"

I had a colleague Sarah, who I worked with for nearly 10 years.

Her work email address was [email protected]

She sadly died of a very short illness quite suddenly.

We all went to her funeral,

where we discovered she was actually 'Sara'

Boss did a whole eulogy trying to correct himself from Sarah to Sara

It was really awkward as all her work colleagues interacted with family and friends all calling her a different name.

10 years we worked with her and she never corrected us

I had this with a neighbour. When I finally found out, via another neighbour, was such a relief! Why are we so awkward in this country in these situations?!

This is such a British problem! I have an elderly neighbour who always calls me Ann (not my name). The first time I thought it was just a slip but she did it again and I should have corrected her. Now it would be just embarrassing to admit that I haven't said anything for years....

Give her your phone number, get her to text you so you have hers. Her name should pop up when she WhatsApps you from an unsaved number.

Or you could just ask. I’m bloody awful with names for the first few days and when then when I’ve got it I’ll remember it for the rest of my days.

Don’t rely on the Christmas card, she might not have very clear handwriting. I thought my neighbour’s kid’s name was Eric. It was Evie 😂 (others were unisex names - I had no idea which kid was which!)

Following with interest ..... ..... have an identical issue with a near neighbour.