We’ve all been there; you’ve been in an amazing long-term relationship for years, but one morning you roll over and look at the man next to you and think, “Shit, did I ever bother to learn his name?” It’s an embarrassing situation, but don’t worry, you’re not alone. Use these tips to tell your committed partner that there’s a reason you only call him pet names like “sweetie” and “honey” and have literally don’t know his first or last name.
Be Casual
Don’t formally sit your boyfriend down to tell him this; you don’t want to alarm him. After all, you got yourself into this mess because you were trying so hard to keep things chill at the beginning that his name just never came up! Keep it casual by saying something like, “What do you want for dinner tonight and also by the way what is your name?” You don’t want to make a big deal out of it because it’s totally not a big deal that you couldn’t even guess the name of the person you have been sleeping with and taking to family parties and doing literally everything with for five years.
Playfully Ask if He Knows Your Name
If you don’t know his name, there’s a chance he doesn’t even know yours, so you may as well ask! If he doesn’t, what a funny coincidence! You can laugh together about you’ve been addressing one another as “um” for years. If he does know your name, this is still a great opportunity to be like “Oh hahaha, but seriously what’s yours?”
Talk about Why You Love Him
Just because you don’t know his name, doesn’t mean you don’t know about all of his great qualities. Lead by telling him all of the things you like about him. “You make me laugh, but um, could you tell me your name again?” sounds so much better than “Hey you I don’t know your name.” If you couch this with enough compliments, maybe he won’t even notice!
Have Some Gifts Prepared, Just in Case
He may get a little upset when he learns the love of his life knows the names of all of the kids from Stranger Things, but not his. So it wouldn’t hurt to have some presents at the ready. A watch, a nice shirt, or even a really fun date plan are great options to buy back his love. Nothing says “I’m sorry…Brian?” like a Ralph Lauren polo! And maybe once you find out his name you can have the gift engraved, so that you don’t forget. Genius!
At the end of the day, this is nothing to stress about. Telling your boyfriend that you don’t know his name will take such a weight off of your shoulders, and you’ll be glad you did it. With these tips, the conversation should be easy! You got this girl!
