What's in a name? Everything!

I don't know about you, but I have a problem with committing some things to my long term memory.  I have always had a very good short term memory and as a child I would, from quite an early age, always win family games of PELMANISM http://www.vazcarreiro.net/Pelmanism24.html# .  At school when I was studying for my Greek O Level, my Greek master would always give us a 20 word vocab test at the start of lesson 2 on a Monday morning.  The only reason that I remember that it was on a Monday morning is that one week I had done no revision so I skipped Lesson 1 (History) in order to cram for the vocab test which required learning about 50 words and their meanings.  I scored the required pass mark of 18 ex 20 but received a beating for missing History!
I was always successful and never failed a vocab test and would usually walk through the classroom door with the wordlist in my hand and in my head.  Had the Greek master tested me again at breaktime, after lunch and that evening, I suspect that my scores would have declined to single figures over the intervening hours!
So, as I have roamed around the younger classrooms these past few weeks, I have always left the room after about twenty minutes knowing all the children's names.  No matter how hard I try, though, there are always one or two names which never stick.  I do not use any tricks, systems or techniques to learn the names; some feel automatic, others easy, some less easy and a few just will not stick.  It has no link to gender, hair colour or name, just a stubborn few random faces and names which do not load properly!
When I can, I pop in to the classes to refresh my memory, just for a minute.  I urged the children to test me whenever they see me around the school.  In the playground I am accosted by hordes of children demanding their names.  You would have thought that they would be pleased if I can remember their name correctly, but sometimes you would be wrong.  Some children would rather I get their name wrong and thereby gain the promised Credit or Star for the Headmaster's mistake, rather than I get their name right with no reward for them!
Whatever the psychology, there can be no denying that there is excitement in the Lower and Middle School as I set about my mission to learn all 380 names in the school.  Even some children whose names I have known since their first day in Reception five years ago, bounce up to me to see if I can still remember.  Their joy, excitement and happiness are tangible.

So, what's in a name?  EVERYTHING!