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ABSTRACT Many normal older adults have difficulties in remembering names. In this study, a memory training program for remembering names was developed. The goal of the training was to improve memory for names by increasing the meaningfulness of names. The effect of the strategy training was evaluated in comparison with an educational training condition, aimed at reducing worries about forgetfulness and a retest control group. Subjects were between 43 and 87 years of age (m = 70). The effect of training was evaluated with tasks for remembering names, called target tests, and with verbal memory tests, called control tests. Performance in the educational training group did not improve more than in the retest control group. The names training group showed a specific effect of training compared to the combined control group on the target memory tests. This effect was still present three months after training. The effects of training did not generalize to other aspects of memory. Although in the trained group performance on the control memory tests had improved slightly after training, it had returned to base-line level at follow-up. Improvement in test performance after training was not predicted by base-line memory performance nor age.