# How many phone numbers do you have memorized? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 2026, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616 "2026-11-07T04:15:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/22 "2026-11-07T12:52:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Ahem. It’s 8 **6** 7-5309. Oops. That was a 5:00 in the morning typo. I know the number. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/23 "2026-11-07T12:55:20Z")
I figured that was probably the case. Although the song’s meter still works with a five there. The resulting repetition of the digit five is somehow less satisfying though. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/24 "2026-11-07T13:30:31Z")
Mine My husband’s My mom’s (which has been hers since 1979) I know my daughter’s and SIL’s numbers are identical except for the last digit, but all I recall is the area code. Oh, and I remember my childhood number. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/25 "2026-11-07T13:33:47Z")
Mine, my wife’s and 911. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/26 "2026-11-07T13:36:03Z")
I remember a couple of long-dead land-line numbers from years ago and nothing at all from today, even my own. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/27 "2026-11-07T13:54:17Z")
I’m down to five: my cell, my work (landline), my wife, and my mother (the last is also a landline). And a random uncle’s landline. (This doesn’t include about six additional, possibly defunct landline ones I remember from childhood.) ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/28 "2026-11-07T14:05:47Z")
Our land line my cell my wife’s cell my parents’/my old number my inlaws’ land line the number for time and temperature when I was a kid the mom of my best friend from high school 911 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/29 "2026-11-07T14:05:49Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Plus a few sticky phone numbers from advertising jingles. You never know when you might need to call Empire Carpet. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/30 "2026-11-07T14:33:08Z")
I’m getting pretty good at remembering my wife’s number. That’s only because Walgreens asks for it if I’m picking up a prescription. Still need to look sometimes. 911 My childhood phone number. The main number at work. One childhood friends number from 50 years ago. And of course this one: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HWc3WY3fuZU/maxresdefault.jpg "The IT Crowd - Series 1 - Episode 2: New emergency number") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWc3WY3fuZU) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/31 "2026-11-07T14:44:34Z")
1. My landline and mobile. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderMagnolia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@LavenderMagnolia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderMagnolia)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/32 "2026-11-07T14:46:32Z")
Mine, my husband’s, and each of my parents’. I should memorize my brother’s and his wife’s. I still remember a childhood house phone number, a former childhood friend’s number, and a former cell number of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/33 "2026-11-07T14:51:36Z")
I think that the only current number I remember is my own. But I also remember the old numbers of three of my good friends, and my mom’s old landline, and my uncle’s old landline, and my dad’s old landline, and another friend who I wasn’t as close to except that his number was only one digit off my uncle’s so it was easy to remember… Plus, of course, the Hotel Pennsylvania, and (like all Clevelanders of a certain age) an old aluminum siding company. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/34 "2026-11-07T14:58:07Z")
My landline and cellphone numbers. A local friend who I talk to once a week or so. And, for some reason, the phone number of the house where I grew up in Chicago. I know my sister changed the number after she ended up with the house, so I have no idea why the number sticks in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/35 "2026-11-07T15:23:53Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > so I have no idea why the number sticks in my mind. Nearly everyone remembers arbitrary things they learned as a kid. Your mind was much less cluttered then and knowing your own phone number and how to use it was a major rite of passage for an e.g. 6yo. That was (probably) also a big part of the process of you learning _how_ to learn & retain string of arbitrary digits. e.g., and slightly off-topic, but I recall the license plates of the first two cars my parents had once I was old enough to remember anything. I also remember the two personalized plates I’ve had; one now and one ~15 through 20 years ago. The other 20+ random plates in the middle, mine or my wifes’? I have zero clue. Including my most immediately recent non-personal one from a mere 2 years ago. Bottom line: kids remember some shit for life. So be careful what you teach the little blighters. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/36 "2026-11-07T16:12:34Z")
I know: my cell work My Mom’s cell, which used to be our house land line the pizza place that was nearest to my old shop > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I recall the license plates of the first two cars my parents had once I was old enough to remember anything I’ve got those stuck in my head also. I feel safe sharing them at this point, it was 50 years ago. 360 AFC and 470 AFK. That they were so similar struck me even then. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/37 "2026-11-07T16:51:30Z")
I remember a lot of numbers from years gone by, but very few current numbers. Aside from the obvious ones (my and my wife’s mobile numbers and our “landline” number), the only number I have memorized is the one for our auto mechanic. And the only reason I remember that one is that their number has the same last four digits as our home number. I do remember my older brother’s home number because in the last four digits, the first two multiplied equal the last two digits. (Think 5-5-25.) I still have trouble remembering the exchange, though. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/38 "2026-11-07T16:56:50Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > You never know when you might need to call Empire Carpet. Having lived in the Chicago area for close to forty years, dating back to when Empire Carpet was just a local company here…yes, that’s one of them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/39 "2026-11-07T16:59:23Z")
I still remember my childhood landline number - my parents only gave it up in the last 5 years. I also remember two other numbers from my childhood - one was my best friend’s number and the other one was the number of a family I babysat for quite often. Current phone numbers I remember include my own mobile number, my husband’s phone number, 911 (U.S. emergency), 144 (Swiss ambulance), 112 (Europe-wide emergency) and the number for IT support at work. Because if I can’t log into my computer, I have to call them with my own phone. I also remember the license plate of the first car I drove. My parents gave me their credit card to buy gas, and the gas station attendant always wanted the license plate number for the receipt. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/40 "2026-11-07T17:20:28Z")
Oh, 1-877-KARS 4 KIDS sorry ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616/41 "2026-11-07T17:47:46Z")
> [@JoseB](#): > > I remember them as finger motions, as if my finger was pressing the buttons in an invisible keyboard. I did that for some numbers, and would have to press imaginary buttons to tell someone the number. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-phone-numbers-do-you-have-memorized/1034616.md?page=3)