My face recognition seems to have gotten stronger. I ran into a kid I watched grow up to age 16, he was a skinny long haired blond. I ran into him the other day, bald head 260# about and tattoos all over him. I recognized him instantly and he is 50 now.
I also think short-term vs. long-term memory is at play. I sometimes have to think about some of my own cousins’ names, yet I can remember many of the names of my gradeschool classmates, whom I haven’t seen in 60 years.