Knowing how to find a friend is the starting point to get in touch with him and rediscover a friendship. Whether you want to remember the past, or live new moments with him, you can find the friend you have lost by following a few simple tips. Find out how by continuing to read.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Gather the information
Step 1. Make sure you remember his name
If you remember his full name, especially his last name, there is a better chance you will find him. An unusual name will make it easier to find, while a very common name, like John Smith, will match many other people.
- Please note that the friend may have changed his name. If it is a woman she may have changed her surname with marriage, women do not always keep the maiden name, in some countries it is very infrequent.
- If the friend also has a second surname, it may be easier to identify it. Searching the internet for the second surname could drastically reduce the number of possible options.
Step 2. Make an effort to remember everything you can
Think about how you met, if at school, at work, during military service, you keep the context in mind, it will help you find it more quickly.
- If he was working when you met him, try to remember what his occupation was.
- Think of his friends, especially try to remember if you share the same knowledge. Sometimes you can trace a person through a mutual friend, or one of their family members.
- If you still have an old phone number you could check if it is still active or try to identify its owner through a reverse lookup. If it works, you will be on your way.
Step 3. Remember your last location
This is one of the details you should definitely remember. Refine your search based on a specific place, the more precise you can be, the better. Try to connect it with a job, a religious group, a school, or any detail you can remember.
- If you use a search engine like Google, type its name followed by the location you remember. Specify and you will have more chances to contact the right person.
- If you know the city where your old friend probably lives, you can look in the White Pages, if he is registered you will find both his phone number and his address.
Method 2 of 3: Search Online
Step 1. Use a search engine
Type his name in Google and check the results, try to be as specific as possible. Write the full name, city, occupation, school, whatever you can remember. Online search is absolutely free, you won't need to spend money to track down your friend.
- You can also use a search engine that specializes in finding people, such as Pipl, which can locate a person by names in archives, databases or documents of various kinds.
- Or in sites specialized in the search for people, such as Peekyou, capable of searching for contacts of social networks, information relating to the profession or a possible personal blog.
- It is not certain that you will be able to find what you are looking for, even using these means. Even if search engines are able to access a huge amount of data, there is no guarantee that they will provide you with the desired result.
Step 2. Search for the friend on Facebook
Facebook could also help you find him through mutual friendships, or by searching among the friends of your friends, or through school, university, his current location or city of birth. Having all this data will allow you to speed up your search by identifying the right person.
- There are Facebook groups related to the schools attended, or groups related to interests, religion, etc. Search in specific groups based on the data you remember.
- If you've found someone on Facebook who you think is your friend, send them a message asking them to confirm their identity, followed by a friend request. You could write something in the message that immediately rekindles his memories and makes him think of you right away.
Step 3. Search in other social networks
There are many other options, sometimes more specific, for groups in particular or for professionals. Try to remember as much as you can and narrow your search to just one field.
Use a search engine like Classmates.com, sites like this one, which specialize in maintaining contacts between old school friends, could help you find your friend based on the name of the school and the year of enrollment
Method 3 of 3: Carry out the research in person
Step 1. Track the friend through his family members
If you remember the name of at least one of his family members, try to track him down. If the name is unusual, the search may be less complicated.
Especially if it is a childhood friend, trying to contact the friend through his family members could be an effective option. Try to remember as many details as you can about her family, her parents' work, or their social activities
Step 2. Contact friends you have in common
You may remember someone who is still in contact with the friend you are looking for, or who maybe knows someone else who is. Also think about Facebook friends you haven't interacted with in a long time.
If the person you are looking for is a former colleague of yours, try to contact another former colleague, or think about common acquaintances in the same religious community, or among people who have attended the same school
Step 3. Search for the friend through your previous job, or through the school records
Contact the place where you worked in the past and try to talk to someone you know well, such as an old colleague, otherwise you will hardly be able to get the information you are looking for.
- Contact your school, or university, and research the school annals. Some universities often maintain contact with their alumni, you may also want to inquire if there are any future alumni meetings scheduled.
- Search in your associations, clubs, religious brotherhoods, if the person you are looking for is part of it, or was part of it in the past. Remember his full name, and if you can also the dates of a particular event, or of his participation or membership in the group.
Step 4. Search public documents
There are several ways to search for specific events, such as marriage records, death records or prison records. It is not always allowed to access certain data, so first of all inform yourself about the procedure to be followed and the rules governing access to it.
