Finding someone on Facebook without knowing their name might sound impossible, but it’s not. There are many ways to track down a person, even if you don’t remember or never knew their full name. You may only remember a few details, like where they work, the school they attended, mutual friends, their email address, or just their username. In this guide, we’ll show you all the smart and easy ways you can use to find someone on Facebook—even without knowing their name.
Whether you’re trying to reconnect with an old friend, locate a family member, or verify someone’s identity, this guide will help you. Also, we’ll explain how WhatisMyName can help you search for usernames across different platforms.
Let’s begin!
Why Would You Want to Find Someone Without Their Name?
There are several reasons why someone might want to find another person without knowing their name:
You met someone briefly but didn’t exchange full names
You only know their username or email address
You remember where they work or study
You have mutual friends, but can’t find them directly
You saw them in a Facebook group or comment
You’re trying to verify the identity of a person for safety reasons
Luckily, Facebook provides several tools to help locate people based on partial information.
Use Mutual Friends to Track Them Down
One of the easiest methods is checking through mutual friends.
Steps:
Go to your friend’s profile.
Click on the “Friends” tab.
Scroll through their friend list.
Use the search bar to type possible clues like location or workplace.
Look at profile pictures for visual confirmation.
This method works best if you remember who introduced you or if the person is likely to be connected to your current contacts.
Search Facebook by Workplace or School
If you know where the person works or the school they attend(ed), you can use Facebook’s internal search.
How:
Go to the Facebook search bar.
Type in the company name or school name.
Click on the “People” tab.
Filter your results by selecting location, mutual friends, etc.
Review profiles that match your memory.
Sometimes, people list their job or education in their bio or cover photo, making them easier to identify.
Use Facebook Groups or Events
Did you see the person post something in a group or attend the same event as you? If yes, try this:
How to Search:
Go to the Facebook group or event page.
Click on the list of members or attendees.
Scroll through or use the search bar.
Use profile pictures and mutual details to spot them.
This is useful if the person is active in local communities, university groups, or niche interest pages.
Try a Phone Number or Email Search
If you have the person’s phone number or email address, use it directly in Facebook’s search bar.
Steps:
Type the phone number or email in the Facebook search.
Press Enter.
If their account is linked to it, Facebook will show their profile.
Note: This only works if the person has not hidden their account from such searches in privacy settings.
Use Username Search with WhatisMyName
If you know the person’s username, even from another platform like Instagram or Twitter, you can use WhatisMyName to see where that username is used, including Facebook.
What is WhatisMyName?
WhatIsMyName is a free online tool that lets you search for a username across multiple platforms to see where that username is used.
How to Use It:
Go to WhatisMyName.
Enter the username you know (even part of it).
Let the tool search across all platforms.
If it finds a match on Facebook, click the link to visit the profile.
This is a great tool when you only know a person by a social media handle or gaming username.
Use Image Search via Facebook or Third-Party Tools
If you have a photo of the person, you may be able to use Facebook’s image recognition (if the photo is already uploaded somewhere on Facebook) or tools like Google Reverse Image Search.
How to Do It with Google:
Go to images.google.com.
Click the camera icon to upload the image.
Upload the person’s photo.
Look at search results to find if the image appears on Facebook or other social platforms.
Once you locate the image on another profile, follow the links to their Facebook.
Look Through Comment Sections
If you remember a post, page, or video where you saw the person comment, you might be able to find them again.
Try This:
Go to the Facebook post/page/video.
Scroll through the comment section.
Look for the comment you remember or similar names.
Click on the person’s profile.
Sometimes, people use nicknames or profile pictures that can help you recognize them even without knowing their full name.
Use Facebook’s “People You May Know” Feature
Facebook’s algorithm is smart and often shows you people who might be relevant based on your friends, location, and interactions.
To Use:
Go to your Facebook homepage.
Scroll down to “People You May Know”.
Browse through the suggested list.
Keep an eye out for familiar faces.
This method works well if you were near the person or interacted online briefly.
Filter by Location
If you know the person lives in a certain city or country, you can filter your search on Facebook accordingly.
How:
Type a possible name or clue in the search bar.
Click People.
On the left panel, set a filter for City or Current Location.
Review the narrowed-down list.
Combining location with mutual friends or groups often yields the best results.
Search Through Shared Photos or Tags
Sometimes people appear in tagged photos or are tagged by mutual friends.
Do This:
Go to your mutual friend’s photos.
Check the “Photos of [Friend]” section.
Browse images and click on any person you want to know more about.
Visit their profile (if accessible).
If you can’t view their profile directly, at least you may get a name or username to search elsewhere.
Try Searching Through Facebook Marketplace or Public Posts
Some users post on Facebook Marketplace or share public posts on community pages.
How to Use This:
Type a keyword like their location, item type, or any detail you remember.
Use the filters for Posts, People, or Marketplace.
Review results for possible leads.
Even if you don’t find the exact person, you might find related accounts or posts they interacted with.
Use Google+ Facebook Combined Search
You can use Google’s advanced search tools to find Facebook profiles.
Format:
Example:
This helps if you remember any detail, like the workplace, school, or city. Combine this with other info to narrow results.
Final Tips to Keep in Mind
Be respectful: Don’t stalk or invade someone’s privacy.
Privacy settings can block your access to search results.
Check spelling when typing usernames or locations.
Try alternate platforms if Facebook doesn’t help.
Always verify the identity before sending friend requests.
Why WhatisMyName is a Game-Changer
If you only know the username of the person, WhatisMyName saves time. It allows you to check if the username exists on Facebook and 500+ other platforms.
It’s easy, free, and very effective—especially when people use the same handle across sites. If you’re stuck with just a gamer tag or social ID, WhatisMyName gives you a better chance of finding the person without needing to know their name.
Conclusion
Finding someone on Facebook without knowing their name might seem hard, but it’s not impossible. You can use clues like mutual friends, workplaces, locations, groups, or even usernames.
WhatisMyName makes this process even easier by letting you search usernames across the web. Whether you’re reconnecting with a lost contact or verifying someone’s identity, these methods are safe, smart, and practical.
So next time you want to find someone, don’t worry if you forgot their name. Just follow the steps above and let Facebook (and WhatisMyName) do the work for you.