At what age should children be able to understand and say their name?

When Children Should Know and Say Their Name

Most children should respond to their name by 12 months of age and be able to say their name by 18-24 months. Failure to respond to name by 12 months is highly suggestive of developmental abnormality and warrants further evaluation.

Response to Name Timeline

Normal Development

• 0-4 months: Should quiet to mother's voice and momentarily cease activity when sound is presented at conversational level 1
• 5-6 months: Begin to localize to sound in horizontal plane 1
• 7-12 months: Should correctly localize to sound in any plane and respond to name, even when spoken quietly 1
• By 12 months: 100% of typically developing infants respond to their name on the first or second call 2

Understanding vs. Speaking Name

• Understanding name: Typically develops around 6-9 months

  • Research shows infants begin understanding common words (including their name) from 6 months onward 3
  • By 9-10 months, infants should respond when their name is called 4

• Speaking name: Typically emerges between 18-24 months

  • First real words typically emerge around 12 months 4
  • By 18-24 months, children usually have enough language skills to say their own name

Red Flags for Developmental Concerns

• Failure to respond to name by 12 months: 86% of at-risk infants respond to their name by 12 months, compared to 100% of typically developing infants 2

• Persistent failure to respond to name: Children who repeatedly fail to respond to their name between 12-24 months have:

  • 70% sensitivity/specificity for identifying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 5
  • Lower receptive language skills at 36 months 5
  • Earlier diagnosis of developmental disorders 5

• Differences in response patterns:

  • ASD: Persistent differences in response to name beginning at 12 months and continuing through 24 months 6
  • ADHD concerns: Differences in response to name between 12-18 months only 6

Monitoring and Assessment

• Regular monitoring: Response to name should be regularly monitored in all infants, especially those at risk for developmental disorders 5

• Formal screening: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:

  • Continuous developmental surveillance throughout childhood 4
  • Formal developmental assessments at 9,18,30, and 48 months 4
  • Administration of validated global screening tool at 9,18, and 24-30 months 1

• When to refer:

  • If a child fails speech-language portion of global screening
  • If there is physician or caregiver concern about hearing or language development
  • If child consistently fails to respond to name by 12 months
  • Immediate referral for audiological and speech-language assessment 1

Important Considerations

• Hearing assessment: Always rule out hearing loss when a child doesn't respond to their name

  • Children with persistent middle-ear effusion lasting 3+ months should be referred for otologic evaluation 1

• Developmental context: Response to name is part of broader social communication development

  • Failure to respond to name may indicate broader developmental concerns beyond just language

• Individual variations: While most children follow typical timelines, there is normal variation in development

  • However, persistent failure to respond to name after 12 months warrants professional evaluation

Remember that early identification of developmental concerns leads to better outcomes through timely intervention. If a child isn't responding to their name by 12 months or saying their name by 24 months, professional evaluation is strongly recommended.