When does a child typically start turning to their name?

A child typically starts turning to their name around 6 months of age. At this stage of development, infants begin to demonstrate an increasing awareness of social cues and sounds in their environment. By 6 months, many children can recognize their name and respond by turning their head or looking in the direction of the person calling them. This marked increase in auditory awareness indicates that they are beginning to understand that their name refers specifically to them, which is an important step in social and language development.

Around 4 months, infants are still developing basic auditory skills, and their ability to respond to their name is not consistently established. By 9 months, while many children may respond to their names, it is generally not until about 6 months that this behavior becomes more apparent and consistent in typical development. By 12 months, responding to their name is expected to be a well-established behavior, as children increasingly engage with their surroundings and interact more with caregivers. However, the milestone of recognizing and responding to their name specifically occurs around the 6-month mark.