Has anyone ever actually been bullied for having a chavvy name?

Not the schools I know.

You know what though, I bet that girl thought twice about doing it in future 🤷🏼‍♀️

Really? You've never heard of it?

@ClaudiaWinklemansFakeTan , it's not about the name being Irish, it's about them becoming very popular usually because of a celebrity or fictional character.
Many of them are Irish names but not all of them.

Aidan, Liam, Kevin, Barry, and probably Cillian are examples.
I'd add Cian/Kian, Ryan, Conor/Connor.
Names I'd consider normal on someone from Ireland but I'd probably be able guess their age otherwise.

Unpleasant behaviour is no excuse for headbutting someone.

In freshers week at uni, on the model UN pub crawl. I went to a pretty posh uni, lots of private school kids ect. decent amount form eton and harrow and all that. Some posh bitch made fun of my name and was making fun of my accent so in a black out drunk rage I headbutted her, proving her point I guess. It was more class related teasing than outright bullying, but it wasn’t very nice.

Not great, definitely made me look like a fucking mug, but I never got in trouble so I don’t really regret it. I did not return to model UN though. She is actually on TV a lot now so you may see her if you’re a big TV watcher. Whenever she’s on my mate from uni who witnessed the event will text me a picture captioned “there’s your best mate” and my husband always comments when she’s on.

We are all judged all the time by people. If you name your child something outlandish, people will have preconceived notions about them - but that’s going to happen whatever you pick. My only concern with naming our kids is discrimination from future employers. My Mum and Dad wanted to name me and my siblings more traditional names from my Dad’s culture, but my Dad and siblings faced first hand discrimination in the job market hence why my Dad normally went by his English name that he picked out of nowhere and not his real name. It might not be so much of a problem now, but it’s still something I considered.

Tell us the name and then we can judge...

People will always have preconceptions about names. It used to be that foreign names were regarded with suspicion, now that our society is more mixed, that has tempered that aspect somewhat.

It can be hard to tell if someone might have been affected by it. Like in the story from the PP, people were judging the colleague behind her back, not to her face. I remember a colleague having to randomly pick a physiotherapist off a list of names. She eliminated one based on the fact she thought her name was chavvy (yes, colleague was a dick). Maybe that therapist had fewer clients than her colleagues and never knew why.

I wouldn't eliminate a name based on a few random comments on the internet, but I might reconsider a name that is widely assumed to be of a demographic you are not part of (be that chavvy or posh, it cuts both ways).

Some names are names and totally neutral. Many have some sort of class connotation. At least they do in England

I’d worry more about the biased negative perceptions people would have than bullying. Names often carry certain connotations. Some names are so neutral it’s impossible to tell who the person walking through the door is.

I said this to DH the other day but James, for example, could be anyone from 0-110 years old and black or white- there’s just no way of telling. Names like Chantelle carry the connotation of probably a chav and probably not very intelligent. It isn’t fair, I’m sure many Chantelle’s are the opposite.

What's the name?

I doubt there would be much bullying but I can imagine plenty of discrimination.

I’ve never heard of this. Names are names.

I have a friend with a name like this who has been very successful, so she has managed, but she is absolutely sick of people telling her that she wasn't what they expected. So you might have less actual bullying and more just people having lower/different expectations of her.

However, it's also a chance to change opinions by choosing a name that doesn't fit, so people realise they have it wrong.

I taught a really nice lad named Justice a few years ago, so this one made me giggle. There are some children who have been so naughty they've put me off certain names, but that doesn't map onto poshness in my experience. There are some very classic English names that make me twitch now.

I think to some extent that has to do with some Irish names becoming fashionable. They might not have known these names before. Names that were always perfectly normal in Ireland, like Aidan, Liam, Kevin, Barry, and probably Cillian are examples.

I don't know as I am only speculating, but I think people are more open about making fun of posh names because they feel they are punching up as it were. Preconceptions about "chavvy" names are probably less discussed openly but people definitely have them.

I would really avoid naming my baby something I believed myself to be chavvy. I don't understand why anyone would.

I did name one of mine a strong, Irish name though and have zero regrets. He has never had it mentioned to him and there is another one in his (English, RC) school

Would you let stumbling upon a handful of two decade old web pages where a name you love is described as “chavvy” put you off? | Mumsnet

It seems to be a name that was considered 'chavvy' 20 years ago.

It's probably more unusual now so only people who are over about 35 will think it 'chavvy'. Not all people think of names as 'chavvy'.

I'm guessing that the name is something like Jayden or Jade, in which case if you love it use it.

I have teacher friends who say they try really hard not to pre-judge parents based on their child’s name. (They would never judge the child!)

However, they are right about the parents so often that it gets harder every year!

I think a good test is to say out loud the name you are going for with a few titles and see if it works or sounds ridiculous. Try it with:

The right honourable…
Justice…
Professor…
Reverend…
Dame…
Sir…

If you cringe at any point - don’t use it!

My DH wasn’t bullied for having a chavvy name ( tbh it wasn’t that unusual in a working class area). However, there is a mismatch between his name and his profession that occasionally causes some posh colleagues ( particularly English ones, Scottish and American people he works with don’t seem to notice!) to make weird assumptions about him.
Never meet babies with his name and to add insult to injury his Dad chose a dodgy spelling which he had to explain all the time!

Why?
People are often judged on their name. Subconscious judgment often too.

Teachers will have preconceptions about particular names. It has been previous proven that selection for job interviews can be name dependent.

So the OP is sensible to ask.