So come on then, was anyone actually bullied or knows someone who is/was solely because of their name?

[Polkadotfanatic]

Reading the baby names threads recently there have been a lot of more 'unusual' names that have come up and besides the "He'll never be a High Court Judge" lot, there have been suggestions that a child will be purely bullied by his peers on name only...

In your experience or opinion how true is this?

I always assumed that kids are accepting of things like names and that it tends to be the adults who have the problem with an unusual name, ie - a five year old is not going to know the reason that some adults will have a raised eyebrow or a cat's bum mouth towards a 'Gaylord' - purely example only, I dont want to be slated by any mums of little Gaylord!

It would just be interesting to hear what your experiences are with this - would be helpful to include the name too, if poss.

I know someone who was a bully and who had a ridiculous name. I wondered if it was a self-defense thing for him.

In my school there were mainly pretty conservative names, really. Apart from the odd Indian/Pakistani name which were never commented on because obviously foreign names don't tend to be picked on.

I was because it sounds a bit like custard. It wasn't bad and just remember it being a not particularly nice time at that school. I moved school and never had a problem again (I did get into a fight with the ringleader on the last day though). It's not a very usual name, kids are sometimes horrible and sometimes a bit stupid.

Well I'm a secondary school teacher and have never heard of any bullying because of their name.....plenty of bullying alright but not over names! And I'm in a pretty tough school.....they really don't save each others feelings!

Yes a rather unfortunate boy named Larry, a slang word for loner

Yes, I know someone who had a really hard time because of her name. It was the name of a very unpopular public figure.

An unfortunate word can be easily built from the stressed syllable of my surname. Yes that word was used in place of my name for a while, and yes it's horrible.

All the name bullying I know was more based on surnames than first names.

I wasn't bullied, but teased and made fun of because of my name. I resolved that if I had any children I would give them names that couldn't have fun made of them.

I was constantly harassed because of my name.

It says more about the morons than it does about me.

FWIW, my name is one of the most popular in the world, pretty, classic, never been slated on here as far as I can remember.

Maria.

So thanks to all the people who thought they were being original when they start singing one of the many many options of any of the songs with that name on there. or stuff from West Side story or The sound of music at me.

Not just children, either.

Wild Poppy - interesting point, I came across this because of my surname - Green. In fact now I think about it my nickname at school (that I hated) was because of my surname. At the time I didn't winge though - I was overweight and it could have been so much worse!

Various Benedicts I know have been teased with 'bendy dick'. The one I know best though just took on those teasing in a couple of fights and won, which ended the teasing. if he had been a quieter shy type though I imagine it could have gone on throughout school. My DSis is Virginia and was called 'virgin' by some boys in her class, which upset her as she was only 8 at the time. So yes I think it can happen, but no guarantee what names or people will be picked on.

Yes, I definitely got stick because of my name, because of the similarity to a brand of sanitary product. It's definitely something I tried to think about when naming my DCs.

Yeah. I know a Hannah who got 'Hanny-fanny' and then just 'fanny'. There's no real guarantees, even with everyday names.

When I was using my step-father's surname (age 9-14) it could easily be made into a word that was a synonym of 'dirty'. Having that yelled across the school at me constantly made me insist on reverting to what was my own surname (i.e. mum's first married name). It caused huge problems at home, but I preferred that to being constantly taunted at school.

I was bullied because of my name, or rather I was bullied and my name was one of the things people picked up on and used in their delightful verbal abuse.

The kids would sing advertising jingles and make other references to a doll with an abbreviated version of my name (you know the one, same first two letters as my user name).

It doesn't sound like much, but if enough people do it it can make life in the playground pretty hellish.

Ask poor Stephen Kerr who ended up with the nn of "Wang"

TBH Kids will use anything to get a rise.

I don't know about bullying but I was recently involved in recruitment and it was interesting that the final selection of people recruited had very normal names, not always English but definitely down the John, Sarah, Mohammed line.

I'm not sure how deliberate it was and how much there is a correlation between unusual naming and people who don't present themselves professionally. I'd like to say there isn't but on the evidence of my colleagues and our recent recruitment I'd say there is a relationship. We're a firm of accountants.

I knew someone named "Praisethelord".

Yes.

Ds got into trouble with a mum in infants ( he doesn't have a mean bone in is body) for chasing her same age son about shouting " you are Bacon and I'm going to eat you up" ( his surname ).

The rugby team ds plays with all have nicknames that are semi offensive based on their actual names but I am told this is "banter" not bullying. Apparently no one takes it to heart. I'd out myself if I told... (don't ak e where acceptable banter stops and bullying starts - I guess it's if it's upsetting someone).

Yes, my brother. A Jeremy who stood out like a sore thumb with that name in a very rough school.

Bullies rarely take umbrage at the actual behaviour or characteristic of their victim.

If they have chosen a victim, they will latch onto a characteristic that they happen to have and bully them about that.

So if the bully picks on a boy, say, with long hair, if the victim gets it cut, they will often just choose something else to pick on about the victim (his name, perhaps).

I knew a kamaljit at school who got called camelshit but she was one of only two non white kids in the school so maybe just racism.

I was teased throughout primary school about my surname.

I don't know anyone bullied because of their firstname. DD has some classmates with unusual names but she thinks nothing of it, they're normal to her I guess.

My mind goes straight to "fartin Martin" who I was in primary school with. That went on for years.