Do children in inner city schools still get bullied for their names?

[BadCatDirtyCat]

Just wondering if any parents/teachers have experience of this?

I went to a tiny primary school in rural Wales where most people were related and anything remotely "different" was seized upon by the bullies.. this is one of the reasons why I'm inclined to give DC a "classic" name. Having said that, my DC will be attending a large, very multicultural school in London so maybe I'm worrying too much and letting my own experience have too much influence?

I'd be grateful for any thoughts!

Yes. In a word. Saw it happen so many times.

Bullies always find something but why give them ammunition?

Kids are pretty accepting of others' names. My kids have unusual names, as do many of their peers (including lots from different countries and cultures) and everyone seems very happy with their names.
So no, having an unusual' or 'posh' or 'foreign' or whatever' name won't lead to teasing in my experience.

Yes, some names do have unfortunate nicknames eg Willy/William but that's different to having an 'unusual' name.

City here, in a fairly un-diverse area. When my DS wanted to try school (after years of home education) I really worried that his "forrin" name would make him a target. It hasn't, not at all, nor does it seem to for any of the other few minority ethnic kids.

It’s good that the school send you all the class lists so you can keep track of all 630 children over so many years.

This reads like sarcasm, but is exactly what happens. Teachers have access to all names and information of every student in the school. Don’t forget a high school teacher will be teaching around 270 students a week themselves. Far more if not a core subject. It is important for staff to have the information, as incidents happen on corridors and in the yard, but also medical needs of students need to be known by everyone.

I think this is more of an adult fear than an actual thing which kids experience.

My mum said I ahouldnt call my daughter Lucy because the kids would call her Lucy Lastic (loose elastic). I just dont think such a nickname would ever occur to a child! She also didnt like Nora because of Nora Batty - a character in a 70s TV show that most kids will never have seen or even heard of!

The trouble is you could pick any name and a few months later it becomes a saying or a character and theres nothing you can do. For example, there must be babies and children named Alexa who were called that before the Alexa systems came out but will now be forever tied to it!

Besides, if kids are going to bully someone they will do so regardless of their name. If their name isnt funny they'll just pick on something else. I would just go for a name you love and not worry what might happen in the unknown future.b

The trouble is you could pick any name and a few months later it becomes a saying or a character and theres nothing you can do
Exactly, and pity the poor girls called Isis. I don't think children are bullied because their name is unusual but the most ordinary name can be twisted if children have a mind to and there isn't much you can do about that.

I don't think children are bullied because their name is unusual but the most ordinary name can be twisted if children have a mind to

Absolutely! Lots of common names are much more 'teasable' than most unusual names. Eg Willy, Smellie Ellie, Teddy Bear, Bendy Dick etc etc

Short answer: no.

Long answer: you should hear some of the names of children I've known in London schools, and no one blinks an eye. To be fair most are just foreign so not really 'weird' names, but they must sound 'weird' to children not from the same background. Examples of names that have received no attention from other children: Mujarhid (said muh-jar-head), Walleula, Nosipoo, Pooja, Precious, Princess (brother = Prince), Sultana, Fatima, Homa (like Homer Simpson)... I could go on. Tbh I think in many schools you'd be just as likely to be bullied for a name like William (willy related comments) as it would be as strange a name to them as any of the others.

Teachers have access to all names and information of every student in the school.

Yes, of course the teachers do. Parents do not. And, no, each child does not know the name of every one of 629 other children. It is bullshit that over numerous years in a 3 form entry school, not a single first name has EVER been repeated.

I once had 5 Ashleys, male and female with variations in spelling, in one class. I can't believe there is a school where no names are repeated.

Unusual in a multicultural London school is the bog standard classic names so don't worry.
I can't keep up with my sons friends names at all! Put it this way, I was surprised when he started talking about a new friend called William as it's just very 'normal'.

reefedsail I think you’re being a bit extreme with your interpretation. The point being made is that in inner london schools, there are so many kids from so many cultures that names are rarely replicated, and some that would have been teased in my era, are not a big deal now. Kids just don’t seem to go there, really respectful of other cultures. Am sure it might happen, but definitely not a common thing.

Actually, I started school in 1959 and left in 1973 and I don't remember anyone being bullied about their name. Other things, yes, but not their name. I do know someone, older than me, who was teased about his unusual (French sounding) name in a small English village in the 49s/50s.

40s obviously.

My sister lives in a small market town in Wales and most people are not related to each other there nor is there a lack of diversity at any of the schools her children have attended. Sounds like lots of things have changed since your time there.

I think @reefedsail has a point.
It is pretty unlikely there are never any duplicates across a 3 form entry school across 7 years (even if you only have one child going through).

I work in a very multicultural City and have to enter some (what I consider to be very unusual)names onto a database sometimes - it never ceases to amaze me that this child with, what is to me a completely new name, will have that name duplicated across the City. Within schools and nurseries, names get duplicated all the time.

So true that there are loads of 'normal' names that are just as teasable as unusual names. My mum's name is Gillian and in primary school in the 60s when that was a really common name she was called Jilly with a willy. You can't predict teasing and bullying tbh.

It's not 'unusual' names that get teased. It's names with obvious teasable nicknames eg Willy (William). But if a bully wants to tease someone, they'll find something, regardless of their name.

Not in inner city - in middle class suburbia - but DS has been teased a lot about our surname which isn't unusual but is a noun so scope for silliness (like Abbey National Bank above). All schools these days have some pupils with unusual names and agree likely to be more variety in a large multi-cultural school. But basically kids will find way to tease kids even with normal names so as long as you're not going for something ridiculous I wouldn't worry.