Which names get made fun of?

[Newsenmum]

I often see this as a worry.

As a teacher, which names do kids genuinely laugh at?

I’ve said this before on name threads, but kids generally don’t pick on other kids for having an unusual/different name.

It’s usually adults who do it, embarrassingly.

Do kids still say Willy?

Do you mean surnames? What kind of surnames are picked on?

Went to school with a Harry Potter (would have been named before the first book came out) - he was very sensitive about any kind of joke and school took a zero tolerance approach to anyone who tried to be funny.

omg! Poor kid

Even the most boring standard names can be used against children if bullies are intent on bullying. At my school I remember bullies using alliteration with the person’s name to be mean.

I was a teacher in secondary school and now work in a university and I have never come across anyone teased because of their name. School students tease each other a lot but not for their names. Especially not these days.

I was bullied relentlessly and not for my name.

But, my surname was made into a word because I was already disliked. I also was one of several of the same name so I got a horrible prefix. Eg. Big nose Lucy, Ugly Sarah etc.

At secondary school I witnessed other children's first names used in a similar way.

Harvey Wallbanger, morphed into headbanger implying he was thick
Donna Kebab, morphed into jokes about slicing off meat as she was 'fat'.

But to be honest if teens (and possibly older primary) are going to be mean they will either use existing name or just make one up. There was a girl the bullies Christened pig in a wig and she wasn't a Charlotte or Amy other piggy name. They were just twats.

For my own peace of mind I wouldn't give a child a so obviously going to be bastardised name such as that one letter from an unpleasant word or an obvious connotation.

I chose a name out of the top 100 so I hope the adjectives+ name issue won't be a problem but if and when bullying happens it could centre on having a more uncommon name.

My take is don't chose a name you couldn't pull off yourself and pick one for all stages of life.

I'd agree ks1 children are blase about names but by ks2 the nastiness creeps in across all aspects.

Just to be clear the names grew from Harvey normal name to Harvey Wallbanger. Both children had pedestrian names.

The only name-related bullying I remember from my secondary school was that of a girl with an unfortunate surname (Hisc0ck). I don't remember any strong or persistent bullying based on first names.

The only ones that come to mind is scabby Abby (acne sufferer) and Sticky Vicky (everyone thought they were the first to make the joke), but that was later secondary school/adults. Kids will bully for many reasons, but names aren’t really one of them.

Only on Mumsnet do some posters warn against using 'posh' names as apparently they'll get teased mercilessly unless they go to a private school

If anything I swear the state school names are more varied

Victorian feminine name Fanny

Jessie name maybe 🤔 cause of the old fashioned continuations to being effermeminate

effermeminate - presumably a typo but I love it.

Dick? Nobby? Candida?

^ yep
It's only on Mumsnet where people swear blind you can't deviate from Olivia and Freddie

Names like 'Dolly' and 'Chardonnay'. Parents really do need to think long and hard when choosing a name for their child. Something classic and ordinary is best.

Some years ago people took the mick out of Sharon and Tracey.

It's not right to take the mick, we are not responsible for the names our parents give us, but it happens.

You can't bully proof your kids. This goes against everything that is known about child psychology and bullying.

Nowt wrong with Dolly. I have an Aunty Doll. Nice name.

At my school there was a girl called Princess and she was utterly mortified by this and had to go round in the first week asking all the teachers to call her by her middle name before they took the register. I actually don't think any of the kids teased her for it though, we all just felt a bit sorry for her having such a shit name, then didn't think about it again. She may have been teased about it in primary school I suppose (hence why she thought it was embarrassing).

My son went to school with a Jack Hunt (did his parents not think?), so you can imagine, all boys’ school, he basically got called Cunt for 7 years.

I've worked in schools and the kids are generally very accepting of all names. I live in a very diverse area (60% of kids in our school are from ethnic minorities) and no one bats an eye over all the unusual names. There have been Indian girls called Poonam and Pooja and one of the kids (including the white British kids) have made fun of them.

@MartyFunkhouser , the former chancellor has a son called Jack.

Willy for William, Benjamin - Minge, Elizabeth - Lizzy Sleazy, Anastasia - Nasty, Constance - Constipation, Diana was called Diarrhea. Then there are loads of foreign names that are being reshaped too. Teachers wouldn't know about it, it's a student to student thing.

Willy for William, Benjamin - Minge, Elizabeth - Lizzy Sleazy, Anastasia - Nasty, Constance - Constipation, Diana was called Diarrhea. Then there are loads of foreign names that are being reshaped too. Teachers wouldn't know about it, it's a student to student thing.

At that level of imagination there's not much can do to future bully proof a name.

Benjamin Elizabeth & Will. Would all pass with flying colours on MN whilst Dolly and Chardonnay get the whistle.

Bully's will be bullys regardless.