Bullying

[Charliethecat]

Do children really get bullied/picked on at school because of their names?

Do you know instances when this has happended?

Just interested can't remember this at my school as it was very multicultural and their was a diverse range of names.

I don't remember anyone getting picked on becuase of their name - but then no-one at my school had a particularly unusual name. It was a very multi-cultural school, but I don't think names which are seen as being of another culture are particularly ridiculed. I did go to college with a January and a Bronte - both girls - everyone was jealous of their unusual names!

No never, children were only ever bullied due to personality clashes or some other petty reason. The only people that I,ve ever heard of bullying people due to their names are the few pathetic immature "adults" on this site. Even these adults can't come up with anything remotely intelligent to say. Therefore I feel our children will be safe enough no matter what name you give them.

A few in my class got teased for old fashioned middle names and a boy called Theodore got teased abit. Kids still peek through the register and look at middle names. I hated my awful middle name so gave my DC normal ones.

A boy called Jack Russell was teased a bit at my school. A girl called Kelly - 'smelly Kelly' and a girl called Barbara.

There weren't really any unusual names at our school, all Sophie, Rebecca, Sarah, Anne etc

Children did get picked on for other reasons though (thinking about it, it was usually looking different).

I never remember anyone getting bullied for their name at school even though there were some unfortunate names. The most unpleasant thing was that when there were lots of children with the same name you get the descriptive thing and that isn't always very pleasant - no-one really wants to be 'Big xxxx' do they?

DH got teased a bit for his name but he says it was never nasty and didn't bother him.

My dcs have got unusual foreign names and have not been teased yet (eldest 10yo).

I was "teased" because my name, a very usual one where I was born, rhymes with "banana" so I suppose it is not the unusual that attract the teasing but the opportunity IYSWIM?

We had a girl in our school called Carina, but everyone called her Cortina (The Ford car!!) but only behind her back!!!

My name is Esther and I was teased every single bloody day about Esther Rantzen (I was born in 72 and That's Life started in 73). Every. Single. Day.

Saying that, I do love my name. It rocks!

There was an Elvis and a Hermes in the year below. They got teased - guess what Hermes got called?

In my experince children never get bullied for what being called a different name, but for BEING different.

When I went to school, some 'uncool' kids got teased, regardless of their name - whereas the 'cool' kids were cool regardless of their name. In fact, having an unsusual/less common name was often regarded as 'cool'.

Yes. My name rhymed. It was a f*cking nightmare.

I think the adults can roll their eyes and snigger a bit at the names of primary school age children.

The children might be oblivious, but I still wouldn't want adults sniggering at my child's name. I would rein in my tastes to avoid seeing a quick eye-roll in the park/supermarket/schoolgate.

was teased all through primary, my name rhymed with some unfortunate words.

was character building! Love my name (now)

I don't think children give other children a hard time solely because of their name. But a particular name can become something to pick on if a child is being picked on IYSWIM. An outlandishly-named child who is in with the in crowd won't experience what another child with the same name might. Hold true for lots of things IME. Being bullied or picked on isn't a simple one factor thing.

"I don't think children give other children a hard time solely because of their name"

Well, that was certainly the case in my childhood. My stupid name was the only thing I was teased about/picked on for.

The problem with names is that the parents have no idea if the baby will grow into a strong enough character to carry it off. A strange name can be deeply embarrassing for a DC who just wants to fade into the background.

There was a boy at my school called Ra after the Egyptian sun God. His parents were hippies. Unfortunately, he got a lot of stick with 'Ra ra ra razmataz' or 'Ra ra where's my bra?'. How childish!