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Original poster

Were you teased because of your name?

164 replies

oysterpots · 22/07/2009 15:47

If so, was it because your name is unusual? Would you choose a different name if you could? Do you know anyone who wasn't teased about their name?

Seems like some people are pretty scared to pick anything out of the ordinary in case their DC might be teased - I always thought people found something to tease you about, if not your first name then your surname, or the way you look, or what your family's like.

Am I wrong? Genuine questions.

OP posts:
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motherbeyond · 23/07/2009 10:01

fishie- indeed,rudeness is unbelievable.My husband rang his parents from the hospital to inform them of the arrival of our first born apparantly conversation went along these lines..
(mother calling to father)"they've had a girl!...yes,he say's what have you called her?(muffled coversation follows..she comes back on)"ohh,we don't like that!"
Could tell my dh was upset when he came back in,but he wouldn't tell me why for ages.
i swear to god,they were soooo lucky they lived in another country!i have never before wanted to be a male cartoon character more than that moment...GO GO GADGET KICK UP THE ARSE!!![GRIN]

scarlotti · 23/07/2009 10:09

I got teased for my name, both first name and surname but not together iyswim, but also got teased for being overweight and anything else they could find

I like my name. I preferred my maiden name to my married name, but only as it's Scottish and we currently live in England so nobody pronounces it correctly (a certain brand of toothpaste is to blame)

We are currently debating what to call DS2 who is due in November. I want a Welsh name as that's my roots, but DH is reticent as we'll likely be moving to Scotland next year and he's worried nobody will pronounce/spell it or he'll get teased.
Think I might show him this thread!

Ripeberry · 23/07/2009 10:13

My name was rhymed with Adolf...nothing like it and Welly.

Saucepanman · 23/07/2009 10:19

tmmj I love your name!

My thing was that I had both initials the same, which has always bugged me- SS, what was my mother thinking! Was so happy when I got married and changed my name! Also my surname was Smith so got lots of hilarious jokes about Smiths crisps, Granny Smith, and then later "sniff" har-de-har I am FB friends with a boy I went to school with, he was mortified recently when I reminded him he coined the phrase "sniff up!" which was used to tease me mercilessly! I was one of 2 people in my year with the name and always got my full name, esp from the other girl who I didn't like.

My dcs have got classic but v popular names, but I really liked them. However I did inadvertently give my dd a name which can rhyme with my own, in a moment of twattery I really liked the name! And did not think it through, obv, in my drugged up haze.

filchthemildmanneredjanitor · 23/07/2009 10:23

saucepanman-who ARE you??????

Saucepanman · 23/07/2009 10:40

Have you not worked it out yet?! mwahhhahahaha

Tamarto · 23/07/2009 10:43

Yes i was, it was/is unusual for where i live more common in England so i'm told, you should be able to work it out from my MN name.

Despite that my DD has a fairly unusual name, i don't think it's as big an issue now.

filchthemildmanneredjanitor · 23/07/2009 10:43

no i haven't

tell me because i don't like it!

MamaG · 23/07/2009 10:47

I gave my children very traditional names, but we have an unusual surname - they haven't yet been teased for surname

Tamarto · 23/07/2009 10:49

scarlotti i think i have the same surname as you.

Don't get me started on teachers, 90% of them would insist on adding an A to the end of my name despite there clearly not being on on the register, infact that continues to this day arggghhhh!

And people can never pronounce it, it's amazing how many variations people can come up with though.

pranma · 23/07/2009 10:50

When my dgs [10] was told that his new cousin was to be called Finn he said,'That's not an ordinary name but its not a teasing name.'

Saucepanman · 23/07/2009 10:56

Don't worry! Its 3lb

filchthemildmanneredjanitor · 23/07/2009 10:57

oh thank god for that! i was really freaked out!

nakushita · 23/07/2009 11:01

My real name is spelled unusually and TO THIS FEKKIN DAY I get teased about it. It is especially bad when I start any new job/group/anything new and people who are complete bitches in the first place decide that I "think you are something special" because my name is "spelled funny".

Ah well. OH chose DS name and I am a bit concerned now cos it isn't a common name and people always hear it wrong and either go "....what?" or "hmm...... thats.... unusual" so yes, I am worried he may be teased after all but we will just have to teach him to kick the sh!t out of anyone who tries to pick on him. Only jokin. Violence not the answer n all that...

nakushita · 23/07/2009 11:05

Oh yes... I was also teased for being small/flat chested/too loud/too quiet... As you say, if someone picks you as a target, you are pretty much fvcked whether your name is completely popular or not... Shameful really. I detest bullies. I recently saw one of the girls who bullied me at school and I actually began to shake with dread. She didn't even recognise me (or if she did she didn't let on). I really wanted to go up and confront her but I thought I would look totally pathetic. She looked amazing and was dressed in the best clothes and was confidently chatting away to someone in the shopping mall. Looks like she never had to learn any lessons from being a bully.

Sorry - this isn't really on topic is it...

So, no, it wasn't JUST the weird spelling of a familiar name that got me bullied, but it certainly gave them something to start on for free...

jaype · 23/07/2009 11:07

Dp was teased because his name is very common and uncle-y (the Spitting Image chicken song didn't help, either). So our dcs have unusual names. Kids find anything to tease each other about so my view has just been to go with whatever... In fact, one dc came home the other day going on about a boy called 'Fiddly' in his class. Turns out it's Finley but someone couldn't pronounce it so Fiddly stuck sigh

Saucepanman · 23/07/2009 11:08

Did you think you had a stalker?! I stand by my comment, your name is lovely

ProfYaffle · 23/07/2009 11:11

I got teased because my name is too common, I hated and loathed my name for years, still don't much like it tbh.

My dc have unusual names.

Agree with op, kids will always find something to tease each other about.

Saucepanman · 23/07/2009 11:14

Oh, yes to the keyring thing- I could never get my name on anything- now ds has the same problem but because his is so popular it is always sold out!

hester · 23/07/2009 11:21

My name is unusual (certainly was back then) and I was teased. I longed to be called Susie.

My brother's name is fantastically unusual (still) and he was never teased. He loved having an unusual name.

It's always the same: if you're a cool kid, everything about you is considered cool. If you're not a cool kid, the bullies will find some 'excuse' for singling you out.

Having said which, there are some names that really are unkind...

MitchyInge · 23/07/2009 11:23

my name rhymes with gonorrhoea (or are there 2ns in that and only 2os?) and diarrhoea - so yes, bit of teasing but only from my siblings

Ripeberry · 23/07/2009 11:28

Oh dear, my DD1 is doomed then, her initials are TB.

filchthemildmanneredjanitor · 23/07/2009 11:29

thank you saucepanman! lots of people sy it's nice but i still feel a bit odd about it

it's still very uncommon too

how the hell are you anyway? got your msn up and running yet?

Saucepanman · 23/07/2009 11:32

IKWYM mmj, I recently realised that I don't hate my name any more! But I certainly did when growing up, and given the choice would prob still change it!

I'm good thanks, full of a cold/swine flu/whatever and desperately trying to get better, we are going to DLP next week! No msn but am usually around on FB chat.

Fizzylemonade · 23/07/2009 11:51

Someone I know was teased dreadfully for having the surname Longbottom, Sadly his parents who had him late in life gave him the tradtional family name of Richard

Dick Longbottom! Can you imagine.

When he got married he and his wife chose a new surname for both of them, she hated hers anyway, Smith, so like previous posts of Granny smith - oooh she's a bit tart and they chose a place name as their surname.

They couldn't bear the thought of their children going through what both of them had been through as children.

I think children pick on anything they can whether it is a name or a physical attribute.