Teasing about the girl's name Flora...

[Tinkjon]

Hi... as mentioned on a previous thread, we're considering calling baby No.2 Flora if it's a girl, but some recent comments (both on MN and in real life) have brought up a comment that girls named Flora 'spread easily' (because of the margarine of the same name). When I first heard that comment I thought it was just a joke that the person had made up, but I've now heard a few people mention it so I'm wondering if it's a well-known playground taunt. Have many people here heard this comment before - or if you are named, or know anyone named, Flora, have you had this remark directed at you? I love the name so much, but would hate to set up a daughter for this sort of teasing...

ejt1764, what age is the Flora that you teach? I was thinking, like hatrickjacqueline, that it would only be adults who knew it, not kids... Rubyrioja & Gertie, I agree that any name can be made fun of, it's just that this particular taunt seemed really icky. Btw, Nell is a beautiful name!!

knew two Floras all through school
never heard it at all
'Flora bore-r' was as bad as it got.

(Still remember an Isabella coming out of school age 5: 'Mummy, Mummy, they keep calling me 'Izzy wizzy let's get busy'!'
Stern face from Mummy: 'Who calls you that?'
Isabella: 'Nellie...'
Mummy: 'What, you mean Smelly Nellie?')

hmm. would teach MY smelly nelly to say " isabelle REALLY necessary on a bicycle?"

far more intellegant taunt imo

A very good friend of mine at school for some reason had a nickname of Flora (her actual name was something quite different) and she was told that she spread easily, and found it very upsetting. I'm not sure it's a name I would go for, although it's a secondary school taunt, and it might have gone by the time your dd gets that old - although I suspect Flora has been around for a while and may be with us for some time.

only read the op.
When I saw the name flora that was the first thing I thought.........sorry

Tinkjon - I'm a secondary school teacher, and the Flora I teach is in year 11 now ... I also teach a Nell, and the smelly Nellie comments seem not to have followed her to secondary school ... mind you, she'd probably knock anybody out who even tried ...

I taught a Flora in a secondary school - lovely girl, pretty, bright and popular.
Every name has it?s potential and even if you can?t see the room for possible teasing, you can?t predict what will happen round the corner. Even a name as innocent as "Sam" can end up having a label nothing to do with the name - wehad in the school a "fat Sam". That is what everyone called him poor lad - rolled into one "Fatsam" name. For about a week I thought that was his real name (full of unusual names in my first school in N London) until someone kindly pointed out that was what the children used but not the teachers!!!

lol ejt - think my nell might be the same. she's a little bruiser!

In it just does have massive margarine connotations for me.

it (the name Flora!)

I wouldnt call my daughter that name because of that joke. But they could easily find another joke about a different name.

I do think of marg when I hear FLora.

Oh dear ... just called my new dd 'Clover'.

Do you know, I would be surprised if Flora spread still exists by the time your Dd is old enough to be teased like that.

I think the answer is, don't discuss your child's name before it is born...

Flora is nice, but it is margarine. You might as well call her Lurpak, or Olivio.

Lets hope your child is not going to be fat. Then the amount of teasing will be unbearable. Flora, you had too much margarine? Flora, cut out the butter, etc.

My DD is called Ellie, I tell her to wash or they will call her smellie ellie
Every name has teasing potential, so go for it...
I'm still pondering Tutters DD's name

Being called Margaret at school (Marge) I had all the margerine jokes aswell "spreads easily" etc.......If only they knew

No, Flora is a lovely name that was around long before somebody invented margarine. I like Clover too.

shhh but well done

i thought the jilly cooper flora-related joke referred to Interflora?

flora is a gorgeous name, i'd use it but you might want to be aware of the aforementioned playground taunt as well

you could give her the safest name in the world and some 'orrible little sod will still gve her a mean nickname

Magicmayhem: 'My DD is called Ellie, I tell her to wash or they will call her smellie ellie'

My DS is called Elliot and I sing a smelly Elliot song to him every time it's time for his bath. Complexes begin at home

I love the name Flora

DD is called Flora.

Haven't heard the one about easily spreading, but do get margerine comments occasionally

Usual response is "what a lovely name"

If she's going to have the piss taken out of her, she probably will whatever her name.

i think flora is a lovely name but it does make me think of the margarine i'm afraid.
i don't think any name escapes some jokes though. my 2yr old son is called Cain, family members already call him Cain the pain and his grandmother even came out with Cain the sh*t stain, lovely eh