I just came across a blog on here from some time ago written by teacher giving her perspective on names. I found this to be so interesting, most of my name obsession comes from wanting to choose a name that I love, but that will be well received. So teachers…can you tell me are there any names that you have a bad association with? Which names leave a bad taste in your mouth? I am just dying to hear your thoughts!
I think you will find a different answer from everyone you talk to, however I think many teachers have trouble or maybe just annoyed with alternate spellings. I teach early childhood and know 4 Aidens, all with a different spelling! It would be much easier to have [name]Aiden[/name] A, [name]Aiden[/name] B, [name]Aiden[/name] C and [name]Aiden[/name] D than completely different spellings [name]IMO[/name]
Completely made-up names always leave a bad taste in my mouth.
[name]Hannah[/name], [name]Liam[/name], [name]Tyler[/name], [name]Ella[/name], [name]Mia[/name] and any name beginning with A - I have either had a bad experience with these names or find them overused in my area.
On the other hand, the names I find most appealing are the sweet names that aren’t unheard of, but only one or two children share the same name.
In the 3 years I’ve been teaching at the daycare, I just cannot stand [name]Gavin[/name]. [name]Every[/name] [name]Gavin[/name] I’ve met is horrid. The same goes for [name]Jackson[/name] and [name]Jesse[/name]. All the children I’ve met with these names have been horrid.
For girls, it’s [name]Carley[/name]/[name]Karlee[/name], [name]Ashlyn[/name], [name]Hayley[/name] (all the spellings) They’ve all be just awful children and I can’t stand the names anymore.
Aside form that, at this point, there are so many [name]Aiden[/name]/[name]Braden[/name]/[name]Caden[/name] etc and [name]Jackson[/name]/[name]Bryson[/name]/[name]Mason[/name] etc that I can’t keep them all straight.
I teach high school, so the [name]Aiden[/name] trend hasn’t reached us yet. However, one more [name]Brianna[/name], [name]Ariana[/name], [name]Caitlin[/name] ([name]Kaitlyn[/name]) [name]Alex[/name] (male and female and all its variations), [name]Jordan[/name], [name]Madison[/name], [name]Nicholas[/name], facepalm I have two Jordans in the same class and one is male and one is female. I have 7 Briannas ([name]Briana[/name], [name]Breana[/name], [name]Bryana[/name]). Please no more Briannas. Having said that, the opposite is also true. There are some names that I have such positive associations with because of the student they remind me of. And it’s fascinating to see how a name changes depending on the personality of the owner. This is part of the reason why I feel that even if a child has a popular name, and even if they are [name]Isabella[/name] X for most of school, each child’s personality really makes the name their own.
My mom taught in poor schools at a variety of levels across the country in cities and in a small town and there were countless depressing stories in every class she taught. Because all of her sad associations with the places she worked, she could not use a name she had ever taught a student with, which is how I was named with the unique name [name]Avalon[/name]!
[name]Aiden[/name] everything. I’m a daycare assistant teacher, we have three ayden types: Two [name]Kayden[/name]'s, and one [name]Ayden[/name]. [name]Ayden[/name] and [name]Kayden[/name] #1 were in the same class ever since I started in [name]November[/name] 2011, then [name]Kayden[/name] #2 joined Kinder room so we had all three, then [name]Kayden[/name] #1 left, so we only have [name]Kayden[/name] #2 and [name]Ayden[/name] in Kinder with [name]Kayden[/name] #1 in school age.
I’m so tired of it, especially because all three are handfuls whose names are constantly being called out. Adorable they all are though, super cute kids.
I’m also over -iah names: We have [name]Isaiah[/name] & [name]Elijah[/name] (twins) and two [name]Josiahs[/name] in the same room. (Kinder) It’s trippy calling out the names at times. Especially because the twins and one of the [name]Josiah[/name]'s are handfuls and trouble makers.
This is so true!
I’m not a teacher but I would be alright with any name that wasn’t kreyativ or yooneek and I don’t have to name them … A or…B etc. The thing is that you shouldn’t really judge the children by their names although I probably would! (another reason why I shouldn’t become a teacher!)
I wish I could remember what the name of the study was this thread reminds me of. It was in the news about a year or so ago.
It suggested that children with uniquely spelled names, or mash-up names tended to get into more trouble in school and were more likely to have a juvenile record. It however also suggested that this had nothing to do with the name, and everything to do with the socio-economic status of those children. For example: Single teen mom’s with very little family support were more likely to yooneekify their childs name than a married career women with close family ties. (This actually makes sense to me because it’s probably easier to talk your partner into a more mainstream name and spelling instead of something incredibly out there. Also what you think is cool when you are 16 might not be what you think is cool at 35).
I think it’s because of circumstances like these, that we judge people by their name. We might not judge them as a person, but if you have a preconceived notion of what socio-economic background a Tangelina comes from and compare it to where you expect a [name]Henrietta[/name] to have grown up, you will automatically have expectations of who you think they are.
I TA at a graduate level and some names are very run of the mill and then others really make my ears perk up. I am always esp interested in hearing what the name was that they were given and what name the go by. Some are as simple as a mn substitution and others are plain given names with funky nn or simple nn’s to [name]OTT[/name] names. It’s especially cool to see with adults because they have had time to develop a rounded personality to opt for a name they think suits them better away from the influence of their parents.
(Sorry for the essay. :P)
I’m a teacher and have been working with children for the past 7 or so years with all my training. There are several names that always crop up that I dread seeing but here goes…
[name]Mitchell[/name]
[name]Brandon[/name]
[name]Tyler[/name]
[name]Rylan[/name]/[name]Kylan[/name]/[name]Jaylan[/name]
[name]Aiden[/name]/[name]Caden[/name]/[name]Braden[/name]/[name]Hayden[/name]
[name]Jack[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]
[name]Connor[/name]
[name]Katelyn[/name]
[name]Chelsea[/name]
[name]Tia[/name]
and those are just a few off the top of my head!!!
As a teacher I find it very difficult to love a name once I associate it with a child and that’s why my style has slowly got more out there and eccentric. Working with the younger children in the school, it’s clear to see what’s popular and the names to avoid.
My best friend and I are both in education. We have both agreed - without a doubt - that we’ve never met an [name]Austin[/name] who wasn’t trouble. Also, I am EXTREMELY sick of [name]Makenzie[/name].
Hahaha i love this thread. [name]Ive[/name] been working with children for a long time when i left school i went straight to do my teaching degree and while i studied i worked in an early childhood centre that also had an afterschool programme. I then went on to build and create my very own childcare centre, i am still the big boss but now that i have my children I’m a boss behind the scenes and only pop in occasionally. [name]Ive[/name] met and worked with many children and i also have and still do process the enrollments for my centre so I’m always coming across names.
Its hard being a teaching and being in the industry for so long because you can’t help but have name associations. It also has made me quite picky with names.
The names i have bad associations with are
[name]Sebastian[/name] - This by far is the worst i have never met a nice well behaved sebastian
[name]Felix[/name]
[name]Jasper[/name]
[name]Daniel[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Anna[/name]
[name]Marli[/name] (g)
[name]Amanda[/name]
[name]Madeline[/name]
Also have some bad associations with other names but not because i view them as naughty/trouble more just because of the sheer popularity of them
I teach in an all-girls school so can only comment on girls names, but the following are names that are most common currently: [name]Ashley[/name]/[name]Ashleigh[/name], [name]Madeleine[/name]/[name]Madeline[/name]/[name]Madison[/name]/[name]Maddison[/name], [name]Taylor[/name]/[name]Tayla[/name]/Taylah, [name]Emily[/name], [name]Jordan[/name]/[name]Jordyn[/name].
I don’t mind the repeat names too much. What I don’t like is trying to figure out which spelling ‘Taylah’ uses or which nickname ‘[name]Madison[/name]’ goes by, or for that matter which nickname spelling ‘[name]Madison[/name]’ uses - Madi, [name]Maddi[/name], [name]Maddy[/name], [name]Maddie[/name].
I certainly have names for which I have bad associations but I feel that’s a very personal thing. [name]Even[/name] if I don’t like a name personally, I overlook that when I get to know the person behind the name.
Probably the names that annoy me most are those which do not seem to suit the person, some examples, Karenn on a 15-year-old (both too old for her and a yooneek spelling, [name]Tina[/name] on a small Filipino girl.
I enjoy learning to say and find out about the meaning behind names from different cultures.
I do not enjoy trying to pronounce unwieldy or yooneek names.
I have yayi
[name]Anne[/name]
Russhy
[name]Abby[/name]
Crazy
mikey
moon
[name]Scarlet[/name]
Jennelia
Jerlin
Ennie
[name]Elyse[/name]
fenny
Screeny
zoyee
lisa
lis
[name]Lee[/name]
bucky
jerry
jen
I’ve been in education for 15 years. I am absolutely over any “ayden/aiden” name - [name]Jayden[/name], [name]Aiden[/name], [name]Hayden[/name], [name]Caiden[/name],… Another fun time is when simple names are elongated or have letters changed/added just so they can become magically “unique” - [name]Justyce[/name], Exavier, [name]Macyn[/name], Harleighe, Nikoles ([name]Nicholas[/name], really?), Alleksander, etc.
Also, putting “sir” in front of a child’s name doesn’t make them royalty, and the students I’ve encountered named “Gift”, “[name]Jewel[/name]”, “[name]Princess[/name]”, “[name]Treasure[/name]/Treazure” have been anything but…
Oh I definetly agree with your [name]Austin[/name] comment!
Lexiem, my name obsession started after I read Freakonomics. There is a chapter in there called a Roshanda by any another name. It really got me thinking that like it or not, at some point we are going to be judged by our names. I am not sure if that is what you were referring to or not but the two are very similar. I really enjoy hearing all your feedback!
Not exactly a teacher, but I was a dance teacher for several years…
I have a mental block for some A names…I had an intro ballet class with an [name]Adrianna[/name], [name]Adrienne[/name], and [name]Arianne[/name] and I left every week with a headache trying to keep them all straight! I’m sure I called [name]Adrianna[/name] [name]Adrianne[/name] and [name]Arianne[/name] [name]Adrienne[/name] at the beginning, but they were kind about it (to my face at least, but I did feel awful).
Names I have bad associations with…
[name]Arianna[/name] (made my life hell)
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Bella[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Casper[/name]
Although I will say, the more common the name the easier the “recovery”… I had an [name]Emma[/name] who I thought was going to be the death of me, but a few Emmas later, the negative association for this lovely name is gone. Same with [name]Ava[/name]. I had many Sophias and Zoes, but every last one was a sweet kid. Sometimes, a child will be the reason I like a name that would normally not be my style…I still love the name Hemming because of the little girl I associate it with.
I’m not a teacher (although my job entails for me to work with about 300 children one on one each year- so a similar type situation) and I don’t think it’s really valid to ever think that one name just breeds bratty kids- I’ve never experienced that personally! Maybe others have. I know for me, in New [name]England[/name], I get so sick of the same names. About 50% of the boys I photograph are either [name]William[/name], [name]Charlie[/name], [name]Jack[/name], or [name]Henry[/name]. The girls are a bit more varied (with the most common girls names being [name]Ellie[/name]/[name]Ella[/name], [name]Maddie[/name], [name]Charlotte[/name], and [name]Harper[/name] as of this past year). It’s too funny because I know in other parts of the country you get a lot more [name]Cayden[/name]'s, Aidens, etc. - but interesting how each part of the country has it’s own popular names- here in yuppie new england they’re much more traditional.
My OH is a teacher. The names he has repeatedly said belong to bad kids are [name]Kyle[/name] and [name]Dean[/name]. [name]Every[/name] time. There are plenty of names he has an unpleasant association with,for example [name]Serena[/name],but they’re one offs that have stayed with him. [name]Kyle[/name] and [name]Dean[/name] are repeat offenders,no pun intended.