I just want to rant about bullying today. I don’t understand why online adult strangers INSIST that if you give your child an unusual name they are bound to be bullied. I don’t know if it’s regional or because my children go to a diverse public school or times are just changing but here is a conversation I had with my children this morning.
[name_u]Happy[/name_u]- “How do you spell Georgia?”
[name_u]Dexter[/name_u]- “G-O…”
[name_u]Pilot[/name_u]- “No, it’s G-E-O.”
Me- “Thank goodness I didn’t name you [name_u]George[/name_u], it was on my list.”
[name_u]Pilot[/name_u]- “That’s a basic name. He would have been made fun of.”
Me- “So you’ll get made fun of for a name like [name_u]George[/name_u], but not Pilot?”
[name_u]Pilot[/name_u]- “Yes. It’s better to be unique these days.”
Now, I don’t think he would have been made fun of if I had named him [name_u]George[/name_u] either, but my point is, this weird myth that kids are being made fun of for their names is just that… a myth. You’re more likely to get made fun of for not wearing new Jordans or having an iPhone. Despite being the only one in their school with these names, the other children haven’t even questioned it. I have seen online adults bully parents relentlessly for their name choices though. It’s so strange.
I very much agree. Maybe that was more common in past generations, but I’ve really not seen it happen. People are named all sorts of things nowadays, and they are fine, regardless of if they’re named George, or Andromeda, or Mackinzley. I feel like kids (especially younger kids!) are way more accepting than we give them credit for!
I don’t think it’s necessarily outright bullying that people talk about when being concerned about certain names (though some people use that argument), it’s also about constantly commenting on your name, not always negatively but at one point it would get annoying, especially as it’s something that someone else chose for you.
I haven’t seen that issue either. In Pilot’s graduating class, there is an 0ctober, [name_u]Light[/name_u], Eight and 0zzy. Those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. A lot of adults aren’t used to seeing so many different names in a classroom. The kids are not even phased by it.
If their own name is [name_u]Light[/name_u] then I doubt they would find Disco weird; however, most people are surrounded by [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_u]Liam[/name_u], [name_u]Noah[/name_u], [name_u]James[/name_u], McKailey and [name_m]Xavier[/name_m], so I suppose that’s what they expect other people to be as well (and statistically, I suppose that’s somewhat true considering those are the most popular names, at least in the US).
Oh there is plenty of those names as well. But the most popular names today are not given at the same rate as they were 30-60 years ago. So while they exist there is still a much larger pool of names that children are encountering among peers. So even [name_f]Emily[/name_f] and [name_u]Liam[/name_u] are not phased by more unusual names. [name_u]Happy[/name_u] actually had a little “boyfriend” named [name_u]James[/name_u] last year.
I think it may also be a cultural thing (: I’m sure in a big [name_u]North[/name_u] American city you’ll see a lot more “weird” names than in other continents, or even in a small town in NA (my girlfriend is from NL, CA and she thought [name_f]Serenity[/name_f] was an insane name, and that’s pretty normal to me!)
If you come from a place where these names are very rare, of course as a nameberry user you’ll see someone using “Eight” and think - oh yeah, that name will forever get commented on every time they introduce themselves. I also assume unusual names would get more attention outside of schools when around adults who also aren’t used to those names - hence why you’ve had adults comment on your kids’ names but not other children. It’s all about what is the norm in the spaces around you!
Those are great points. I know that my kids names are unusual and they definitely get attention when we go out and about. I expect that. [name_f]My[/name_f] rant is fully about teasing in school and bullying. It could absolutely exist but my kids have never experienced it. We do live in a diverse neighborhood with lots of colors and cultures though so that likely helps.
I have, however, had adults (online never to my face) bully me about what I named them, even saying things like I shouldn’t be a mother and my kids should be euthanized. And I’ve seen them do it to other moms too. It’s wild. If it’s not your taste, fine. But don’t hide behind a guise of concern for the child’s mental well-being while being a bully yourself.
Oh, unfortunately name bullying absolutely happens in schools!! I hope that it fizzles out, since more parents are choosing less common names (though it broke my heart to read that a [name_u]George[/name_u] would be made fun of in your story…I don’t want it to swing the other direction where common names get bullied). I think a lot of it does boil down to local culture…
I don’t think [name_u]George[/name_u] would be made fun of anymore than the next kid. I love the name [name_u]George[/name_u]. He was just being silly and I thought his take as a freshman in high school on names was interesting considering it completely contradicts what I hear from people whom are no longer in school.
[name_f]Melody[/name_f] & [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] would make the perfect sister set but [name_f]Althea[/name_f] has so much more personal significance and I already have a solid combo for her
I really love the name [name_f]Kimber[/name_f], but ever since finding out it’s a notable firearm brand, I have been so uncomfortable with having it on my list. I’ve been back and forth on whether the association is enough to put me off of the name, and I finally decided today that although I love the sound and look of the name, I have to take it off of my list. With no disrespect to people who enjoy that kind of thing, anything to do with firearms is very incongruent with the life that I lead so I figure the association is too much for someone like me to consider using the name. I’m sad to let go of the name but it just isn’t for me because of the association.
even as someone relatively involved with / interested with firearms, that association doesn’t really stand out to me. kimber is an established name on its own, and i don’t think anyone would assume you named your child after the brand unlike, for example, beretta. if you love it i don’t think the association is anywhere near strong enough to take it off your list.
Thank you! This was kind of my logic on the pro side of this name, as Kimber (and especially Kimberly of course) is pretty well-established and I don’t think the association is overwhelming or anything, but like I said anything to do with firearms is just not something I choose to be associated with, so even the existence of the association I think is too strong for me to consider using the name unfortunately.
this is how I feel about [name_m]Gage[/name_m] has been on my list since I was a young child because of a movie I love dearly, but once people started saying they had that association with the name, I realized I had to move it to my gp list instead. I’m still so sad about it!
Damn, I like [name_m]Gage[/name_m] too and didn’t know that association! Didn’t know it for [name_f]Kimber[/name_f], either. Granted, I’m not interested in firearms at all, so it’s likely most people are aware, but I think they can stand alone enough without automatically drawing that association? Like, [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] makes me think of firearms way more because of hunting. Idk.
Side note, there is an excellent audio drama called Borrasca with a character called [name_f]Kimber[/name_f]!
has been on my list since I was a young child because of a movie I love dearly, but once people started saying they had that association with the name, I realized I had to move it to my gp list instead. I’m still so sad about it!