Do kids really tease because of the name?

Question

When someone suggests a unique baby name..someone aways says your child will be teased for it...in my personal experience of elementary/highscool I met real people with these names;
Kwaku [he was African]
Chuki [she was oriental]
Erjon
Shelby
Odokor [she was african]
Cameljit [?]
Theodora
Fatih
Hattie Garlick

---I cant rember them being teased..at all!..maybe ppl get used to them

Answer 1

I think children get picked on because of their personality rather then their names. If a child shows certain shy/withdrawn/different characteristics children tend to be drawn to pick on them because they are a little different.

Answer 2

You are teased for your name. Some times everyone is teased for their name even if it's ordinary.

There are factors:

Morality of the District --

Grade they enter a school at

Condition of the person -- If they are clearly physically disabled then the older the student the more bad they feel about them and more they can control themself

Staying Power -- If people have been around you for so many different schools or even since you were 2, then they are use to your name and may think it's even normal

Personality -- Hot Bodies, Jocks, and Sociallites get special treatment,.. everyone is quiet around them because they are arroused, fearful, or receieve high positive energy

Language Barrier -- When a Student doesn't speak a word of English or never talks,..kids get bored quickly since they can't tick them off. So they give up and don't bring up their name.

Ethnics can hold some power. The people from Africa carry a strong respectful mature feeling about themselves ( depending on the country). The African Americans are use to haveing wackey names and are proud of them so the more off the wall your name is the more popular you are with some people. Oriental Girl = Hot or Cute just based on that... noone messes with Japanese, Chinese, Korean... etc because of their names.

Answer 3

When I was a kid there were only so many names people had, and different names might have been a cause for teasing. Now there are so many names that I hear, and I don't think it's as big of a thing.

But I think if a kid is going to get teased, he/she will no matter what the name is. There will always be something to tease someone about it you look for it. So you could name a boy John Smith, but he could have big ears or something.

And if they're not going to tease him, they're not even if he has a weird name. So go with what you like and don't sweat it too much.

Answer 4

Sometimes kids get teased the first year or two of school about there name but as time passes the teasing will stop. My name is Eula I was teased in pre-k and Kindergarten but after that I didn't get teased anymore. I even hated my mom for naming that at one time but I've grown to really like my name because it's unique and not many people have that name.

Answer 5

I think it depends on the kid whether or not their teased for their names. I have known people who've been teased. My best friend in high school got teased for her initials. Her name was Amanda Starr Sharpe. My name is Sonya and I remember being called Sonya Lasagna by some boy who didn't like me in 4th grade. But the teasing isn't bad and its not the end of the world.

Something to think of with an abnormal name though is that studies show teachers grade lower scores on abnormal or unusual name papers when compared to the SAME EXACT WORK completed by someone with a more common name. Also, if there are two people applying for the same job and they have the same skillset, experience, and personality, the person with the more common name is 80% more likely to be picked.

I don't think humans mean to be so judgemental, but overall, we do label, lump and catagorize people and then treat them according to how they fit into those catagories in our minds.

Answer 6

Some kids, who don't know any better may tease another child for having a unique name but I don't think its done any more or less for any of the other reasons kids tease each other-- for having dirty shoes or not the coolest clothes or heck anything!! Kids can be cruel, especially when they don't get the love and attention they need at home. They do it to make themselves feel better. Its life.

Answer 7

Honestly, no matter what you name your child, they are going to be teased. They never could find a good way to tease me with my first name (Kathleen or Katie), so they targeted my last name which was (maiden) Merry.

And if you're kid doesn't have a name that they can tease them about, they'll find something else to tease them about. It is inevitable.

It is nothing bad to be teased, unless it turns violent or something. Teasing is how kids learn to be compassionate (if they don't like being teased, parents should point out to them that if they don't like it then they shouldn't do it to others - it can prevent them from being the verbal bully).

Answer 8

Here's the deal. Kids get teased about everything. Other kids try to find a chink in their armor. When they find it, they dig a big hole.
The best thing you can do is arm your kids with good self esteem and strong identities, and tell them to ignore people who feel it necessary to tease them. Or joke along with them.
If kids understand early on that the people who TEASE are the bullies, the insecure ones, then they can get along better.
Don't purposely name a child a name that will be dork-ville- like Ralph or Bruce or Nadine or Olive.
And then raise them to be dorks. You are asking for it.
It is STILL not nice and I never allowed my kids to tease others.
I had a kinda weird name and got teased to death. As an adult, I changed it to a nickname. I like it now. I still get teased, but I just laugh along with them.
It is about confidence, not the name.

Answer 9

I think children meet people with certain names when they are small and those names sound right to them cause they are used to them but as they get older some names will cause a child to be teased especially if going to a new school.

Answer 10

I am a first grade teacher, I love hearing unique names. I hate having more than one child in the class with the same name. I'll have to call them
Stephanie B.
Stephanie J.
Stephanie A.
(with the first initial of their last name). It's annoying. And my name is very unique, I never got picked on.

Answer 11

I remember some kids getting teased for their names, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. They'll make friends any way, and they'll spend more time with that name in life than the time they spend in school. Would you rather be an adult with an interesting name, or a safe generic name?