Name Teasing?

[amai-amaya.livejournal.com]

I noticed that many people here don't like unique/uncommon/creative names and often advise people against using those names on their children because they will inevitably be teased.

I don't mean to offend anyone, I am just very curious:

What is your name and did people ever make fun of it because it was unique or uncommon?
Is your name common and you were teased about it nonetheless?
If people made fun of your name, did it bother you so much that you thought you'd rather have another (more uncommon/more common) name?



My name is Kim Sabrina Jennifer Blanka Huehn. Huehn is my last name and very uncommon in Germany. Still, it's German. In Germany, Huehn sounds like the German word for "chicken", so people always and constantly either made fun of my last name (calling me chicken or other variations thereof) or didn't understand it or constantly had to ask how it is spelled.
As if this wasn't enough, my parents named me Kim and gave me 3 middle names.
Kim was (and I daresay still is) a rather uncommon name here. When I was born that name was probably very common in the UK and USA, but it was almost unheard of in Germany 22 years ago.
So all my life, half of the people I met were surprised that I wasn't Asian when they heard my name. The other half was astonished that I was a girl and not a boy, since Kim is a unisex name where I live. Also, due to the rareness of my name here, people loved to invent new variations (like Kimiko, Kimmy, Kimmay, Tim o.0)
I constantly have to spell my first name. Nobody ever gets it right, which really surprises me.

On to my 3 middle names. Sabrina and Jennifer are pretty popular, no problem there. Blanka always makes people think, wtf?! Which I can understand, it still makes me think what the hell after 22 years. It's spanish and means "blonde" but children always said "haha, you have the same name as the green monster in Street Fighter!" I think I got teased about that name the most.
Furthermore I have 3 middle names *gasp* which don't fit on any official document and everyone is always asking me why my parents decided to give me 3 middle names in total.

You see, I think my name is unique, uncommon and on top of that creative. I got teased about it in every way I can think of and I still have trouble whenever I meet someone new.

Still, it's the only name I can identify with, I love my name, I adore it and I thank my parents that they didn't give me a more common name.
Yes, I was teased about it and I wasn't even very self-confident when I was young. But I don't think I had a hard life or that my childhood was horrible just because people have teased me.
I am now a young woman, working in a hospital and I lead a perfectly normal life, although my name is perfectly abnormal. Nowadays I even get complimented for it from many patients and I am, on top of that, proud not to be one of 10 Julias or Christinas. ;)

Comments

[miss-tee.livejournal.com]

I have never had any problems with having two middle names in regards to paperwork.
My first name is Aubrey and people used to tease me by calling my Aubrey-Bobrey (yeah, uncreative but rhymey)

People annoy me all the time by calling me Audrey even when I have JUST introduced myself as Aubrey. I guess they think I don't know how to say my own name.

[squisheroo.livejournal.com]

My name is Lynzee Marie.

I hated that EVERYONE in my class had the same middle name as me.

But I never got made fun of for my name. I'm just REALLY annoyed at having to spell my name out ALL THE FREAKING TIME. And then having to hear about how "different" it is. But jeez. I hate having to spell it three times over the phone for people.

My mom didn't try to be unique or creative. She liked the name, but didn't understand why there was a "D" in the name "Lindsey". So she changed it to be more phonetic.

[http://users.livejournal.com/hajari_/]

My name is Claire. I have a surname that's not really common, but not weird and I've never been teased about it or anything.

I have a friend that calls Claribell, one that calls me Clarisse, and one that calls me Claire bear, but besides that I only get Claire or my last name. The only thing is that a fair few words rhyme with Claire, and every now and then someone realises that and says "Claire, she has blonde hair and sits in a chair and eats a pear" and thinks they are being wonderfully creative.

[amspeck-myworld.livejournal.com]

My first name is Diana - not uncommon and yes it gave me a whole bunch of headaches at school.

My husband has red hair and a last name that rhymes with carrot. You can imagine no first name would save him from mockery at his little village school.

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I'm Tamsin, but I go by Tam since it's much easier.
I've only once been called Tampon, which surprises me. And it was from a friend, too.

[darkjewel85.livejournal.com]

I'm Ramona, I really like my name.
Some creative jerks in high school used to call me raboner.

[nothingbuthp.livejournal.com]

My name is Meghan Marie. I never got teased for my middle name, and only for my first name after we found anagrams for our names in 6th grade and it was found that mine is "hang me" or "hag men"

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

Any name can be made fun of and children are the worst at taunting people who are different. That being said, I like uncommon names....within reason. My only concern about names is what I call the business card test. How will the name look on a business card? If I saw it on a business card what would my assumptions be about the person? At the end of the day, though, its the person who makes the name, not the name that makes the person.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

My name is Stephanie Marie Coin.

Stephanie is pretty common for someone my age, but I never had a problem with too many other Stephanies. There was one Stephanie who was in a lot of my classes between fifth and eighth grade. She shared my first and middle names and had a very similar last name, but the only time it was ever a problem was once, when a teacher made a seating chart where the other Stephanie sat right behind me. The teacher would glance in our general direction and bark out a question to "Stephanie." Sometimes we'd just look back and forth at each other. Other times, we'd say, "Which one?" Sometimes we'd forget about the other Stephanie and answer at the same time.

As for teasing, I did hear "Step on Me" a lot, which, even as a six year old, never really made any kind of sense as far as teasing goes. Maybe if my fellow kindergarteners and I had had the capacity to understand what an emotional doormat was...

I was also called "Stephanie Tanner" a lot in elementary school. I finally started responding with, "Yeah, it's weird, my last name actually IS Tanner..." and since most of them had no idea what my last name was, they believed me and the teasing actually stopped.

I always liked running into other people with my middle name. I think it started because the librarian at my elementary school's middle name was also Marie. One day, in kindergarten, she was scanning my check-outs and whispered conspiratorially to me, "My middle name's Marie, too!" After that, we'd always wink at each other when she rang me up. Something about how special that made me feel stuck around for a years. I knew there were a lot of middle-name-Maries running around, but it made me feel like we were all connected in some strange way, like I was part of some secret club.

Coin...hohhhhh, yeah, I was teased about Coin. Alllllll the time. "Are you rich?" "Do you collect COINS?" "Do they call you that because you have silver dollar COINS at home?" "I can't decide, maybe I should flip the COIN over it." Yes, very clever puns, all, especially after the fiftieth time.

So...having a common first name never really did me any harm, but the name itself did get me some teasing. I have never liked my name, for as long as I can remember. It's hard for a small child to spell, it's misspelled constantly, it's too long, it's just not pretty. I love being called Steph, though. Having a common middle name was never a problem for me, because I love the name and I think it goes well with my first name. And my common-word but uncommon-last-name surname, I actually like now. It stands out in a way I like.

[tia-karen.livejournal.com]

my first and middle names are karen and diana respectively. i never really got made fun of for either name, although a friend in middle school thought that "karen diana" would be the perfect name for a country song. not serious though.

my last name, however, is paul, and that got made fun of a little more. the classic "hey, you know you've got two first names?" or "is paul karen here?" still, i'm more attached to my last name than i am to my middle name. if i get married and change my name i'm dropping diana, not paul.

and although i've never really loved the name karen, i'm too used to it by now to go by anything else. i'm content to settle for indifferent.

[joybelleblossom.livejournal.com]

My name is Joy Christine. I had a lot of songs sung to me (Joy to the World, both versions, and other songs with the word joy in them). My name also rhymes with boy and toy. I like my name. I didn't mind people singing to me, and at Christmas time it just happened a bit more. :) I'm old now, so nobody sings to me, and I miss it a bit. Oh, sure, it had it's embarrassing moments (when a boy liked me, and my cousins sang, "Chris has the Joy, joy, joy, joy down in his heart....Where?"), but for the most part it didn't bother me.

[turn-it-upp.livejournal.com]

my name is mia which was uncommon at the time. i've never had a bunch of problems with it. i think teasing is an enevitable result of being immmature. my brother would call me pee-ah just to make me angry and kids at school would sometimes say "mama mia!" i used to hate my name and thought it was so weird and wished i had a more common name. i grew out of that pretty soon, i love my name now and i have grown into it. plus, since the princess diaries came out i get more flattering nick names like "princess mia" haha.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

That's so funny, I call my friend Claire, Claribel.. I have know idea why.. thought I made it up!

[anapology.livejournal.com]

i live your name :-)

[scribblescrawl.livejournal.com]

I'm Allison and I got "Alice in Wonderland" for years. Or worse, "Allison in Wonderland." It never bothered me that much, except when kids didn't understand that they were getting the name of the book wrong :)

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

Theres a cow the Mickey Mouse cartoons called Claribell or some variation fo that, I think. I'm Claire though and I never get called it. I get Claire Bear and Clarinet though.

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that most people here don't have problems with uncommon names like yours, its more...names that sound made up. Or look mispelled.

[samaside.livejournal.com]

My last name is Wildman and I'm a girl.

Interestingly enough, I don't get made fun of that much and never have. Neither did my dad when he was at Boot Camp which always surprised me. It's a pretty badass name.

The worst I get is, "Wildman? Shouldn't it be Wildwoman?"

I have friends who call me by my last name or call me Wildwoman but it's not a big deal.

My first name is Samantha.

If anyone I knew were a Trekkie, I'm sure they'd make Star Trek jokes.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

My name is definitely not unusual and the only teasing came from my own family! I got "Jess the Mess" constantly.

of course, it's my fault because I was messy. I think my family also just likes rhyming names, because they call my brother Dan the Man.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

As for kids with unusual names, I once had a "King" in a class I subbed for. The entire class liked to remind him that he was NOT a king and should stop pretending to be one because he was a jerk. I also had a Tzaighibhirious (Tiberious) and kids as young as 1st grade were teasing him that his mother was so stupid she could not spell. (And seriously, she clearly cannot. Spelled that way, that name should have about five more syllables).

I also went to school with a "precious" and she'd get her name said so sarcastically because she was not precious. It was mean just the way they said it. They didn't need to make up jokes about it.

[americandiva.livejournal.com]

What is your name and did people ever make fun of it because it was unique or uncommon? - My name is Shanna Marie. I was VERY rarely teased for my name. The only thing I ever got teased for about it was "shanna banana"
Is your name common and you were teased about it nonetheless? my name is not common at all. i've never met another Shanna in my life (pn Shan-nah..like Hannah)
If people made fun of your name, did it bother you so much that you thought you'd rather have another (more uncommon/more common) name? - I never wanted a different name. Shanna Banana never even bothered me that much. In fact I love that my name isnt too common. There were 4 Christina's of various spellings in my class once (a class of about 35 btw) and I loved that I was not one of them lol

[ouronlylight.livejournal.com]

My name is Bethany Rose, though I go by Beth. I've never really been teased about it, but I never liked that my first name was so uncommon. Especially in middle school, but also to a lesser extent in elementary school, I never really felt like I fit in with the other kids, and the fact that no one else had my name (aside from a super-weird girl) made me feel even more isolated and lonely. I'm glad now that I'm not one of the fifty Lindsays, Jessicas, or Brittanys that graduated in my class, but I do often wish that my name were a little more mainstream, like Elizabeth, especially since I've come to feel that Bethany doesn't age very well.

Re: Blanka

[amai-amaya.livejournal.com]

That's right, and in reference to a name it means "blonde" (:

[neverstarsburn.livejournal.com]

my name is Denise, which isn't very uncommon in america, but isn't really common either, got me called Dennis a lot in elementary school by other kids, and still often on accident.

[asthingscollide.livejournal.com]

My name on my birth certificate reads Rebecca Lynn Potts. I was teased in elementary about my last name. (Pots and Pans!) But then in jr. high and high school they decided that my last name was awesome because it reminded them of 'pot' and I was called 'Potts' the entire time and still am to some friends.

[juniorfan29.livejournal.com]

Because I grew up at a time that Amanda was a rather common name, I did often wish I had a more UNcommon one.


DITTO! I often wish(ed) that my mother would have named me Renee, which was another possibility she was considering. I've only ever met one of those that was the same age as me.

[traezer.livejournal.com]

My name is Trista, which is pretty rare. I was only made fun of once in junior high, a boy called me Trista Pista. My brother Ian would get called Ian Peein' sometimes. My youngest brother Nigel has been called Nigel Piehole by my cousins. Kids can make fun of anything!

I love my name. The only thing I dislike is people can never seem to hear my name when I introduce myself, especially on the phone. Ive been called: Krista, Kristen, Crystal, Trisha, Tristan, Lisa, Trissa, etc.

[imyourrapunzel.livejournal.com]

I never got teased for my first name, Kailani. Kai, which is what most people call me, rhymes with a lot of words, but no one really teased me. My last name though looks like the word moron, some kids teased me about that.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

Well, aside from being one of 8 in my graduating class, I don't mind being named Sarah.

Sarah Rebekah Buchanan. Nothing to complain about, really.

My older brother, on the other hand, is named Omer Bill (not William) Buchanan. In elementary school he went by Omer and kids called him Homer, Odor, Elmer, Elmer's glue, Omer's butt's in a cannon (Buchanan), Omburger, etc. He was a pretty tough/not caring kid, so I guess it was better him than me.

By the time he was in middle school, he had started going by Bill. It's probably better that way.

[sailorneptune.livejournal.com]

I won't tell you my first name, because I hate it that much. I will tell you though, that my nickname is Max (and that my first name is NOT Maxine).

I hate my name because:
1. It is a boys' name in French, and the best way I can explain to translate it would be that it is equivalent to naming your daughter "Richard" or "Bernard".
2. Because it is a boys' name, I was constantly accused of acting up when I raised my hand when they said my name at roll call during the first day of school/whenever a substitute teacher was in.
3. No one can pronounce/spell it properly, and not just because it's a French name.
4. There are several crude and disgusting nicknames that go along with having my name.


I don't go by my first name anymore. I go by my middle name, which is Carmen.

[minga13.livejournal.com]

My name is Martyna Rozalia. I got teased at school, but never about my name.

When I was growing up I knew of a Martina who was a few years younger than me, and it wasn't until I was 16 that I met another Martyna.

It also wasn't until I was a teenager that adults started calling me Martini, and they would only call me that lovingly IF i let them :D

[washironfucketc.livejournal.com]

My name is Alexandra, I was born in 86'. It wasn't as popular as it is now. Growing up I got "AlexandrIa, Alejandra and Alexandrea".

My Maiden name is Chambers. They would say stuff like "I want to get into Alexandra's Chambers" etc.

My mom had it worse, when she married my dad she became Marilyn Chambers, who apparently is a popular porn star, or was.

[broadwaybabe11.livejournal.com]

1. What is your name and did people ever make fun of it because it was unique or uncommon?
My name is Ema, pronounced "Emma." I always got made fun of it, people would pronounce it "EEEE-ma" instead of "Em-a" just to annoy me, but some people did it on accident, thinking that that was how you actually pronounce my name. And everyone always spells my name wrong. My voice teacher doesnt even know the correct spelling of my name (Im just too shy to tell him..)


2. Is your name common and you were teased about it nonetheless?
The name "Emma" is common but not "Ema"

3. If people made fun of your name, did it bother you so much that you thought you'd rather have another (more uncommon/more common) name?
When I was younger, yes. But now I like the unique spelling of my name.

[http://users.livejournal.com/--fourinchesx/]

1. My name is Raisa (ray-suh). And people make fun of my name ALL the time. I've gotten Raisin most often, and then others such as Retard, Ratpoop, Razorblade, etc. Anything with an R in the beginning. Not to mention all the general mispronunciations.

2. I would say it's super uncommon. Only met one other, ever.

3. I used to wish I had a more common name, but it never happened, and I've grown to accept it.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

My last name ends in "man" too and I got made fun of for it.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

My first name is Karlie and I got made fun of so much in elementary school (but maybe that's because I'm a socially awkward outcast nerd loser geek in general and not just because of my name).

The words for "I'm cold" in Hebrew sound like Karlie and I got a lot of hell for that since I went to a Jewish school where we all had to learn Hebrew.

Also a ton of people called me Carlos to make fun of me and it really pissed me off.

And then there was this kid who kept telling me, "My uncle has a dog named Harley!"

[missmaxattax.livejournal.com]

One of my bestfriends name is Lynze!
Sorry.. I just had to say that. =)

[missmaxattax.livejournal.com]

Jamie Lynn. I was never made fun of because of my name, really. I did get "isn't Jamie a boy name?" and a lot of people spell it wrong. Jaime, Jayme. Now sometimes I get "like Jamie Lynn Spears? Britney Spears sister?" eh. I think Jamie is relatively common, though. I used to want a different more "girly name".. but now I absolutely love my name and wouldn't change it.

[thephoeb.livejournal.com]

My name is Phoebe and nobody can spell it or pronounce it. I get called Fo-bee pretty much on a daily basis.
I used to get called Beefy as a kid, and Fubu.

[dlnker.livejournal.com]

haha my dad has always called me jess the mess too. or messy jessie but i hate being called jessie.

[http://users.livejournal.com/hajari_/]

Hahaha I've never had Clarinet. It would suck if you actually played Clarinet.

[mao-kitsune.livejournal.com]

My name is Tala Marikit. I've gotten the most flack because I go by my middle name (simply because Marikit is what my parents always called me) and that causes some confusion.

Another thing is that I pronounce "Marikit" like "Mere-ih-kit" (similar to Meredith) rather than how it is actually pronounced (Mahr-ree-kit). No one in America knows the difference, but it causes people to mishear it as either Meredith or America. So in middle school all the boys in homeroom would tease me by saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the mornings as "I pledge allegiance to a-Marikit..." etc. I was actually quite flattered by it though.

Other than that, I've never really received any negative reactions to my name. Quite the opposite, actually.

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I'm a girl Jordan and its been a constant battle. Firstly people think I'm a boy. I feel like I have to explain that I am female when I write to people. Like when I meet people on the net etc.

The second thing is that no one can spell Jordan. I'll sign something Jordan and I'll get back a 'Hi Jordon'. Drives me insane.

People always think they have the right to shorten my name too. Family and close friends do call me Jordi but people do it out of the blue and I absolutely hate it. People need to ask before they can just shorten your name.

My name has been the bane of my existence. I don't necessarily get teased as such (people do think its funny to call me 'Michael') but people always have to make a comment one way or the other and I hate that people think I'm a boy.

[jordle.livejournal.com]

Oh I just remembered that I did used to get tease. You know the Georgie Pordgie song. Well they used to sing Jordi Pordgie instead.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Same. I'm Alison, and I got 'Alice in Wonderland'. Not too often, though, and it didn't really upset me or anything. I also got 'Al', which I hated, but it wasn't meant to be teasing.

[crzydimond.livejournal.com]

I'm a Claire and I always wished for a more 'common' name when i was younger so that i could shorten it...like Jessica or something.

When i got older people started changing it around a bit...
I get Clairey, Clairabell, Claire bear, Claz [not one of my favourites lol] etc etc...

But my last name - McDonald. It's not easy to go through primary school and have every kid ask you for a cheeseburger with fries...hilarious.

So because of that I ended up with combined nicknames, like Macbear, Bigmac [lol] C-mac, Macattack etc etc

[hoboheart.livejournal.com]

My name is Malena Isabel and when kids in elementary tried to make fun of it, they couldn't find a rhyme for it lol. BUT, someone said it sounds like a disease like malaria or like malaysia.
I don't think it's common in Canada, but it is common in spanish speaking countries
I like having a "unique" name because when there's a bunch of people with the same name you have to refer to them as "the fat one" "the short one" etc.