Naming names

[sombrefan]

I was reading a highly interesting article about how teachers make snap judgements about students' names. So like if a kid is called Bobbi-Jo, that's them automatically damned at school. I have to admit sometimes I can be a little judgemental when hearing someone's name for the first time. It is a social class thing, I will admit to that. And I can be a little bit of a snob sometimes. But I would never let it interfer with how I teach my students.

BBC article - Children's names 'spell trouble'

Comments

[rleyser.livejournal.com]

Lidl...*snicker*

Sorry, inside joke...

[sternwieser.livejournal.com]

Interesting read -- I could see this.

Funny to see Liam and Ryan make the "bad" list though. Both names are very popular around here (large Irish-American population), and I doubt any teacher here would think of boys with those names as troublemakers.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Let me take my list... Nah, none of the names 'spell trouble', but of some of them I didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, not how I should pronounce it. And I really should start memorising last names...

There was an interesting article in Slate about this awhile back.

[thecuckoo.livejournal.com]

In the US, at least, Levitt thinks the problem is with the demographic standing of the people who are likely to give their kids more "troublesome" (which here unfortunately means "typically black") names, rather than the names themselves.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2116449/

[kuzibah.livejournal.com]

I have a book called "Beyond Jennifer and Jason" where the authors studied which names are associated with various traits, like looks, brains, assertiveness, etc. I recommend it for anyone planning to name a child.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

I must admit that I'm slightly prejudiced against certain names - though it isn't about academic ability but rather about their social skills.
Here, Kevins tend to be slightly troublesome and I've yet to meet a Nils who wasn't chaotic in some way. With Kevin it's probably a class thing.
I don't take this too seriously, and I don't think it has an effect on my marks.

[iamdigitalis.livejournal.com]

I adore this website:

http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/

I'm sorry to anyone who is reading this and has done it, but I have done my share of scoffing at weirdly spelled/pronounced names. I don't find weird names more imaginative, or unique. I see a child who will never be able to go into a store and walk out with a personalized mug.

ie: Yacht - yaaaaht/YAKt/Throatwobbler Mangrove or, (this is a bona fide real name of baby boy that I know of) Coen Makai (pronounced: Cohen McKay).