Mom lets daughter change ‘racist’ name after years of school bullying as teen says she couldn’t take the teasing

A mom has allowed her teenage daughter to legally change her name after years of bullying left her dreading school.

Danielle Remp, a 36-year-old from Tennessee who works as a shift manager at Burger King, said her 16-year-old daughter had reached the point where she no longer wanted to live with a name that had become a daily source of embarrassment.

She took to TikTok to share her story, writing: "My 16 y/o hates her name because she gets made fun of for it.. she asked if we could change her name..I said yes, no questions asked!"

In the caption, she added: "I’ll always stand by her side no matter what #standbyyourkid #doitforthem #foryou #fyp #stopbullying."

According to Today, Danielle is now saving around $200 to cover the legal costs of changing her daughter's name.

For her, the decision had nothing to do with politics or history and everything to do with her child's well-being.

"She's a good kid. She's doing great in school, she doesn't give me trouble. So if changing her name makes her feel better about herself, why would I say no?" she told the outlet.

Why did she want to leave her birth name behind?

The name Danielle's daughter was given at birth was Dixie, a name chosen by her father in 2008.

Now, she prefers to go by Skye.

Speaking alongside her mother, the high school student explained that the bullying had become impossible to ignore.

"They call me things like 'Dixie Dust,' or 'Dixie Normous,'" she said. "They just give it all sorts of crude meanings, and they'll call me that in the hallway."

She also said classmates accused her of being racist or supporting the Confederacy simply because of her name.

"My mom was going to name me Skye when I was born, but my dad chose Dixie instead," she said. "Skye feels like me. It's who I am, and it makes me feel happy to go by that name."

The name became closely linked to the American South after the 1859 song 'Dixie's Land'. Credit: Bettmann / Getty

Why the name Dixie became controversial

While Dixie was once a relatively common name in the US, it has become increasingly controversial because of its historical associations.

The term became closely linked to the American South after the 1859 song 'Dixie's Land', which later became an unofficial anthem of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Because the Confederacy fought to preserve slavery, the word has since become associated with that history.

Internet is divided over the mom's decision

The mom's video quickly attracted hundreds of comments, with many sharing their own experiences of growing up with unusual or unpopular names.

Some argued that changing her name rewarded the bullies rather than addressing the real issue.

One commenter wrote: "Nah. teach her self confidence. If it isn't her name it'll be her body. ppl will always have something to make fun of ppl for. and unless you plan to continually get surgery etc for everything then."

Another person who said they also grew up with the name Dixie added: "I got bullied but now I love my name. It’s different and you don’t hear it often. More importantly I’m named after my grandma who helped raise me."

Others strongly supported Danielle's decision. "I’m 42 & wanted this as a kid too; I was laughed at. Thank you for letting her & honoring her wishes," a user penned.

Another commented: "I hate my name & have never felt connected to it. I wish my mom would’ve let me change it when I was younger. I’m 30 now & feel it’s too late. Happy for Skye."

Featured image credit: TikTok