Danielle Remp allowed her daughter to change her name
advertisement
A mom has agreed to let her teenage daughter change what classmates labeled a “racist” name after the girl was repeatedly bullied over it at school.
Danielle Remp, 35, shared on TikTok that she approved the name change after her daughter admitted she was being mocked and accused of supporting the Confederacy because of her name.
The Confederate States of America formed in 1861 when 11 Southern states attempted to separate from the United States. Their defeat in 1865 marked the end of the Civil War and the collapse of the Confederacy as they fought to preserve slavery.
In a TikTok video, Danielle—who currently lives in Tennessee—explained that her daughter “gets made fun of for it,” adding: "I said yes, no questions asked!"
The caption beneath the video further showed her reasoning, as the mom wrote: "I'll always stand by her side no matter what."
Danielle, who works at Burger King, eventually learned just how often her daughter was being singled out over the name she had been given at birth.
Danielle allowed her daughter to legally change her name
TikTok/@barefooted_beauty89
advertisement
The name her daughter was originally given was “Dixie.” The 16-year-old has since changed her name to Skye, which Danielle later revealed in a comment was “the name i [sic] actually wanted to name her.”
“Dixie” carries long-standing associations with the Confederacy from the Civil War era, as the breakaway states fought to maintain slavery in the South.
In particular, the term “Dixieland” has often been used informally to refer to the Confederate states, which is why the name can stir up strong reactions.
Speaking to Today.com, Skye explained what her school experience had been like, saying: "They call me things like 'Dixie Dust', or 'Dixie Normous'. They just give it all sorts of crude meanings, and they'll call me that in the hallway."
Her mom is now saving up the roughly $200 needed to cover the official paperwork for the legal name change.
"She's a good kid," said Danielle. "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?"
The name 'Dixie' has historical associations with the Confederacy in the US Civil War
Win McNamee/Getty Images
The decision has sparked a mixed reaction online, with some people arguing against the idea of changing the name at all.
One person wrote: "What no. Teach your child resilience. If you let her change her name, what else will she want to change about herself?" while another said: "I'm Dixie! I got bullied but now I love my name."
Others, however, applauded Danielle for listening to her daughter and standing with her during a difficult time.
"As someone who was horrendously bullied for their birth name growing up and changed it as an adult, thank you," one supportive commenter wrote.
Another user went even further and suggested that “everyone should get one free name change,” saying it would help people feel more comfortable with their identity.