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Few subjects stir stronger opinions than names: too unique, too old-fashioned, too trendy. In Tennessee, Danielle Remp drew national attention after saying she would let her 16-year-old daughter change hers. “She gets made fun of for it,” Remp, 35, wrote on TikTok. “I said yes no questions asked.” The internet, of course, had plenty of its own questions, starting with what kind of name would make a teenager want to leave it behind. The answer was Dixie, the name her father had chosen when she was born in 2008. These days, she prefers to be called Skye. In a joint interview with her mother, Skye said she had been the target of constant taunting. “They call me things like ‘Dixie Dust,’ or ‘Dixie Normous,’” the soft-spoken high school junior told TODAY.com. “They just give it all sorts of crude meanings, and they’ll call me that in the hallway,” she adds. Remp said some of her daughter’s classmates have accused her of racism because of the term’s association with the Civil War-era South. The word Dixie first gained popularity in the 19th century through the song of the same name, which became an unofficial anthem of the Confederacy, according to the Gettysburg Compiler. In the years since, the term has remained charged. In 2020, the Dixie Chicks dropped “Dixie” from their name and became The Chicks. “We want to meet this moment,” the band wrote on their website at the time. Remp’s post drew a flood of responses, showing how a single name can carry weight far beyond a simple label, touching on personal identity, family ties, and the lasting impact of personal experiences. “as someone who was horrendously bullied for their birth name growing up and changed it as an adult, thank you.” “What no. Teach your child resilience . If you let her change her name what else will she want to change about herself?” “I’m Dixie! 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.” Everyone should get one free name change. Not just at marriage. my name is Dixie and I think it’s great that you’ll support her in changing her name! growing up with the name Dixie was really embarrassing for me as a kid for 2 reasons. 1. it’s an extremely common dog name and 2, there’s lots of inappropriate jokes that can be made about the name.” “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.” Skye said the change was about feeling more like herself. “My mom was going to name me Skye when I was born, but my dad chose Dixie instead,” she tells TODAY. “Skye feels like me. It’s who I am, and it makes me feel happy to go by that name.” Remp, who works as a shift manager at Burger King, is saving up the $200 to cover the legal name change for her daughter. For her, the decision wasn’t history or politics, it was about her child’s happiness. “She’s a good kid,” Remp says. “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?” This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
