Schoolgirl, 16, forced to change her own name after woke classmates claimed it was racist

The term Dixie came from the song "Dixie's Land" which became the South's unofficial anthem in the 19th century.

It can also refer to the southern states which formed the Confederate States of America.

In recent years it has become controversial among some Americans due to its association to the South's pro-slavery past.

Daniella Remp, Dixie's mother, took to social media to explain how her daughter asked to change her name.

The 35-year-old said: "She gets made fun of for it. I said yes, no questions asked."

Dixie, whose name was chosen by her father when she was born in 2008, now goes by the name Skye - which was the name her mother wanted to use originally.

As well as being branded racist, she told Today.com: "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."

She added that the name Skye feels more "like me".

Ms Remp, an employee at Burger King, said she is saving up $200 in order to cover the legal cost of her daughter changing her name.

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

However, commenters on social media disagreed with the mother's decision.

One said: "What - no. Teach your child resilience. If you let her change her name, what else will she want to change about herself?"

Another added: "I'm Dixie! I got bullied but now I love my name."

Ms Remp's daughter is not the only person to have moved away from the name Dixie.

In 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, American country band The Dixie Chicks changed their name to The Chicks to "meet this moment" as they received criticism over their name.

Dixie State University officially changed its name to Utah Tech University in March 2022.