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Readers respond to Emma Beddington’s article that asked why people find the name of the interim pope, Kevin Farrell, funnyIn Germany, the name Kevin has become something of a joke (The interim pope is a guy called Kevin. Why do people find that funny?, 28 April). It became very popular in the early 90s, especially among east Germans (particularly in Saxony) and less sophisticated westerners who wanted a supposedly cool name for their sons. Daughters were often named Carmen or Chantal.So many teachers developed a bias, assuming that these students had an Ossi background and/or working-class parents, and would probably not be academically promising. Nowadays there is the saying “Kevin isn’t a name, it’s a diagnosis”, and “My name is Kevin – so what?” Men change their name in order to get a good job. A pity, really.Marion ClayBerlin Continue reading...