SQL Server 2000: weird error: cannot convert VARCHAR to INT - sql

Question

I'm having a weird error that happens under weird circumstances.
The list of skill names I receive in the cursor curLongSkills is to be inserted into the table tbl_new_skill_overview if and only if they don't already exist. So I loop through the cursor as usual, and check whether it already exists before inserting.
The weird thing is that I receive the error Syntax error converting the varchar value 'Some Random Skill' to a column of data type int. on the line SELECT #iCount = COUNT(ID).
However, this does not happen if I remove the WHERE clause in that statement. So if I comment or remove WHERE Name = #sSkillName, it won't give the error. It's as if it thinks that I'm assigning #sSkillName to #iCount just because I'm using #sSkillName in the WHERE clause of the same query.
Other ways of doing this will suffice provided that I can tell whether or not the skill has already been inserted into tbl_new_skill_overview. I don't necessarily have to do it this way.
I've also tried the following, which gives the same error:
SET #iCount = (
SELECT COUNT(ID) AS Line_Count
FROM tbl_new_skill_overview
WHERE Name = #sSkillName
);
The server is running Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (I know, I know...).
Following is the entire SQL script.
DECLARE #sSkillName VARCHAR(200);
DECLARE #iCount INT;
DECLARE curLongSkills CURSOR FOR (
SELECT DISTINCT Name
FROM tbl_new_skill
WHERE Profile = 'long'
AND Parent_ID IS NULL
)
OPEN curLongSkills;
FETCH curLongSkills INTO #sSkillName;
WHILE ##FETCH_STATUS = 0 BEGIN
SELECT #iCount = COUNT(ID)
FROM tbl_new_skill_overview
WHERE Name = #sSkillName; -- No error if this line removed.
IF #iCount = 0 BEGIN
PRINT #sSkillName;
-- TODO: Insert skill
END;
FETCH curLongSkills INTO #sSkillName;
END;
CLOSE curLongSkills;
DEALLOCATE curLongSkills;

Answer 1

I've never liked cursors - but as a cheeky alternative, you should be able to accomplish what you want without a cursor.
insert into tbl_new_skill_overview
select //columnNames
from tbl_new_skill
WHERE Profile = 'long'
AND Parent_ID IS NULL
and name not in
(select name from tbl_new_skill)

Answer 2

The problem was stupidity.
The Name column in tbl_new_skill_overview was mistakenly put in as an INT, not a VARCHAR.
Thanks to all who responded, particularly bobs for asking me to show the database structure, at which point I realized the mistake.

Answer 3

That's a strange occurrence for sure. I have no idea what's causing it, but to get around it, perhaps you could do something like this:
if not exists (select * from tbl_new_skill_overview where Name = #sSkillName) begin
print #sSkillName;
-- TODO: Insert skill
end
That is assuming you don't use #iCount for anything else later.