B737-800 TAKING OFF IN A GUSTY CROSSWIND EXPERIENCED A TAIL STRIKE UPON ROTATION. FLT CREW DIVERTS TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

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ACR X FLT ABCD ATL-HDN. CAPT'S TKOF ON RWY 26L. WINDS WERE RPTED FROM 320 DEGS AT 12 KTS GUSTING TO 21 KTS. I CALLED OUT V1/VR AND THEN NOTICED A BRIEF STAGNATION IN AIRSPD AND THAT THE PLANE WAS ROTATING FASTER THAN NORMAL. I THEN FELT A BUMP IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT JUST BEFORE LIFT-OFF. IT WAS A FEELING I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AT A SAFE ALT; I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT ABOUT A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE. HE SAID HE WAS ALMOST CERTAIN THERE WAS NO TAIL STRIKE. HE THOUGHT WE FELT THE UNDERCARRIAGE ADJUSTING BECAUSE OF THE GUSTY XWINDS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT TO RPT SHE FELT A BUMP ON TKOF JUST BEFORE LIFT-OFF. THE CAPT EXPLAINED TO HER HIS THEORY OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. WE DISCUSSED FURTHER IN THE COCKPIT OUR OPINIONS IN WHICH I THOUGHT IT WAS A POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE; AND HE DID NOT. THE CAPT THEN CALLED BACK TO THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT ON TKOF TO GET MORE INFO. THIS TIME BOTH STATED THAT THEY HEARD A SOUND LIKE THE SCRAPING OF METAL. IT WAS THEN DECIDED TO TREAT THIS AS A TAIL STRIKE AND LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AS PER OUR PROCS. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION BY MAINT; IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT WE DID IN FACT STRIKE THE TAIL. THE TAIL SKID IMPACT CARTRIDGE WAS STILL INTACT; BUT THE TAIL SKID SHOE WAS SLIGHTLY WORN. AFTER A FULL INNER INSPECTION OF THE TAIL; NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. I BELIEVE THAT TOO QUICK OF A ROTATION AFTER VR IN GUSTY CONDITIONS CAUSED THE TAIL STRIKE. IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT IN GUSTY CONDITIONS EXTRA VIGILANCE BE TAKEN TO ENSURE A NORMAL ROTATION RATE DURING TKOF.