It makes sense.
Why No One Wants to Name Their Babies Karen Anymore
Long gone are the days of having Karen H., Karen P., and Karen M. in class. Now, you'll be lucky if you can find one kid named Karen in elementary school. According to figures released by the Social Security Administration, throughout 2020, the name Karen fell 171 spots on the popularity list, from 660 to 831, The Huffington Post reported June 1.
Last year, only 325 baby girls were named Karen, which is lower than the 439 given the name in 2019. Karen was the third most popular name for girls in 1965, meaning there were almost 33,000 newborn Karens that year.
https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1400003252075302913
We don't have proof of what's caused parents to not name their kids Karen, but we have our suspicions. In the past few years, Karen has become the unofficial name for white women who abuse their white privilege. Urban Dictionary describes Karen as a “middle-aged woman, typically blonde, who makes solutions to others' problems an inconvenience to her although she isn't even remotely affected.”
There are a ton of tweets and memes poking fun at Karen's increasingly bad rep. “Do babies named Karen even exist or do they just appear one day with 3 kids and wanna speak to the manager," one person tweeted.
https://twitter.com/sofiamendoca/status/918986841499602950
Another person wrote, “Whoever decided the work week was 5 days and the weekend was 2 was most likely named Karen.”
https://twitter.com/txwhiskeyneat/status/1098594951309475840
One Twitter user joked, “You could die, and some soccer mom named Karen will still ask you to RSVP for Kevin’s birthday party.”
https://twitter.com/subscribe_pie/status/1166543208702078976
So, what are parents naming their kids these days? Olivia, Emma, Ava, Charlotte, and Sophia top the list for the most popular girl names. Meanwhile, Liam, Noah, Oliver, Elijah, and William top the list for the most popular boy names.
If you're a fan of the name Karen for a baby, then, sure, go for it. No one's stopping you! But proceed with caution. The jokes will come pouring in.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Paulina Jayne Isaac
