People Have Stopped Naming Their Babies “Karen” Over The Past Year: Report

Whether they’re ruining a Black family’s cookout, spewing hateful anti-Asian sentiments, or attacking Black teenagers, “Karens” are often behind some of the worst pop culture moments. All of the viral “Karens” out there have even inspired the following definition from Urban Diction: “Karen is a pejorative term used in the United States and other English-speaking countries for a woman perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is appropriate or necessary.”

Well apparently, the latest round of parents has chosen to do a public service and bring far fewer “Karens” into the world. Yes, the number of people named Karen won’t be getting significantly larger anytime soon because the name has apparently tanked in popularity as far as baby names go. According to Uproxx, the baby name experienced a 25% decrease in popularity in 2020.

In this handout photo provided by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Miya Ponsetto is seen in a police booking photo on January 8, 2021 in Ventura, California. Ponsetto is being held in relation to a December 26, 2020 altercation where she attacked a Black teen she had falsely accused of taking her phone at the Arlo Hotel in New York City. Her phone was later returned by a car service she had used.
Ventura County Shariff’s Office/Getty Images

Thanks to people like “SoHo Karen” Miya Ponsetto (pictured above), the name Karen has simply left a bad taste in new parents’ mouths. To be fair, the baby name has reportedly been slowly decreasing in popularity since its height in the 1960s, but for the name to plummet by 25% in 2020 is unlikely coincidental.

According to Uproxx, there were a mind-boggling 33,000 babies named Karen in 1965, and although the number of kids unknowingly named after a pop culture faux had drastically diminished to just 439, last year brought only 325 new Karens into the world.

After all of the viral “Karen” incidents, would you still name your child Karen?

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