American white women whose bad behavior is often caught on camera in ornery confrontations around the nation have given “Karen” a bad name.
Numerous public dust-ups in recent years — largely motivated by race — have diminished the appeal of the once-popular name among parents of newborn girls, according to data by the Social Security Administration.
The name Karen had been the third-most popular among baby girls born in the United States in the 1960s, but by 2020 only 325 newborns were given the name, which ranked 831st out of the top 1,000 names overall. In 2019, Karen was 170 spots higher at 661st in popularity.
In light of the ongoing face-offs which often go viral on social media, it appears the moniker could completely disappear from the list of the top 1,000 names this year, reports say.
In recent years Karen has become a stereotype — synonymous with a cantankerous personality witnessed in countless episodes of racism across the country.
As a result, the name Karen has become a pejorative term toward American white women who often use an air of entitlement at the expense of others, especially people of color.
The name has also become universally accepted to describe someone who asks to “speak to the manager” or calls authorities as a way of weaponizing the police against Black people.
One stark example was the case of Amy Cooper, a woman in New York’s Central Park last year who called police on an innocent man, claiming “there’s an African American man threatening my life.”
After video emerged on social media proving Cooper had lied, she was fired from her job and was later charged with filing a false police report. Earlier this year the criminal charges against Cooper were dismissed and she is now suing to get her job back.
Meanwhile, disfavor for the name Karen continues a steady downward trend since 2001.
That year, Karen came in at No. 148 in popularity.
Eight years later, in 2009, Karen dropped to the 200s and has continued to decline every year since.
The name did see a slight resurgence in 2003 when 2,331 girls were named Karen, making it the 141st most popular that year, according to Social Security data.
The highest trending names this year are inspired by superheroes, mythological creatures, rural life and Billie Eilish, according to NBC News.
