Number of new “Karens” at all-time low in the United States, and here’s why

In meme culture, “Karen” represents the stereotype of the middle-aged, narrow-minded, nagging white woman that annoys everyone. The sour guy who yells at the boss of the supermarket when the cashier has done something she doesn’t like.

The internet meme has been around for several years, but became more visible earlier this year as a stereotype of the aggrieved, angry, or racist middle-class American white woman taking advantage of her “white privilege.”

Invisible diving

Fewer and fewer Karens will call the boss in the supermarket in the future, as the popularity of the first name has taken an unprecedented plunge last year. In the list of the most popular first names in the United States, “Karen” has dropped from 660th to 831st place – the lowest position of the name since 1927. Specifically, in 2020, 325 girls were born with the surname ” Karen ”in the United States. In 1965, when “Karen” was still the third most popular given name for newborn girls, it was 33,000.

The name first appeared on the list in 1906 and peaked between 1951 and 1968. Last year “Olivia” was the most popular given name among newborn girls in the United States and “Liam” “in boys.