Name dropping: Karens pushed to verge of extinction
SHE IS best known for asking to speak to the manager, carrying out racist micro-aggressions and flaunting her middle-class white privilege.
Yet it appears that – at least outside the realm of social media – “Karen” is no more. According to the latest birth registration data, the name Karen is dying out and has hit a record low, with just 14 born in 2019.
Published yesterday, the Office for National Statistics’ annual baby names survey found a declining number of Karens born in England and Wales – a trend that coincides with the mounting popularity of the “Karen meme”. “Karen is typically used to describe a specific type of middle class woman whose behaviours display privilege. The term is used across social media platforms to represent an irritating and antagonistic female character. The name has become synonymous with the type of person that demands to “speak to the manager”, holds anti-vaccination beliefs and makes sweeping racist remarks. As a result, the ONS found the name has steadily declined in popularity. In 2018, 21 Karens were born, while the previous year, just 16 were registered. In 2016 there were 18 Karens and in 23 in 2015. In contrast, in 1996, there were 76 Karens and in 2006 43 Karens were registered. Researchers said that the impact of popular culture on “the baby name landscape” was an omnipresent theme.
It is not just Karens who have been scorned, however. The number of boys named Andrew plummeted from 284 in 2018, to 222 last year.
Prince Andrew gave an unprecedented interview regarding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced billionaire sex offender, in November 2019 following his suicide in prison. He has repeatedly denied allegations claimed to have arisen out of the association. Parents instead opted for more quirky names, such as Oakley, Hudson and Chester, which entered the top 100 for the first time. Meanwhile, Lara and Mabel replaced Aisha and Francesca in the top 100 girls’ names; Mabel has not been in the top 100 since 1924.
There was no dethroning Olivia and Oliver, however. Oliver has been the top boys’ name since 2013, and Olivia the top girls’ name since 2016.
David Corps, of the ONS, said: “Analysis shows choices in baby names can differ depending on the mother’s age. We found younger mothers opted for more modern girls’ names like Harper, which has seen a rise since the Beckhams named their daughter so in 2011, and shortened boys’ names like Freddie. Older mothers chose more traditional names such as Jack and Charlotte.
“Popular culture continues to influence the baby names landscape. Following Dua Lipa’s first UK number one in 2017, the number of girls named Dua has doubled from 63 to 126 in 2019.”
Last week, a survey by PLAYOJO, the online casino, showed that 62 per cent of UK adults associated the name Karen with traits including entitlement, obnoxiousness, privilege and being demanding. The survey found that 69 per cent of UK adults aged 40 to 54 would not name their child Karen due to the associated connotations.