"This stereotype may have led to a steep decline in the use of the name says Rebekah Wahlberg, BabyCenter's name trends specialist. "Overall, it's a striking example of how quickly a once-common name can fade in popularity over a relatively short period of time - especially when there's a moment in the cultural zeitgeist to accelerate it," she tells TODAY.com."
""It's easy to assume that the memes sent a popular name over a cliff, but that wasn't possible because the generational cliff hit decades earlier," she says. "Like most hot names of the 1950s, Karen plummeted out of use in the '70s and '80s.""
"Regardless of the reason for the drop, the fact remains that the name isn't exactly desirable right now. But here's the thing ... there are plenty of Karens who are completely delightful human beings - you probably know one! And that's why TODAY.com set out to find the few, the sentimental, the brave parents who have bestowed the name Karen on their precious littles."
The name Karen ranked among the Top 100 most popular names for fifty years before a pronounced decline. Memes associating the name with self-important, middle-aged complaint behavior coincided with a cultural moment that accelerated reduced usage. Generational naming patterns indicate the steep drop began in the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting earlier shifts in popularity. The name currently carries social undesirability for many, yet many people named Karen remain pleasant and loved. Some parents continue to choose Karen for sentimental reasons, including honoring relatives who died from illness complications.
Read at TODAY.com
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