# Why Karen? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633 "2020-03-30T00:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/1 "2020-03-30T00:29:20Z")
‘So, Karen…’ She’s been in a lot of memes. Why ‘Karen’ and not another name? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/2 "2020-03-30T00:31:00Z")
It’s just random. It could have been Susan or Deb or anything else. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/3 "2020-03-30T00:49:00Z")
> [@Dane Cook](#): > > There is one person, in every group of friends, that nobody fucking likes. > You basically keep them there, to hate their guts. > When that person is not around the rest of your little base camp, > your hobby, is cutting that person down. > > Example: “Karen, is always a douchebag.” > > Every group has a Karen and she is always a bag of douche. > And when she’s not around, you just look at each other and say, > “God, Karen, she’s such a douchebag!”. > Until she walks up, then you’re like, > > “Hey, what’s up Kar-? Kar-. What’s up Kar-?” > > There’s always that one person - and I’m lookin’ out and some of guys > are like “Umm, I disagree.” > Well you’re the person - You’re the person nobody likes. Don’t get me started on Fucking Brian. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/4 "2020-03-30T00:52:00Z")
Would be interesting to try and trace back the Ur-Karen source. Although there may be no true original Karen, it may have been a case of the earliest story going “let’s call her ‘Karen’ to not name actual names” and from there on Karen it was. The above quote shows a probable influence in vectoring it out. Urban Dictionary has activity rapidly spiking in early 2019 ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/5 "2020-03-30T01:07:07Z")
It no doubt helps that Karen is a name that used to be more popular in the [past](https://nametrends.net/name.php?name=Karen), which implies means the typical RL Karen is more or less in the right age group for the “Karen” character. More fancifully, being two-syllables makes it easy to snarl, and I also wonder if the K at the start if the name invokes the [bouba/kiki effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouba/kiki_effect). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/6 "2020-03-30T01:25:26Z")
Well, I’m pretty happy. It’s usually the name Becky. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/7 "2020-03-30T01:28:26Z")
I thought it was from the film Goodfellas. Specifically the scene where Henry complains about her flushing the coke down the toilet. Ka-ren! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/8 "2020-03-30T01:31:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘So, Karen…’ She’s been in a lot of memes. Why ‘Karen’ and not another name? If you had met Karen, you wouldn’t have to ask. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/9 "2020-03-30T01:38:56Z")
I often hear “Karen” describes as “the stereotypical Gen-X suburban mom.” Nope—the Gen X equivalent is Jen. “Karen” is a bit of demographic savvy to isolate the youngest boomers. It’s a smarter epithet than it gets credit for. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/10 "2020-03-30T01:50:22Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > I thought it was from the film Goodfellas. Specifically the scene where Henry complains about her flushing the coke down the toilet. Ka-ren! > [@](#): > > While it’s unclear where exactly “Karen” began seeing use as a pejorative character, it perhaps started with the [Oh My God, Karen, You Can’t Just Ask Someone Why They’re White](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oh-my-god-karen-you-cant-just-ask-someone-why-theyre-white) meme from [_Mean Girls_](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/mean-girls). Others believe that the popularity of the name may come from the character Karen from the 1989 gangster film _Goodfellas._ > **[Karen](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/karen)** > > Karen is a slang term used as an antagonistic character in memes. "Karen" is generally characterized as an irritating, entitled woman, sometimes as an ex-wife who took custody of "the kids." ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/11 "2020-03-30T14:12:09Z")
One of the popular girls in my HS (class of '90) was a Karen. She’s the right age group for the stereotypical Karen. Thing is I don’t remember a plethora of Karens back then, just her. It definitely didn’t ring as an “old” name at the time though. EdelweissPirate is right, Jennifer would have been better as a solid Gen-X name though. I would be willing to bet it was more or less random. The creator knew a Karen, she was a bitch, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/12 "2020-03-30T14:38:44Z")
> [@EdelweissPirate](#): > > I often hear “Karen” describes as “the stereotypical Gen-X suburban mom.” Nope—the Gen X equivalent is Jen. > > “Karen” is a bit of demographic savvy to isolate the youngest boomers. It’s a smarter epithet than it gets credit for. I was actually going to answer that “Karen” sounds like a stereotypical Gen X soccer mom. Even if “Jen” or “Jenny” is better, the name just doesn’t have the “oomph” of “Karen.” There’s just something a bit more biting and aggressive about the name “Karen.” Peak “Karen” popularity was 1965, ranking #3 on girl baby names, so that’s pretty comfortably start of Gen X, though it was pretty popular for late Boomers, as well. Its popularity continues (the name remained in the top 20 until the early 70s), but it really really dropped off by the late 70s/early 80s. So, in other words, sounds like you’re about right. It’s a common name that straddles the generational cusp between late Boomers and early Gen Xers. Plus I think it’s got a nice percussive sound to it that “Jen” or “Jenny” doesn’t. “Jen” or “Jenny” sound more like nice girl next door names to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/13 "2020-03-30T14:48:41Z")
It’s like the Bruce meme many years ago, which was supposed to represent gay men. Usually said with a lisp. Hopefully this meme will die a squealing death in short order. I know two women named Karen, and they’re both lovely people. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/14 "2020-03-30T14:55:51Z")
I’m currently married, and hopefully soon divorced, from an actual Karen. I can tell you most of the memes are true. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/15 "2020-03-30T15:13:35Z")
> [@Yodalicious](#): > > I’m currently married, and hopefully soon divorced, from an actual Karen. I can tell you most of the memes are true. Heh. Given your username and marital situation, I had to check to see if you were a friend of mine from Chicago. Looks like not, but he’d agree. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/16 "2020-03-30T16:03:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Why ‘Karen’ and not another name? Well, “Linda” would be a silly choice now, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/17 "2020-03-30T16:22:46Z")
According to the [Baby Name Wizard](https://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#prefix=karen&sw=both&exact=false), Karen peaked in the early 1960s in the US, and it’s a fairly sharp peak with very few outside the 1940-1990 range, which makes the stereotypical Karen either be a late-Boomer or an early Gen-Xer. Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s additional class or race correlates, too. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/18 "2020-03-30T16:29:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Well, “Linda” would be a silly choice now, wouldn’t it? In the last season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt had an episode with a whole bit on how "Linda"s are stereotypically adult women who work in HR and hate mondays. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/19 "2020-03-30T16:43:33Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > In the last season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt had an episode with a whole bit on how "Linda"s are stereotypically adult women who work in HR and hate mondays. And that would never work with “Gwen”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633/20 "2020-03-30T16:57:45Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > According to the [Baby Name Wizard](https://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#prefix=karen&sw=both&exact=false), Karen peaked in the early 1960s in the US, and it’s a fairly sharp peak with very few outside the 1940-1990 range, which makes the stereotypical Karen either be a late-Boomer or an early Gen-Xer. > > Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s additional class or race correlates, too. IF you go through the URLs [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKqFEV9rA1U), it looks like 1968 is the first year that Jennifer surpassed “Karen” as a more popular name. In 1965, Karen peaked as #3. Interestingly, “Lisa” held the top spot for girls for quite a while. Looks like 1962-1969, before “Jennifer” finally topped the spot in 1970. And then Jennifer held on through 1984(!) before dropping off in popularity. So looks like “Lisa” is the early Gen Xer name, and “Jennifer” the mid-to-late Gen Xer and early Millennial name. But, of course, these things aren’t just based on popularity, but the sounds and emotions the names evoke. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-karen/850633.md?page=2)