What's a Karen to Do? Name Plunged in Popularity in 2020

The name Karen is struggling to keep up with the times.

In the 1960s, Karen was the third-most popular name among baby girls born in the United States, but it has been sputtering in recent years, with 2020 hitting the name particularly hard.

Last year, only 325 newborn girls were named Karen, making it the 831st most popular name among babies, according to the Social Security Administration. That’s a drop of more than 170 spots from 2019.

In 2001, Karen was at No. 148. In 2009, it dropped to the 200s and has continued to decline in popularity every year since, with the moniker expected to fall out of the top 1,000 altogether in 2021.

Karen’s high-water mark came in 2003 when 2,331 girls were born with that name, making it the 141st most popular name for that year, according to the SSA.

The name Karen, of course, has been sullied by memes, and people often use the name to describe a woman who feels entitled and stereotypically asks to speak to the manager to air her complaints.

However, after a depressing 2020, the overall outlook for popular baby names in 2021 is bright with inspiration coming from superheroes and mythological creatures.

Nameberry's top 10 trends for baby names this year include ones influenced by magic, cottagecore and Billie Eilish.

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This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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