Popular Old Fashion Baby Name is Now Shamed into Rarity in the Hudson Valley

It seems we are in a bit of a baby boom these days in the Hudson Valley. It seems everywhere you turn you here about someone getting ready to become a new Mom or Dad. Some say this perceived boom was caused by all the time we spent in our bubbles during the COVID pandemic.

I guess that is possible. It is also possible that the next baby making generation has finally reach a point in their lives that they are ready to start a family. Whatever the reason, it appears that there is one classic baby name that has fallen from the list of popular baby name in 2020 and most likely won't make the list in 2021.

New parents are using a variety of sources to pick out their babies name. Many are referring back to old school names or names from the bible. Fatherly.com recently published the results of a Social Security Administration (SSA) study looking at the most popular names given to babies in 2020. The SSA keeps a record of names given to babies and then in the spring releases the most popular names from the year before.

The Trend in Baby Names

This past spring the SSA list for 2020 as reported by Fatherly.com included some new trends in baby names and some steadfast traditionally use names referred to as the classics or old fashion. For the most part the names continue to be a mix of the same names year to year but this year one popular name was notably missing and it maybe really obvious why.

The Baby Name that has been Dropped by New Parents

I don't think it will surprise anyone to learn that the name that has fallen off the most popular list in 2020 is Karen. Fatherly.com reported use of the name Karen has plummeted among new parents. They reported that only 325 baby girls were named Karen in 2020. They also shared that a Huffington Post report that estimated in it's Day Karen was a very popular name. Back in 1965 is was estimated 33,000 newborns were named Karen.

So Why is the Name Losing Ground?

As you might imagine the lack of use of the name Karen is being blamed on the fact that the name has become synonymous with bad behavior. It has become a term that is used to describe a white women who acts entitled and unrealistically demanding. We have all seen the memes on social media and even heard the term used in the tradition media in various situations where even men have stepped over the line.

Karen is Not Alone

In researching this information I discovered that other names had been used in the past to describe white women who are acting meddlesome and exhibiting entitled bad behavior: Barbeque Becky, Miss Ann and even Permit Patty. I have even been known to use the term Nosey Nancy. None of those names seem to have end up in the same downward spiral as Karen has from the most popular baby name list.

I would like to close this article by saying I know a lot of people named Karen who are really awesome individuals. By no means should they take any of this to heart. Karen is still a great name even though it has become a baby name outcast.