Vol. 73 No. 1 (2025): NAMES: A Journal of Onomastics
Articles

For the Love of Karen: A Socio-onomastic Investigation into Prejudice and Discrimination Targeting Karen and its Name-Bearers

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  • I. M. Nick
I. M. Nick
American Name Society
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5195/names.2025.2750

Published 2025-03-14

Keywords

  • anthroponymy,
  • socio-onomastics,
  • prejudice,
  • discrimination,
  • bias,
  • psychology,
  • namism,
  • Karen
    • ...More
    Less

Copyright (c) 2025 I. M. Nick

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Recent years have seen the proliferation in the use of the personal name Karen as a term of derision. While much has been written in the popular media about the complex socio-political issues surrounding this development, comparatively little consideration has been given to how the millions of real-life people named Karen have been affected by this development. After providing background information about the etymology, spread, and changing popular perception of Karen, this article presents the results of a mixed-method online survey of 681 respondents named Karen or one its variants. Using a combination of open-ended questions and standardized psychometric scales (the Everyday Discrimination Scale, Hypervigilance Scale, and PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5), this Participant Action Research investigated the frequency, severity, and location of prejudice and discrimination experienced by the respondents and the devastating effects this widespread namism has had upon their everyday lives. The findings of this investigation are placed within the broader context of toxic name-calling. The article ends with concrete suggestions for future research into the personal and societal harms caused by namism.

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