Woman called Karen reveals she's considering changing her name because of negative stereotypes

3 August 2020, 12:14 | Updated: 3 August 2020, 12:23

Three women called Karen want their name to stop being used in a negative way

Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford spoke to three women named Karen who are sick of their name being used negatively.

Three women appeared on This Morning today to discuss the negative connotations with their name Karen.

Over the past few months, 'Karen' has been used more frequently to describe a certain type of woman.

Urban Dictionary defines Karen as ‘the stereotypical name associated with rude, obnoxious, and insufferable middle-aged white women.’

But now women with the same name have revealed it is starting to affect their lives on a ‘deeper level’ and want to ban the media from using their moniker negatively.

Speaking to hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, Karen Trigg from Gloucestershire said she is even considering changing her name because she is so embarrassed.

She admitted: “I can take a joke but it’s got to a point where it’s spilling into my everyday life, now I just want to nip it in the bud and stop it from affecting me on a deeper level.”

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Karen confessed she often tries to cover her name badge with her hair at work and avoids telling people what she is called.

When Eamonn, 60, argued that she shouldn’t have to change her name, she responded: “If it gets any worse then I definitely will.

“I sat down and spoke to my dad - who named me after Karen Carpenter - he said whatever I decide he’s fine with it.”

Two other Karen’s also joined the This Morning hosts to speak about their negative experiences, with Karen Masters from Oxfordshire revealing she has set up a petition to stop the use of her name being used to describe racist women.

Following the Black Lives Matter movement, Karen said her moniker has been used even more negatively on social media and in newspapers.

“As Karen’s we can’t talk about how this is affecting us because we are called entitled," she said.

"So I set up a Change.org to show this is not fair, we’re labelled as racist, entitled and anti-maskers and we’re just not that kind of people.

“We should describe racist people as racist people and not use our name."

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She added: “Name shaming has always been a thing, but it’s certainly not okay to have it attached to everything bad in the world right now.”

Karen Serfass from Pennsylvania also set up a Facebook group called ‘Karen’s united’ back in December, which has recently grown in popularity.

She said: “It was kind of a joke back in December, just the stereotype of a middle aged women doing middle aged women things.

“But over the last couple of months have been joining for support, women are being harassed in the grocery store and end up crying in the carpark.”

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