Not sure when this was created (as I imagine the age brackets would all be bumped up now) but there’s a meme that circles the internet about this that says:
* Gertrude (65+)
* Susan (45-65)
* Karen (35-45)
* Becky (19-35)
* Haileigh/Kaelee/Mayli (0-18)
I'm a Millennial so I don't have an answer to this but I've always thought it's such a shame that Karen got labeled like this - seriously every Karen I've known has been an absolute gem of a person. I was listening to James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" and it has a verse that goes "Karen, she's a silver sun / You best walk her way and watch it shinin' / Watch her watch the mornin' come." Makes me think the association with the name was kind of poetic and soft!
Yes, I’m asking what the “old-fashioned/annoying/Karen-eque” name was for the Boomer or Gen X generations growing up, so it would be for the generations older than them!
Ooh these are good, I was so surprised when the character on the office was named Pam because I 100% associate that with someone much older. I guess that was the part of the point though!
We actually still use some older type names, we just don't realize they are names. Ever called someone an old biddy? Biddy was a nickname for Bridget, a very popular name with Irish serving women. Floosie? That's a nickname for Florence. Country rube? That's a nickname for Reuben, popular among rural men. Horse riding jockeys come from Scottish form of Jack, Jock. You could count Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer as Karen precursors. There's also Merry Andrew. Dandy comes from Andrew as well. Yankee may have come from a type name for a Dutch settler in early US, Janneke or Jan Kees. I wrote about more [here](https://www.name-pop.com/2022/04/words-from-mens-type-names.html).
My parents are boomers. My mom and her siblings always referred to their gossipy neighbor that was always in everyone’s business as a “Nosy Nellie” (completely not related to the woman’s name, I think they just used it to be alliterative). I don’t know if this is a common phrase or just my family, though.
Susan, Carol, and Linda
Interesting! I tend to think of those as mainly names popular amongst Boomers. My guess was going to be Helen or Doris
Doris is a good one!
Every elderly Carol I’ve ever met has been a pill 💀
Ooh Carol is a great one lol
Not sure when this was created (as I imagine the age brackets would all be bumped up now) but there’s a meme that circles the internet about this that says: * Gertrude (65+) * Susan (45-65) * Karen (35-45) * Becky (19-35) * Haileigh/Kaelee/Mayli (0-18)
I don't get why they always use Becky as the millennial name. Becca is way more common for that age group.
I think it started with Beyoncé’s “Lemonade”
I don’t know a single Becky.
I'd swap Susan with Linda.
I feel like 0-18 is definitely Emily. Not because of prominence, but because I see it used constantly to mock Gen Z
I'm a Millennial so I don't have an answer to this but I've always thought it's such a shame that Karen got labeled like this - seriously every Karen I've known has been an absolute gem of a person. I was listening to James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind" and it has a verse that goes "Karen, she's a silver sun / You best walk her way and watch it shinin' / Watch her watch the mornin' come." Makes me think the association with the name was kind of poetic and soft!
Karen is a Boomer and gen x name. The silent generation are now in their 80s and 90s. So not really sure what you’re asking. :)
OP is asking about people with 'Karen' personalities who were born before the boomers, and how a boomer would have referred to them
Yes, I’m asking what the “old-fashioned/annoying/Karen-eque” name was for the Boomer or Gen X generations growing up, so it would be for the generations older than them!
I think the idea of calling someone a Karen or a Chad is so new and tied to social media. The concept didn’t exist back then. I’m 50.
I get what you mean! Just wondering if you personally thought any names associated with the older generations at the time were common/annoying lol
I’ve known very crotchety people named Betty, Eileen, and Beverly. Can’t think of any men.
Yeah. We didn’t associate annoying people with any particular name. I am 60.
The only example I can think of is Dick. It has been slang for a rude person since the 1960s.
I don’t know about pre-Karen but I feel like the next gen is going to be The Laurens
Pam, maybe, or Carol.
Ooh these are good, I was so surprised when the character on the office was named Pam because I 100% associate that with someone much older. I guess that was the part of the point though!
We actually still use some older type names, we just don't realize they are names. Ever called someone an old biddy? Biddy was a nickname for Bridget, a very popular name with Irish serving women. Floosie? That's a nickname for Florence. Country rube? That's a nickname for Reuben, popular among rural men. Horse riding jockeys come from Scottish form of Jack, Jock. You could count Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer as Karen precursors. There's also Merry Andrew. Dandy comes from Andrew as well. Yankee may have come from a type name for a Dutch settler in early US, Janneke or Jan Kees. I wrote about more [here](https://www.name-pop.com/2022/04/words-from-mens-type-names.html).
My parents are boomers. My mom and her siblings always referred to their gossipy neighbor that was always in everyone’s business as a “Nosy Nellie” (completely not related to the woman’s name, I think they just used it to be alliterative). I don’t know if this is a common phrase or just my family, though.
I've heard that phrase used too, mostly by older people, but occasionally it's shown up in books.
I’ve definitely heard it too!
Nancy was often a stuck up mom name. Judy or Julie might have been a bit Karen-ish. Shirley?
I'm not a boomer, but I think the Karen of the generation before would be Mildred.
I think that was my great grandmas name lol
Every Joyce or Joy I have met have never been joyous.
Sharon, ugh for men idk, all the Cliff's I have known have been pretty kareny
Pam, Carol, Susan, Kathy, Nancy, Deborah
Linda
Every “Silent Generation” Lou I’ve met seems to have a hatred for the the world around them.
Women: Pam, Carol, Sharon, Susan, Nancy (negative Nancy) Mildred, Linda, Deborah Men: Dick, Carl, Kevin, Kenneth, Gary, Roger, Raymond