Gen Z Just Decided Which Name Will Replace "Karen" And Millennials Are Not Thrilled

Internet culture has a habit of latching onto certain names and turning them into shorthand for specific types of behavior. Once a name gets attached to a stereotype, it's nearly impossible to shake off, no matter how many perfectly reasonable people share that name.

"Karen" became the poster child for this phenomenon; a catch-all term for a particular brand of entitlement and complaint-driven behavior that exploded across social media.

The Karen stereotype took off around 2020, fueled by viral videos of women demanding to speak to managers, calling the police over minor disputes, and generally embodying a specific kind of privilege-fueled outrage.

The term stuck because it felt specific enough to be meaningful but broad enough to apply to countless situations. It also helped that the name Karen peaked in popularity during the 1960s, perfectly aligning with the age group most associated with the behavior.

Now Gen Z has apparently decided it's time to pass that dubious honor along to the next generation. After years of debate and various suggestions floating around TikTok and other platforms, a consensus has emerged about which name will serve as the Millennial equivalent of Karen.

The choice isn't random; it follows similar logic to the original, tracking baby name popularity from the decades when Millennials were born.

Keep reading to find out...

Step aside, Karen. Gen Z has picked a new name for calling out messy middle-aged behavior

Shutterstock / F8 Studio

Well, after much debate online with suggestions such as Jennifer, Ashley, Lisa, and Amanda, the name was ultimately decided as the Karen successor is... Jessica!

The selection follows a logical pattern based on naming trends. The two names share a similar trend: Karen was the third- and fourth-most popular girls' name in both the UK and the US back in the 1960s, and, two to three decades later, Jessica was a popular name in the 1980s and 90s when Millennials were born.

This conversation has circulated online periodically over recent years as people wondered which name would inherit this unfortunate distinction. TikToker @wouldyakindly predicted that Jessica would be chosen, as she showed the US baby name charts with Jessica, along with Lisa and Jennifer being popular in the decades after the 60s.

This TikToker predicted right

"I'm guessing it is going to be Jessica because I don't know.. I feel like Jen seems nice, if she goes by Jennifer, probably not that nice. Jessica will mess you up, Jess is gonna fight somebody if she gets angry," the creator said.

The commentary adds personality traits to the name beyond just demographics, suggesting that "Jessica" carries connotations of confrontational behavior when angered. It's important to note that this is obviously a generalization based on cultural perception rather than any real correlation between names and personalities.

Many people named "Jessica" have come out to express their displeasure at this new development

@jessicamfinn / TikTok

Unsurprisingly, women who actually bear the name Jessica have taken to social media to voice their objections. Their reactions range from confusion to outright rejection of the label being thrust upon them.

"I don't know whether to feel flattered about this or offended," one woman named Jess Blanc said in a video shared earlier this week. "Who was in charge of this voting system? I know it's a popular name, but like... I feel like Ashley should be a contender."

"It has come to my unfortunate knowledge that the children of Gen Z have given Jessicas the title of 'Karen,' said someone else named Jessica Finn in a recent TikTok. "I'm gonna put this to rest, it definitely isn't Jessica. Being a Jessica, we're minding our business, we're probably judging from afar, but we're not going to get involved because we know better... Fighting with someone isn't for us."

Despite these protests from actual Jessicas defending their collective reputation, social media users have not backed down. The name appears to have stuck in Gen Z's collective consciousness, regardless of whether those who carry it agree with the assessment.