Names that became negatively viral

[Theblackdogagain]

Just wondering what names became negatively viral and how people feel about their name now.

My name was in a UK sketch show early 2000s and I hated it for a while but now no one remembers it and its gone back to being a classic name again.

According to my elderly cousin, Dexy's Midnight Runners were universally unpopular with anyone called Eileen...

I taught a boy called Rudy (a lovely student) but I had to stop myself from humming "a message to you Rudy" under my breath whenever he was in the room. Found myself whistling the tune in the corridor after each lesson. Couldn't help it!

@LauderSyme

I'm sorry because I am sure you did not intend this but I found your reply to @gemini1990 to be incredibly condescending and belittling. The OP didn't ask for TV sketch names, the post read 'Just wondering what names became negatively viral and how people feel about their name now'.

Posters also suggested the names 'Myra', 'Rose' and 'Oscar'.

.. Calling out people for answering a question in a way you deem inappropriate is horribly oppressive .

TBF it's a thread that's also mentioned Maxine, Myra and Adolf

I would just think eartha kit, it's a nice name

The appalling misogyny of "Karen" has made the name, which objectively sounds quite nice, has made it unusable.

Oops crossed post

African-American slur.

Im 10th.

and today we learned that I cannot count!

According to Wiki
In African-American culture, there is a history of calling difficult white women or those who "weaponize" their position by a generic pejorative name. In the antebellum era (1815–1861), "Miss Ann" was used. In the early 1990s, "Becky" was used. As late as 2018, before the use of "Karen" caught on, alliterative names matching particular incidents were used, such as "Barbecue Becky", "Cornerstore Caroline", and "Permit Patty". Linguist Kendra Calhoun connects "Karen" stereotypes to the older "soccer mom".

A more pointed explanation, which involves race, is the expression originating among black people to refer to unreasonable white women. The term was popularized on Black Twitter as a meme used to describe white women who "tattle on Black kids' lemonade stands" or who unleash the "violent history of white womanhood". Bitch magazine described Karen as a term that originated with black women but was co-opted by white men. In an article on high-profile incidents in the U.S. of white women calling the police on black people, The Guardian called 2020 "the year of Karen".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen(slang)

Lol it was quite normal to have big familys.
My nan is one of 12.

Not in todays world though, how old is your Mum?

My mum passed away years ago.

No shortage of people called Joseph or Joe though and Uncle Joe probably killed even more people than Hitler

Jade Goody appeared on Big Brother in summer 2002. The name's popularity nosedived. It fell even further after she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2007 and was the ringleader of the racist bullying of Shilpa.

Karen used to be a term to describe racist women of the sort that called to police on black families having a barbecue. However, it has come to mean a middle aged woman who dares to have, and express, an opinion.

Karen is the obvious one.

Then Alexa because of the Amazon Alexa thing. You’d just constantly be talked to like the device.

Oh and maybe Rose? I suggested it to my husband for our girl and he said no way it reminds him of Rose West!

A neighbours daughter is called Alexia. I think of her each time we end up having a row with our Alexa becsuse she refuses to do something or turns a different light in and we end up shouting "alexa! Alexa! Stop! No! Alexa! Turn such and such on." 😂

Isis, Adolf and Benito.

Laylah, Chantal and Kevin probably wouldn’t be good baby names in Germany.

Well, I currently wouldn’t pick Laylah in any German speaking country, tbh.

I’ve lived out of the UK for many years now. Is it really that bad now? Must be quite difficult for Karen’s. It was a popular name when I was a child so must be a lot of Karen’s in their 40s now.

Only if you use certain social media. As I said upthread I'm close to two Karens and neither of them are bothered by it. One isn't on social media at all so it has almost entirely passed her by. The other just ignores it.

The entire concept of it, of using a name try and silence women of a certain age speaking out, is awful and infuriating. But I dont think disproportionately affects women actually called Karen.

My friend Ulrika had a lot of references to Ulrikaka, referring to Ulrika Johnson I think. She found it annoying but it didn't last very long

My name is Karen. I am not a complainer and never ever demand to speak to the manager. I am not racist. I do not have a Karen haircut. I am only 28 so not middle aged. The whole Karen thing is awful. 😪 I came off social media as I couldn’t comment on anything without someone calling me a Karen. I only ever comment nice things. I walked past a cafe the other day that says ‘Karen’s aren’t welcome’. I haven’t done anything wrong and don’t deserve to be treated this way. It is a name my parents gave to me. I’d love to change it but my parents would be upset by this. Would you change your name? I am always embarrassed by by name.