I hate to ask this, but......

[derah]

... is Karen a "chavvy" name? Please don't flame me for saying using the c-word either, I don't know how else to put the question!!!

We're not from the UK so it's hard for us to know if names are associated more with people from one class or another.

We want to call our daughter Karen (or Kerryn) as it's a popular Israeli name (DH is Israeli) but want a name that works in the UK too. My mum says it's a "hairdresser" name (please, no insult meant there either!!!) and along the lines of Chardonnay and Sharon!

I've known quite a few Karens in my time, from various classes/cultures, and all of them lovely people. But I don't want to give my child a name that she'll find embarassing!

No, definitely not

no, it's a completely normal name!

No but it is an 'old' name, lots of Karens my age (35).

I don't think its chavvy - just a bit old fashioned, as in I went to school wth a few karens, but have not come across any since. But its a nice name so why not ? Certainly not chavvy.

no definetly not chavvy!

I don't think I know a Karen under the age of 25. I can't see any reason why she should be embarassed by it - she'll probably be the only one in her class at school, which is no bad thing.

That's a cool name.

The only Karen I know well is a nurse.

It's nice. I know a few Karens my own age. You might start a new trend!

Wow - that would have been the first response when I started typing!

it's a name that is forgotten now, but nice

It's like calling a baby Jane, Anne, Susan or Nicola. Nothing wrong with it, just sounds a bit anachronistic in the UK. Of course George, Jack and Freddie must have sounded weird 15 years ago! If you like it...go for it

Wow, glad to hear my mum is confused (though I suspected it all long !)

She also said that our choice in case baby turns out to be a boy, Ethan, is "too Jewish". Um, yeah, it was only number 15 last year - hard to turn around without bumping into an Ethan these days!

Mums, huh?

So, next question is whether we stick to the traditional Karen or go with Kerryn (which is closer to how it's pronounced in Hebrew)?

Thanks for all the quick responses!

i know someone called karen but pronounced care-on. is that the same as kerryn?

I like Kerryn it looks prettier on the page

Lovely name

Message withdrawn

kerryn is prettier

Kerryn very pretty

I like Kerryn, too.

now I would say Kerryn was, um, less classy

Karen I rather like, am a fan of simple-but-pretty names for girls.

Hate to think what Mum would say about the weird spelling , but I think Kerryn looks prettier too.

Pronunciation is keh-run (as in care), rather then car-run or ka-run (like as in carrot), if that makes sense. But there's so little difference that I doubt it's really significant.

Probably agree with you though MrsBadger!

I like the name Karen. It used to be very popular so I suppose your mum got sick of it. But you don't get many now. Has a nice sound.

I have a friend called Kerrin and I think it's a very pretty name, quite unusual in the UK too. Go for Kerryn, it's lovely!