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I find it stale. I don't think it's quite ready for revival yet.

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I knew a Karen who had a habit of flipping out and screeching at people, so I'd probably like it a little bit more if it weren't for her, but even before her, the name didn't really do much for me.

I like it. It's almost exactly like Denise in terms of its style and datedness ... midcentury Euro borrowing trend. I've know, Karens ranging from my age to about 35 years older. I like it. I always have liked the sound of it. It sounds calm and smart and reasonable.

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I'd have to think about it as a baby name, though. It peaked almost the same time my own name did, mid fifties ... but it was popular for longer. Well.. hm. It'd be about like it would have been for me, to be named Hazel or Pearl. Okay so that would have been unpleasant. Hm. Pretty sure I would not put it on a list for a baby.

I do quite like it. I just wouldn't use it as it's a very 1960s/70s/early 80s name here so is rather dated. And there were two in my year, one very horrible one so I don't have the best of associations with it but despite that, I like the sound.

I think it's pretty. A bit dated, but still nice.

Karen feels dated to me still. I could see it being cute in a few decades, though.

I like it, actually. I used to think it was a bit dated but since watching Outnumbered, which has a little girl called Karen (she's aged 5-9 over the course of the series), I can see it working on a kid now.

I really like the staid simplicity of Karen, though I wonder if it's been too normalized.

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ETA: I prefer the jauntier Karin.

This message was edited 4/10/2013, 7:00 AM

It's inoffensive, not unattractive, but nothing special.

I have a bad association with this name (my former boss who was nasty to her employees) but the sound is nice. It does make me think of older (40-50 yr old) women though.

I've never liked it, although it's not horrible. It's more the way it looks I think than the sound of it. It does have a cute kind of sound. I just really dislike K, very few K names I like, and the -aren doesn't look particularly inviting to me either. Though I dunno, if it were spelled Caren, I think I'd like it.

This message was edited 4/10/2013, 6:05 AM

Very '60s. OK but bland. I prefer the Karin spelling.

Lots of my friends mums or aunties, or friends of those people are called Karen / Caren. So in my mind it's a "Mum name", I find it a bit boring if I'm honest but not offensive or awful. I wouldn't use it because of my association with many women in their 40's (maybe?). :)

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I agree with you - it hasn't dated dramatically (unlike Carole, Sandra, Patricia etc) and retains its cool Nordic elegance and charm. I'd love to meet a young one.

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That said, I pronounce it - as did my Danish aunt - KAH-ren; other versions like KARRen and KAYren leave me shuddering. ka-RIN is OK in a Germanic environment, otherwise not.

I liked Karen at one time, but that time has long since passed. It's too dated for me to even contemplate today. It does have a nice sound.

I prefer Kara/Cara to Karen. My mom has a really awful coworker named Karen and Karen is the zombie child who eats her parents in Night of the Living Dead so bad connotations.

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I like the sound, but like Kara/Cara better.

It's fine, but still in the "too dated to be used" group IMO (along with names like Linda, Paula, Sharon, Nancy...).

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I do like a lot of names similar to Karen though, like Kara, Kerensa and Karina.

I don't mind it. It is my Dad's partner's name and she is pretty cool so I have a good association. My Dad has always had a thing for it- I know he suggested it for a few of his kids and was always shut down.

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It is way too dated for me to ever really consider it or like it though. It was very popular in my parents' generation and I know a lot of 40-50-something year old women with the name.