After a hefty generational run, it seems like the pejorative Karen is being laid to rest by Gen Z’ers. After nearly a decade of internet infamy, the name synonymous with demanding, entitled public meltdowns has been dethroned. Gen Z has crowned a new successor, or as some commenters have said, “the daughter of Karen”, Jessica, and millennials are not thrilled about it. This new term for Karen began spreading rapidly on social platforms like TikTok and Reddit earlier this January. This has brought the timid wrath of millennials, who are now watching their generation become the internet’s latest butt of the joke.
According to social media discourse among Gen Zers on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and others, “Jessica” is now used as a pejorative shorthand for a specific type of millennial woman. This type of millennial woman posts long rants about minor inconveniences on social media, holds firm convictions about being right even when proven wrong, and prefaces complaints with “I’m not trying to be rude, but…” similarly to how Karens behave. Karen, which peaked as the third most popular girls’ name in 1965 with nearly 33,000 babies receiving the name that year, became internet slang for middle-aged women exhibiting racist or entitled behavior.
Jessica dominated the 1980s and 1990s baby name charts, claiming the number one spot from 1985 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1995. Between 1982 and 2004, more than 683,000 American girls were named Jessica, making it the most common name of the millennial generation.
How Karen Became a Meme
Although its precise origins are unknown, the term “Karen” gained widespread popularity on social media around 2018. Evidence of its early use includes its first entry in Urban Dictionary in March 2018 and the 2017 launch of the subreddit r/F—YouKaren, which has grown to over 600,000 members dedicated to recording examples of “Karen” behavior. Some trace the concept back to comedian Dane Cook’s 2005 special, in which he joked that every group has “a Karen” who is “always a bag of douche.” Others point to the 2004 film Mean Girls and the line “Oh, my God, Karen—you can’t just ask people why they’re white.”
The “Karen” meme gained significant traction in 2020, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement following George Floyd’s murder. Several widely circulated incidents solidified the term’s place in internet culture. A notable example occurred in May 2020 when Amy Cooper became known as “Central Park Karen.” She called 911 on Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher, after he asked her to leash her dog in a designated area. During the call, she repeatedly identified him by race and falsely claimed he threatened her life. Christian Cooper recorded the interaction, and the resulting video quickly went viral. That same day, George Floyd died in Minneapolis after a police officer pressed his knee against his neck. Both incidents received nearly instant media coverage due to videos shared on social media.
Several incidents involving white women calling the police on Black individuals for mundane activities have garnered widespread public attention and resulted in internet nicknames. Amy Cooper, for instance, was fired from her job at investment firm Franklin Templeton after an incident that led the company to tweet, “We do not tolerate racism of any kind.” Cooper’s subsequent wrongful termination lawsuit was unsuccessful.
Earlier examples include Jennifer Schulte, dubbed “BBQ Becky” in 2018, for calling the police on two Black men using a charcoal grill in an Oakland public park. That same year, Alison Ettel, or “Permit Patty,” called the police on an eight-year-old Black girl selling water bottles outside her apartment building to save for a trip to Disneyland, claiming the child needed a permit. Ettel resigned as CEO of her medicinal marijuana dispensary after the resulting video went viral, fueling memes and public outcry.
The term “Karen” originated from incidents where Black Americans used it to describe white women who leveraged their privilege, often by falsely accusing or calling the police on people of color for trivial matters. The meme became so prevalent that Merriam-Webster added a definition describing Karen as “a term used to disparage a stereotypical middle-class, middle-aged white woman who is perceived as demanding beyond reason and often reports others for angry, racist behavior in public.”
The Great Name Debate
As Millennials entered their late 30s and 40s, Gen Z sought a similar name for their generation. Over several years, online debates considered various options. Ashley was a strong contender, having been the number one name in 1991 and 1992, with over 587,000 Millennials sharing it. Jennifer, the top name from 1981 to 1984 with nearly 497,000 Millennials, was also considered. Other nominations included Amanda, Tiffany, Heather, Nicole, and Becky. Despite this, the name Jessica kept coming up in discussions.
“The name ‘Jessica’ has been widely chosen by Gen Z as the successor to the Millennial ‘Karen,” a prediction made by TikTok creator @wouldyakindly in a 2021 video that recently resurfaced. The creator speculated, “I’m guessing it’s going to be Jessica… ‘Jessica will mess you up. Jess is gonna fight somebody if she gets angry.'” This sentiment was echoed in a viral TikTok video discussing the replacement, which amassed over 20,000 comments. Numerous users agreed that Jessica fits the profile, with comments including: “I‘ve never met a pleasant Jessica,” “Ashley and Jessica. Been traumatized by both,” and “Ashley and Jessica. Haven’t met one that doesn’t fit as a Karen.” The creator also suggested that “Jennifer” might fit, but ruled out “Jen,” suggesting “Jennifer” sounds “not that nice.”
The Behavioral Shift
While “Karen” and “Jessica” both basically mean “entitled people,” experts point out subtle differences in how those generations complain. Karen typically manifests in public confrontations: they demand to speak to store managers, call the police on their neighbors, or cause a scene wherever they are, all captured on smartphones. Jessica, according to Gen Z’s assessment, operates differently. According to Bryan Driscoll, an HR consultant focused on generational differences, the “Jessica” stereotype is Gen Z’s update to the “Karen.” Driscoll told Newsweek that “Jessica” is aimed at millennials and centers on “a more performative style of online complaints,” contrasting with the original “Karen’s” stereotype’s characteristic face-to-face confrontations.
According to Alexandra Cromer, a licensed professional counselor at Thriveworks, the term “Jessica” is used to describe millennial women who display “socially undesirable behavior,” mirroring the function of “Karen.” These traits, Cromer explained, often include being demanding, tone-deaf, and aggressive, suggesting a general struggle with being likable. Where Karen might have a public meltdown in a grocery store aisle, Jessica blasts businesses on Instagram Stories, sends strongly worded emails, or posts lengthy Facebook rants, turning mild inconveniences into viral sagas.
Jessica’s Fight Back
Not all Jessicas are embracing this new title quietly, though. Jessica Blanc, 38, and self-identified as a “peak millennial,” told Newsweek about her reaction after her husband forwarded her an article that labeled her name the successor to “Karen.” Blanc, in a TikTok video posted on January 11, challenged the new designation, finding it “hilarious” but unsure whether to be “flattered or offended.” She questioned the validity of “Jessica” being named the millennial “Karen” by Gen Z, despite acknowledging the name’s popularity. Instead, she put forward “Ashley” as a potentially stronger candidate. “Go Jessica!” she added enthusiastically.
While some individuals named Jessica reacted negatively to their name being dubbed the “new Karen,” others embraced the new moniker. For example, TikTok user @rnjessicaa posted a video expressing genuine upset and questioning the label’s origin and purpose. In contrast, @mycrazylifewithjess adopted the term by posting a video of herself wearing a blonde bob wig and declaring, “I need the manager immediately,” with the accompanying caption, “Me as soon as I heard Jessica is the new Karen.” TikToker Jessica Finn defended her fellow Jessicas more forcefully. “It has come to my unfortunate knowledge that the children of Gen Z have given Jessicas the title of a ‘Karen’ in their day and age. I haven’t heard this. I don’t even think they know a Jessica, let’s be real,” Finn stated in a video. “I’m going to put this to rest. It definitely isn’t Jessica. Being a Jessica, we’re minding our business, we’re probably judging, but from afar, because we know better.”
The Male Equivalent
The search for a male counterpart to the “Karen” meme, a question present since its beginning, seems to have concluded. While names like Ken, Kevin, Chad, and Brad were all suggested at various times, Gen Z ultimately settled on “David” by late 2025.
Initially, “Ken” gained some popularity, leading to memes about the “Ken and Karen” couple. However, the release of the 2023 movie Barbie, starring Ryan Gosling as Ken, significantly changed the name’s cultural meaning, associating it more with the blockbuster film and the subsequent “Kenaissance” celebrating “Kenergy.”
In Jessica’s age group, Michael and Christopher were the most popular male names throughout the 1980s and 1990s, making them the statistical counterparts. However, there is no widely accepted male equivalent of the name “millennial Jessica“. As one article pointed out, men are “still getting away scot-free in the great derogatory name debate.”
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Is It Sexist?
Both Cromer and Driscoll criticized the sexist nature of gendered terms for negative behavior, noting the lack of male equivalents. Cromer cautioned about the use and impact of such terms, while Driscoll added that this practice often labels and ridicules women’s frustrations, making it easier to dismiss valid complaints instead of addressing the underlying problems.
Driscoll added that the practice does little to address actual problems. “Women’s frustrations are often labeled and ridiculed in ways that men’s behaviors typically aren’t, which makes it easier to dismiss their complaints rather than addressing their validity,” he stated. “Memes spread quickly, but they seldom resolve the issues they highlight.”
The term “Karen” started with Black Americans as a satirical way to mock white women who misused their privilege, often by calling the police or initiating public conflicts. Dr. Apryl Williams, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan and fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, noted in 2020 that the “Karen” phenomenon has strong links to both race and gender.
However, as the meme became more widespread, its original racial context sometimes diminished, while the mockery focused on gender became more intense. This evolution led to calls for discontinuing the term altogether on platforms like Reddit. For example, one user commented, “This is stupid. We should not be using people’s names as insults.” Another user voiced concern over the impact on people with that name, stating, “Can we stop ruining people’s names? I already felt bad for anyone that happened to be named Karen and got viciously bullied over it, now we’re doing it to another name? Can’t we come up with a term instead?”
The Cycle Continues
The long-term staying power of “Jessica” as the new “Karen” remains to be seen, given how quickly internet trends shift. “Karen” persisted for almost ten years despite various debates regarding its use and impact. “Jessica” might follow this path, or Gen Z may quickly move on to a new target.
What is certain is the recurring pattern of generational judgment. As each generation matures, younger groups will identify and ridicule the behaviors they deem entitled or out of touch. Millennials saw Gen X and Baby Boomers become “Karens.” Now, Gen Z is targeting millennials with “Jessica.” In the future, Gen Alpha will inevitably create its own term for Gen Z’s perceived shortcomings, as one TikTok user noted: “Watch out, Gen Z…you’ll be next.”
While the specific names change, the cycle of generational mockery is constant. For the moment, “Jessica” is the reigning term, “Karen” is retired, and millennials are forced to confront that they are now the targets of the very type of mockery they once directed at others. The internet will, undoubtedly, continue documenting these human behaviors, one viral name at a time.
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