Coulrophobia is a fear of clowns and can range from a mild discomfort when confronted by an actual clown to terror .  
The public has become increasingly aware of this fear.  I don’t know if there is increased fear of clowns or if there is just an increased perception of it. According to one analyst, "it has been coined more on the Internet than in printed form."

Clown phobia is becoming common, although not everyone  shares the same fears. Some people are only afraid of so-called killer clowns, such as Pennywise from Stephen King’s It. Some people find, however, that their fear extends to all clowns, even those that appear at children’s parties. Painted eyes and painted smiles, as well as the red bulbous nose, can be also be frightening to some.

Coulrophobia

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