26 Barbie-inspired names for your Malibu baby

If your social media feed makes it look like your friends all took a trip to Barbie's dream house in Malibu, you're not imagining things. "Barbiecore," that hot pink beachwear aesthetic, might feel like a new vibe, but it's undeniably nostalgic. 

Barbie – like her 200-plus careers – has been the envy of girls across the nation since the 1950s. And with Greta Gerwig's Barbie set to be this summer's big blockbuster, the larger-than-life doll is back on our minds (though did she ever really leave?).

If you're hoping to keep the Barbie fandom alive for the next generation, get inspired by baby names straight out of Barbie Land. We delved into decades of Barbie lore – from her beginnings, the brand's many doll lines, and even some of her animated movies – to find these spunky, retro baby names.

16 Barbie-inspired girl names

1. Barbara

Barbie's iconic name is actually a nickname – her full name is Barbara Millicent (more on that name later) Roberts. She made her first debut in 1959 and is named after her creator's daughter.

The name Barbara derives from a Greek word meaning "stranger" or "foreign" – the same root word for barbarian. Barbara had its heyday in the 1920s through the 1950s, where it ranked in the top 10 baby names for girls and even reigned at No. 2 for nearly a decade. 

2. Ruth

Ruth Handler is credited with creating the Barbie doll. As the story goes, Ruth was inspired by the adult dolls she saw in stores while on a trip to Europe – they were so different from the baby dolls little girls in the United States played with at the time.

Ruth derives from a Hebrew word that means "friend," though "ruth" is also an Old English word that meant "sorrow" and could be interpreted to mean "compassion." It's been in the top 500 baby names since the Social Security Administration started keeping track in 1900.

3. Lilli

The German doll that inspired Ruth Handler to create Barbie was called Bild Lilli. 

Lilli is an alternate spelling of Lily, a popular flower name that's been sitting pretty in the top 100 baby names for 20 years. (The "Lilli" spelling, on the other hand, has never ranked in the top 1,000 names in the U.S.) Lilies are often associated with purity and innocence.

4. Millicent

Millicent is Barbie's middle name. It's been hundreds of years since Millicent was a common name – it's been in use since the Middle Ages, but hasn't ranked in the top 1,000 names in the U.S. since 1965. Millicent is the English version of the Old French name Melisende, which means "strong in work" or "hard-working."

If Millicent isn't your style but you love its meaning and history, join the nicknames-as-full-names trend and name your little girl Millie.

5. Skipper

Skipper is the first of many sisters Barbie has had over the years. She was created in 1964 to counteract the idea of Barbie as a sex symbol – Skipper was originally 8 years old, and Barbie would babysit her. The modern version of Skipper is a spunky teenager and a self-described "gadget girl."

"Skipper" is a term for the person in command of a ship. It's derived from the Dutch word schipper, schip meaning "ship." It's not common as a formal name – it's never ranked in the top 1,000 baby names in the U.S.

6. Stacie

Stacie is another of Barbie's sisters. She first appeared as a doll in 1992 and is usually portrayed as the athletic sister. 

The origins of the name Stacie aren't certain, but it likely started as a nickname for Anastasia, a Greek name that means "resurrection." (There's also speculation that it comes from Eustace, the English version of a Greek name meaning "fruitful.") Stacy is the more popular spelling and saw peak popularity in the 1970s.

7. Chelsea

Chelsea is the youngest of Barbie's current sisters. She was first introduced as Kelly in 1995, but was retired and then relaunched in 2011 as Chelsea. 

Chelsea means "chalk wharf" in Welsh – it started as a place name for a borough in London. It first appeared on baby name lists on this side of the pond in 1969, and reached peak popularity in the '90s.

8. Margaret

Margaret Hadley Sherwood – also called Midge – is Barbie's first best friend. She was initially introduced in 1963 and is famous for being the pregnant Barbie doll: In 2003, Midge had a magnetic belly that was attached to the doll and came with a baby doll that could fit in the belly. (Fun fact: Margaret is also Barbie's mom's name.)

Margaret is the English version of the French name Marguerite, which is rooted in a Greek word meaning "pearl." Margaret spent more than 30 years in the top 10 names in the early 1900s, but has been on the decline ever since. 

9. Christie

Christie is the first Black Barbie doll. She was introduced in 1968 as a friend of Barbie's and was a staple for many years, though she was discontinued in 2005.

Christie is likely short for Christine, a Greek name derived from the Hebrew word for "messiah" or "anointed one," though Christine is often taken to mean "follower of Christ." Like many names on this list, it was most popular in the '60s and '70s, but has been declining in recent years.

10. Teresa

Teresa Rivera is another BFF of Barbie's – she's a popular gal! Teresa is Latina and was first introduced in 1988.

The name Teresa's origins aren't certain, but it comes from the Iberian Peninsula region (modern Spain and Portugal) and has been used since ancient times. It's thought to come from Greek words meaning "to harvest" or "summer." It's more often spelled Theresa, and while both spellings spent decades in the top 100 names, the name has been less popular in the past 20 years.

11. Nikki

Nikki O'Neil was first introduced as a friend of Skipper in 1996, but was reimagined in 2005 as an adult friend of Barbie's. In some stories, she's also Christie's younger sister.

Nikki is likely short for Nicole, a Greek name that means "victory of the people." Nicole was most popular in the '80s, topping out at #7. 

12. Anneliese

Anneliese is one of the main characters in 2006's Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, the first Barbie musical film. Anneliese is a princess who is engaged to a king, but is in love with her tutor.

Anneliese is a German name – a combination of the names Anna, meaning "grace" or "favor," and Liese, a short version of Elisabeth, which means "my God is an oath." Anneliese has only appeared in the top 1,000 U.S. baby names once, in 2005.

13. Erika

Erika is the other main character in Barbie as Princess and the Pauper. She's the "pauper" – an indentured servant to a dressmaker who falls in love with the king.

Erika is a feminine version of Eric, which derives from an Old Norse name meaning "sole ruler" or "eternal ruler." Erika never quite reached the same popularity as other names on this list – it was most popular in the '80s and '90s, but never broke into the top 50 names.

14. Elina

In the 2005 animated movie Barbie: Fairytopia, Barbie stars as a wingless fairy named Elina who goes on a journey to save her home. 

Elina may be an alternate spelling of Elena, a Greek name that means "shining light." It certainly is unique – it first appeared in the top 1,000 names in 2018, and in 2022 was at No. 853. (Elena, on the other hand, was No. 49 in 2022.)

15. Genevieve

Genevieve is the main character in Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses, a 2006 animated movie. In it, Genevieve is a princess who saves her kingdom and her father from an evil duchess who tries to seize power.

Genevieve is thought to come from a Germanic name meaning "woman of the race." This medieval-sounding name has thrived throughout the years – it was in the top 100 names for a decade in the 1910s, and after a lull in the '50s through '70s, is back on the upswing. 

16. Kelly

Kelly was first introduced in 1995 as Barbie's youngest sister, but was retired in 2010. She came back the next year as Chelsea. But the name's connection to Barbie doesn't end there – Kelly Sheridan has starred as the voice of Barbie dozens of times in movies, TV shows, and video games.

Kelly is derived from an Irish surname that may mean "warrior." The name was most popular in the '70s, peaking at #10 in 1977.

10 Barbie boy names

1. Kenneth

The one and only Kenneth "Ken" Sean Carson was introduced as Barbie's boyfriend in 1961. They've been together ever since – except from 2004 to 2011, when they split up but stayed friends. Like Barbie, Ken was named after Ruth Handler's son. 

Kenneth is the English version of two different Celtic names – one that means "handsome," and another that means "fire lord." Kenneth spent 100 years in the top 100 baby names, but never broke into the top 10.

2. Jack

Jack Ryan was a designer instrumental in creating Barbie's look. As a toy designer and later the vice president of research and development for Mattel, he had a hand in the design of hundreds of toys.

Jack started as a nickname for John, which is derived from a Hebrew name that means "God is gracious." Jack stands on its own now, though, and continues to be a hugely popular name – in fact, after slipping out of the top 100 names for a few decades, it's back and was at its most popular in 2021, when it ranked No. 11.

3. Sean

Sean is Ken's middle name. It's the Irish version of John, which – again – derives from a Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious." Sean first appeared in the top 1,000 baby names in the 1940s. It peaked in popularity in 1972, when it was No. 33, and has been declining since.

4. Allan

Allan Sherwood is Ken's best friend, first introduced in 1964, then revived several times over the years. 

Allan is a name with a long history in Europe. One theory is that the name comes from an Old Welsh word meaning "deer" or is the English version of an Irish word meaning "little rock." Another theory is that it derives from the Alans, a nomadic people group who eventually settled in modern-day France.

The name has never been hugely popular – it peaked at No. 115 in 1940 and has been declining ever since.

5. Brad

Brad was the first male Black Barbie doll. He joined Barbie's crew in 1970, originally as Christie's boyfriend.

Brad is a nickname for Bradley, an English surname that means "broad clearing." Bradley is one of the more consistently popular names on this list – it's been in the top 500 names since the '30s.

6. Tommy

Tommy is Ken's little brother. He was first introduced in 1997 and has made a few appearances since then, but is now retired. 

Tommy is short for Thomas, the English version (through Greek) of an Aramaic name that means "twin." Thomas is far and away the most popular name on this list: It's stuck around in the top 50 names for more than 100 years, and was in the top 10 for nearly 50 years.

7. Blaine

Blaine is an Australian surfer who spent two years as Barbie's main man after she and Ken broke up in 2004. He was retired when Ken made his comeback in 2006.

Blaine is a surname-turned-first name that derives from an Old Irish word for "yellow" – fitting, then, that Barbie's Blaine was blond. The name isn't hugely popular; its peak was in 1989 at No. 374.

8. Dominick

King Dominick is one of the two love interests in the movie Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper. But instead of marrying the princess he's engaged to, he falls in love with the "pauper," Erika.

Dominick derives from the Latin name Dominicus, which means "lordly" or "belonging to God." Its other spelling, Dominic, is far more popular. It entered the top 100 names in 2002. 

9. Julian

Julian is the other love interest in Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper. He's Princess Anneliese's tutor and helps rescue her when she's kidnapped.

Julian derives from the ancient Roman name Julius, which means "youthful." Julian has been in the top 500 names since 1900, but started getting more attention in the 2000s, seeing the most popularity in 2019 at No. 31.

10. Derek

Derek is the love interest and the royal cobbler in Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses. He helps Princess Genevive uncover a plot to overthrow her father, the king. 

Derek is a nickname for Diederik, a Dutch name that itself derives from an old Germanic name that meant "people ruler." The name first showed up in the top 100 baby names in 1970 and spent two decades there, peaking at No. 50 in 1982.