Barbie’s longtime counterpart turns 65 this March, and Mattel is sharing new details about who Ken really is.
Ken may have spent decades as Barbie’s ever-present companion, but as the iconic doll approaches a major milestone, Mattel is giving fans a fresh look at his backstory, starting with his full name.
Ahead of Ken’s 65th birthday in March, the toy company revealed that Barbie’s male counterpart is officially named Kenneth Sean Carson, a detail that still surprises many longtime fans.
Where Ken Got His Name
Ken was named after Kenneth Handler, the son of Ruth and Elliot Handler, the co-founders of Mattel, according to Time magazine. Ruth Handler also drew inspiration closer to home when creating Barbie, naming the doll after her daughter, Barbara.
Ken first hit store shelves in March 1961, arriving two years after Barbie made her debut. From the beginning, he was positioned as Barbie’s romantic counterpart, fashionable, confident, and all-American.
A 1961 advertisement introduced him with theatrical flair.
“It all started at the dance,” the voiceover proclaimed. “Barbie, the famous teenage fashion model doll by Mattel, felt that this was to be a special night. And then it happened. She met Ken.”
The ad went on to describe Ken as Barbie’s boyfriend, complete with a “wardrobe of perfectly tailored clothes of unmatched quality,” showing the doll in swim trunks with a towel draped over his shoulder.
The Real Kenneth vs. the Doll
More than two decades after Ken’s debut, the real-life inspiration behind the doll reflected on how different he was from his plastic namesake.
In a 1989 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Handler, who worked as a real estate investor in New York City, described Ken as an idealized version of American cool.
“Ken doll is Malibu,” he said. “He goes to the beach and surfs. He is all these perfect American things.”
Handler said his own teenage years looked very different.
“I played the piano and went to movies with subtitles,” he recalled. “I was a nerd, a real nerd. All the girls thought I was a jerk.”
Ken and Barbie’s Complicated Love Story
Over the years, Ken and Barbie’s relationship has mirrored the twists and turns of real-world romances.
After 43 years together, Mattel announced in 2004 that the couple had broken up. Barbie was later rumored to be dating Blaine, an Australian surfer doll. The split didn’t last forever, though.
In 2011, Barbie and Ken officially rekindled their relationship, with Mattel announcing the reunion on the set of Toy Story 3, according to Entertainment Weekly.
More recently, Ken gained renewed cultural relevance thanks to Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of the character in the 2023 Barbie movie, where Ken’s identity crisis became a central, and widely celebrated, theme.
A New Era for Ken at 65
Now, as he turns 65, Ken appears to be entering another reinvention.
In a recent Instagram post shared by Mattel on Jan. 26, the company suggested Ken is ready for change, writing that after 65 years, he’s “ready to explore a new era by trying 65 new things.”
In an emotional video, Ken is shown saying goodbye to the ocean.
“Don’t be salty,” he says. “It’s not forever. We’ll stay in touch. Send a wave.”
As he turns away from the water, he adds, “Don’t look back.”
Barbie, Ken, and the Expanding Doll Universe
Ken’s milestone comes amid a broader trend of Mattel expanding and redefining its iconic characters.
In 2018, the company revealed Barbie’s last name, Roberts, confirming her full name as Barbara Millicent Roberts. Barbie also has three sisters: Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea.
More recently, Mattel made headlines with the release of its first-ever Barbie doll with autism, reflecting the company’s ongoing push toward broader representation.
The toy world has also seen other surprising revelations. In 2024, Japanese company Sanrio stunned fans by confirming that Hello Kitty is not a cat.
“She’s actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs in London,” Sanrio executive Jill Koch said on TODAY, explaining that Hello Kitty has parents, a twin sister named Mimmy, and enjoys baking cookies.
Still Kenough After All These Years
Sixty-five years after his debut, Ken remains one of the most recognizable figures in pop culture, evolving from Barbie’s boyfriend to a character with his own identity, history, and cultural significance.
With a full name, a milestone birthday, and a promise to try “65 new things,” Ken’s next chapter may be just beginning, and fans are clearly along for the ride.
Featured image from: Originally published by the Los Angeles Times. Photographer unknown; Restored by Adam Cuerden, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons