What Are the Names of Barbie’s Friends?
The doll Barbie has had many different friends since she was introduced in 1959. Her oldest friend is Ken Carson, a doll that was introduced to the line in 1961. In 1963, Midge Hadley was introduced as Barbie’s first female friend. Other early Barbie friends include Christie, the first African-American doll in the line, and a British teen named Stacey.
Ken Carson is usually marketed as Barbie’s boyfriend. In 2004, Mattel introduced Blaine Gordon, a new doll Barbie was dating, along with a new friend, Blaine’s sister Summer. Ken was brought back into production in 2006.
Midge Hadley dolls have also been in and out of production. The doll was reintroduced in 1988, 2003 and 2013 with different facial features and storylines. Ken, Midge and Summer are included as characters in “Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse,” a popular web series that began in 2012 and remains in production as of 2014. Other friends of Barbie’s from the series are Teresa, Nikki, Raquelle and Ryan. These characters are available as single dolls and in sets, as of 2014.
Barbie’s family has also changed over the years, with siblings discontinued and replaced. As of 2014, Barbie’s family line-up includes Skipper, who was first introduced in 1964; Stacie, who debuted in 1990; and Chelsea, who was first produced in 2010.
