Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Barbie

Barbie, the most famous doll on the planet, always showing us stylish and fashionable clothes, exciting careers and hobbies, Barbie has played a part in most of our childhood’s.

A true icon in the world of dolls, she is a children’s favourite and a must-have item for many collectors around the world.

In this article, we will enlighten you on some very interesting facts about Barbie, that you may or may not already know.

Barbie’s real name and birthday

Barbie’s real name is in fact Barbara Millicent Roberts. She was introduced to the World by Mattel in March 1959 at the New York Toy Fair, her date of birth is 09th March 1959.

The creator of Barbie

Ruth Handler created Barbie and decided to name the famous doll after her own daughter Barbara.

Ruth was inspired by her daughter after watching her play with paper dolls. This gave her the idea to create a doll for mostly little girls at first, to play with. Originally, Barbie was available in brunette or blonde. Then, a red-haired Barbie was introduced in 1961, the same year as Ken.

Barbie, the global icon

Over one BILLION Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide since the doll’s introduction! That is HUGE! Barbie has been around for many years and part of so many little girl’s (and boy’s) childhood. Studies have shown that playing with dolls improves social skills and imagination in children.

In 1997, the song “Barbie Girl” by Aqua, made our favourite doll even more famous as the song topped the charts for weeks, till this day, most people know this song.

Barbie even has her own animated TV show and movies such as “Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse”. A real star!

Barbie’s Height

Barbie is 11.5 inches or 29 centimetres. This is the regular sized Barbie doll, there is no shorter or taller version. However, Barbie’s siblings, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea are all shorter than her.

Barbie’s Signature Colour

In case you did not know or have missed it, Barbie’s signature colour is pink, better known as Barbie Pink (Pantone)

Barbie’s careers

Barbie has had a multitude of careers throughout the years. With more than 250 careers on her resume, from registered nurse to rock star, veterinarian to aerobics instructor, pilot to police officer and even president, Barbie continues to take on aspirational and culturally relevant roles while also serving as a role model and agent of change for girls and boys.

However, her very first full-time job was doctor in 1963 with the release of the Barbie Doctor and Barbie Nurse doll.

Barbie Dreamhouse

The Barbie Dreamhouse was first introduced in 1962 and has had many changes, makeovers and improvements over the years. It is situated in a fictional version of Malibu, California.

Barbie also has a variety of vehicles and campervans to be able to travel freely with her family and friends.

Barbie as a Princess

Barbie has been portrayed in several movies as a princess and has once again, made her audience fall in love with her through the screen. The top-rated movies include Barbie as Rapunzel, Barbie in Swan Lake, Barbie in The Nutcracker, Barbie and The 12 Dancing Princesses and Barbie Princess Charm School.

Barbie and diversity

Barbie also adapted to different cultures, Barbie with a hijab made its first appearance in 2017 as part of the “Shero” line, honouring inspirational women from diverse backgrounds.

In addition to the hijab barbie in 1986, a limited edition “Black Barbie” was introduced to promote diversity and inclusivity. This was an incredible edition with Barbie as every little girl deserves to feel represented and to feel close to at least one of the dolls.

We, at The Entertainer, are proud to offer such a diverse range of dolls within the Barbie Fashionistas range.

The best-selling Barbie

Although Barbie have had a lot of success, one doll in particular has been the best selling out of all Barbie’s, it is the “Totally Hair Barbie” and Barbie Cutie Reveal officially released in 1992.

Totally Hair Barbie has sold more than 10 million dolls worldwide.

Barbie works with famous brands and designers

Through the years, Barbie has had many collaborations with famous brands and designers such as Christian Dior, Versace and Moschino that lead to special edition dolls and fashions collections. A real fashion icon indeed!

Barbie has even appeared in the very famous Glamour magazine to commemorate her 50th anniversary.

The Barbie Extra dolls take this fashion inspiration into fun play with their on-trend fashions, accessories and pets!

Barbie has been an inspiration for many of us for the past 60 years. Barbie has been a part of our parent’s childhood, ours and our children’s childhood, no doubt Barbie is here to stay for many years to come! She has helped in developing children’s social skills, confidence, and imagination whilst inspiring change in every little girl’s mindset.

We hope you enjoyed these interesting facts about the famous doll. Have a look at our Barbie collection to add to your child’s playsets or for the perfect gift!

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