Move over Olivia and Noah: there are two new baby names on the rise and it’s all thanks to Greta Gerwig‘s blockbuster flick, Barbie.
The movie — which has grossed over $1 billion globally since its late July release— copped some mixed reactions but was wildly celebrated for its feminist lens and demonstrating that yes, men really do need to stop serenading women with Matchbox 20 in a bid to woo them.
Now, Margot Robbie‘s Barbie and Ryan Gosling‘s Ken have piqued the interest of budding parents-to-be, with TMZ reporting that searches for the characters’ monikers have skyrocketed since the flick came out.
I truly believe this could singlehandedly unflatten Barbie’s feet in an instant.
Gone are the days when you had six Madisons, three Jacks and four Taylahs in your class at school.
In 15 years’ time, roll calls around the globe will sound off to “Hi Barbie, Hi Barbie, Hi Ken, Hi Barbie”— if we’re lucky, someone might name their kid “Allan” for good measure.
BabyNames.com told TMZ that their website saw a 300 per cent spike in searches for “Barbie” in July. On a slightly smaller scale, interest in “Ken” rose over 200 per cent in the same month.
After all, he is just Ken.
However, if we wanna get real technical, the OG Mattel dolls’ full names are Barbara Millicent Roberts and Kenneth Sean Carson. Ten bucks to anyone who really commits to the bit.
Fun trivia!!! They were named after their creator, Ruth Handler‘s IRL kids. Which kinda makes it odd that fictional Barbie and Ken have a long-term, long-distance, low-commitment casual relo, but that’s a yarn for another time.
According to BabyNames.com, Barbie means “stranger”, while Ken means “handsome”. TBH, these names are far more desirable than anything Nick Cannon has named any of his 12 offspring.
Anywho, I’m seriously all for the old-timey names making a comeback. Barbie and Ken last peaked in popularity back in 1964 and 1963, respectively.
I can’t wait to see whether the next generation of Kens evolve from Beach.
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures.
