The ‘Barbie’ Movie Is A Massive PR Victory For Mattel, And Baby Names Prove It

The Barbie movie has surpassed all expectations. The film crossed the $1 billion box office mark this past weekend, and is now the highest-grossing film solo-directed by a woman of all time.

That’s pretty cool! Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie did a terrific job bringing Barbie to life, and Ryan Gosling’s Ken was the cherry on top.

Still, one can’t help being the tiniest bit cynical about the whole thing, though perhaps that’s just because I’m jaded and suspicious of big corporations like Mattel embracing the edgy, mildly raunchy humor that makes this movie tick.

I wrote previously that people who claimed Barbie was feminist propaganda were well off the mark. Rather, the film is an extended Mattel commercial, effectively rebranding Barbie as a toy of empowerment rather than unrealistic body and beauty standards.

It seems to be working beyond even box office success. Searches for Barbie as a potential baby name have surged 603% according to baby-naming website Nameberry. Searches for Ken (a shortened version of Kenneth) are up 293%. Of course, these are just searches rather than actual names on birth certificates, but it certainly shows a renewed interest in the Barbie brand.

“Barbie and Ken are piquing parents’ interest, but this doesn’t mean that will translate into actual usage,” Nameberry Editor-in-Chief Sophie Kihm said. “Barbie and Ken are both dated names that aren’t due to comeback yet, so while there may be a slight bump from the movie, neither will be among the most popular baby names of 2023.”

Barbie remains near the back of the popularity pack, ranking 1,896 out of the most popular 2,000 prior to 2023. Ken ranked 113th. Regardless, Barbie is back in the spotlight with a complete makeover, and at least parents are considering naming their child after the doll. Greta was in 858th place in 2022. Margot became a popular baby name in 2013, after The Wolf Of Wall Street released, leaping from obscurity to #944 in 2013, and from there up to #193 in 2022. Ryan, meanwhile, has been popular for decades, with a slight 2022 dip that still left it at #74.