Ken Doll's Real Name Revealed Ahead of the Iconic Toy's 65th Birthday Raven BrunnerJanuary 27, 2026 at 1:39 AM 1 Ken doll Daniel Karmann/EPA/Shutterstock Mattel's Ken doll is turning 65 in March, and fans are curious to learn more about him The doll was first sold in stores in March 1961 Ahead of his big birthday, more facts are being revealed about the wildly popular toy He's Kenough. Mattel's Ken doll is turning 65 in March, and fans are curious to learn more about him.
- - Ken Doll's Real Name Revealed Ahead of the Iconic Toy's 65th Birthday
Raven BrunnerJanuary 27, 2026 at 1:39 AM
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Ken doll
Daniel Karmann/EPA/Shutterstock
Mattel's Ken doll is turning 65 in March, and fans are curious to learn more about him
The doll was first sold in stores in March 1961
Ahead of his big birthday, more facts are being revealed about the wildly popular toy
He's Kenough.
Mattel's Ken doll is turning 65 in March, and fans are curious to learn more about him. From decades of being Barbie's dream guy to being portrayed by Ryan Gosling in the 2023 Barbie movie, the iconic figure has taken on many different roles.
But now, as the doll said in an Instagram post from the toy company on Monday, Jan. 26, he "needs to see what else is out there."
Ken's real name, which may surprise even longtime fans, is Kenneth Sean Carson. The doll was named after Kenneth Handler, the son of Mattel co-founders Ruth Handler and Elliot Handler, according to Time magazine. Ruth's daughter Barbara, meanwhile, was the inspiration for Barbie.
Ken first started being sold in stores in March 1961, two years after the release of the first Barbie doll, according to the outlet.
The first Ken and Barbie dolls.
Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty
A 1961 ad for Barbie's male counterpart stated, "It all started at the dance. 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, and somehow she knew that she and Ken would be going together."
"So now, Mattel brings you Ken, Barbie's boyfriend, with a complete wardrobe of perfectly tailored clothes of unmatched quality. Now, Ken and Barbie met for lunch at school, go to fraternity parties and just relax together," the ad's voiceover continued.
Featured in the ad was a male doll in swim trunks with a towel.
Over 20 years later, the inspiration behind the Ken doll spoke to the Los Angeles Times about how he differs from the popular children's toy. Kenneth, who worked as a real estate investor in New York City, said in 1989, "Ken doll is Malibu. He goes to the beach and surfs. He is all these perfect American things."
Ruth's son, however, "played the piano and went to movies with subtitles" when he was in high school. "I was a nerd — a real nerd. All the girls thought I was a jerk," he said at the time.
The infamous doll couple have experienced their ups and downs, breaking up in 2004 after 43 years. Barbie was then rumored to be dating Blaine, an Australian surfer doll. Barbie and Ken rekindled their romance in 2011 on the set of Toy Story 3, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Ken is now on a new journey. Mattel wrote in his recent status update, "After 65 years, Ken's ready to explore a new era by trying 65 new things. Where should he begin?"
As he bid farewell to the ocean in an emotional video, he said, "Don't be salty. It's not forever. We'll stay in touch. Send a wave."
"Don't look back," he told himself as he turned away from the water.
Ken doll on a toy store shelf in Madrid, Spain on July 19, 2023
David Benito/Getty
Mattel surprised the internet in 2018 by revealing Barbie's last name, Roberts, in honor of National Siblings Day. Another lesser known fact is that the doll – whose full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts – has three sisters: Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea.
Also in news that shocked the children's toy world, Japanese company Sanrio revealed in 2024 that Hello Kitty is not a cat.
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "She's actually a little girl born and raised in the suburbs in London," Sanrio's senior vice president of marketing and brand management Jill Koch said during a segment on the Today show at the time. "She has a mom and dad and a twin sister Minnie, who is also her best friend. She enjoys baking cookies and making new friends."Mattel made headlines earlier this year with the release of its first-ever Barbie doll with autism.
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Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 26, 2026 at 10:36PM on Source: RED MAG
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