Get ready to hear more “Hi, Barbie!” and “Hi, Ken” in the future – because of the success of the movie the names are on the rise!
Nameberry, the baby-naming wizards, talked about the wild popularity surge of names inspired by the billion-dollar film led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and directed by Greta Gerwig.
Searches for the name “Barbie” went up a whopping 603% since the film’s trailer dropped in April. And guess who else is enjoying the spotlight? The name “Ken” is flexing its muscles too, with a 293% increase in people checking it out.
But wait, there’s a twist! While parents might be daydreaming about these names, the reality check is in Barbie and Ken are retro cool, but let’s be real.
Sure, the movie is giving these names a wink, but Sophie predicts they won’t be stealing the baby name crown anytime soon.
You won’t believe it – Barbie ranks at 1,896 out of 2,000 popular names, while the name Kenneth, who casually goes by Ken, made it to 113 out of 2,000. Close, but no cigar.
And did you hear the Barbie movie made it rain dollars at the box office? It became Warner Bros. Pictures’ moneymaker for a Monday after that huge $155 million weekend, plus it rocked the world by having the biggest opening for a film directed by a woman.
Barbie’s victory dance isn’t stopping there – Mattel, the toy giant behind Barbie, is cooking up plans for 14 more movie adaptations of their goodies. And yes, Polly Pocket is next in line, starring Lily Collins, and the movie’s director? None other than Lena Dunham. Roll out the pink carpet, folks!
