How Did The Name Barbie Doll Come In To Being?

The Barbie doll was the brainchild of an American businesswoman Ruth Handler (1916-2002); she got the idea when she observed that her daughter Barbara was more interested in playing with adult like dolls rather than dolls which portrayed infants and small children according to the trend then. Also on a trip to Europe she observed the German made Bild Lilli doll which fuelled her imagination to introduce a similar doll back in the United States.

As a result on March 9, 1959 the doll christened as Barbie a short form of her daughter Barbara's name was launched at the New York International American toy fair. The doll was marketed by the Mattel toy company of which her husband Eliot Handler was co-founder. Barbie proved to be a huge success and quickly became a cult figure with a Barbie doll a necessary accessory of every little girl's playhouse. With the introduction of Barbie's wardrobe the Barbie doll became a model for the latest fashion trends and became popular with girls of all ages.