Barbie's Family

This article is a categoric listing of the names of the extended friends and family characters that have been merchandised for the iconic Barbie doll during her decades-long career as the world's most famous fashion doll. This is a chronological listing, featuring issue dates for the first year of release for a given character doll, and an end date where applicable. Names can be and often are re-used by Mattel, sometimes with spelling differences, which has led to two or more different characters having the same name, often at or around the same time frame.
From: http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2005/10/11/image936295g.jpg
SIBLINGS

Skipper (1964-)
Tutti (1966-71)
Todd (1966-)
Stacie (1992–)
Kelly (Known as Shelly throughout Europe. 1995–)
Krissy (1999–)

COUSINS

Francie (Surname Fairchild, 1966–1976)
Jazzie (1989–1996)
P.J. (1969–1985)

FRIENDS

Ken Carson (boyfriend, 1961–1967, 1969–2004, 2006–)
Midge Hadley (1963–65, 1989–)
Christie (1968–)
Stacey (1968–70)
P.J. (1969–85)
Jamie (1970–72)
Steffie (1972–73)
Kelley (1973–76)
Cara (1975–78)
Tracy (1983)
Dana (bandmate, Barbie and the Rockers, 1986–87)
Miko (1986–88)
Whitney (1987–89)
Bopsy (bandmate, Barbie and the Sensations, 1988)
Teresa (1987-present)
Nikki (1989)
Kira (known as Marina in Europe - 1990–2000)
Nia (1990)
Tara Lynn (1993)
Shani (1990-1996)
Kayla (1994)
Becky (1997)
Lea (1999–2003)
Chelsie Peterson (Generation Girl, 1999)
Mari Nakano (Generation Girl, 2000)
Drew (Mystery Squad, 2001)
Kayla (2002-2005)
Madison (My Scene, 2002)
Nolee (My Scene, 2003)
Sutton (My Scene, 2003)
Delancey (Chelsea's cousin, My Scene, 2003)
Jai (My Scene, 2003)
Kenzie (My Scene, 2004)
Ryan (My Scene, 2005)
Simone (1 Modern Circle, 2003-2004)
Blaine (2004–06)
Summer (Blaine's sister, 2004-present)
Tori (American Idol, 2005)
Drew (Fashion Fever, 2004)
Courtney (Fashion Fever, 2005)
Raquelle (Barbie Diaries, 2006)
Nikki (2006)
Grace (So In Style, 2009)
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Barbie%27s_friends_and_family

History of Barbie

What is Barbie?

Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler (1916-2002) is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle. In recent years, Barbie has faced increasing competition from the Bratz range of dolls.

A Short History of Barbie

The original Barbie was launched in March 1959Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara at play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors.

During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across German toy doll called Bild Lilli.The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Lilli was a working girl who knew what she wanted and was not above using men to get it. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.

Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the design of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie