Get to know all classic and modern American Girl Doll names with this comprehensive list of American Girl Dolls, including unique and inspiring nicknames.
List of American Girl Dolls You Need to Know
Are you looking to add an American Girl doll to your child’s Christmas list this year? With a wide variety of dolls to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which one is best for your kid.
Luckily, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of American Girl Dolls out there – so you can pick the perfect one!
Each name comes with its unique backstory and personality that gives each girl their flair. Whether they want adventure with Addy or spunky excitement with Josefina, American Girl has something special for everyone.
Read on for the full list of excitingly diverse characters that will bring joy into any home this holiday season!
What Are American Girl Dolls?
For those who are new to the American Girl brand, they are a line of high-quality dolls that were first introduced in 1986 by Pleasant Company. Each doll has a unique name, personality, and backstory, making it more than just a toy but also a cherished companion for children.
American Girl Dolls have become well-known for their diverse representation of girls from different cultures, backgrounds, and historical eras. Through their stories and accessories, they promote empowerment, resilience, and friendship themes.
List of American Girl Dolls in “Historical Characters and Best Friends”
Immerse yourself in American history through this enlightening six-book series, told from the perspective of a nine-year-old girl living in that period.
Designed for eight-to-thirteen-year-old girls, these books tackle important topics like child labor, abuse, poverty, racism, slavery, alcoholism, animal abuse, and war in a way that is both engaging and appropriate for our young readers.
The original dolls in the American Girl/Historical line – Samantha, Kirsten, and Molly – may have shared the same face mold, but each had their own unique hair and eye colors. Originally made with white muslin bodies, we later changed to matching flesh tones in 1991 for a more authentic look.
This change allowed us to create gowns with lower necklines, such as those worn during the Late Colonial/Revolutionary period by our beloved character, Felicity Merriman. Over time, we developed additional face molds for our other characters, resulting in a diverse lineup spanning 1764 to 1999.
In 2004, we introduced the “Best Friends” line, featuring doll companions that complemented our main Historical Characters. These best friends shared the collections and had their books, allowing for even more interactive storytelling.
However, we made the difficult decision to retire some characters from our historical roster in 2014, mainly due to changes in our business strategy.
In 2014, we launched an exciting reboot of the Historical Characters line called BeForever. This revamp included redesigned outfits, a special two-volume compilation of previously-released books, and a unique “Journey Book” for each character.
Brace yourself as you join a present-day girl who travels back in time to meet one of the Historical girls. We also brought back Samantha Parkington, whose collection had been discontinued in 2008, as part of the BeForever relaunch.
But the journey doesn’t end there. In 2019, we bid farewell to the BeForever branding and replaced most Central Series books with abridged versions by early 2020. We also said goodbye to My Journey books, historical mystery books, and any remaining Best Friends books.
However, we have a special treat for our loyal fans – limited edition Anniversary Dolls of the first six Historical Dolls were launched in 2021 to celebrate our 35th Anniversary. Please note that these dolls will be discontinued by 2022, so be sure to grab yours before they’re gone for good.
Kaya
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1764
Released: 2002
Retired: still available
Kaya is a nine-year-old girl from the Nimiipuu tribe in the 1700s who, with her trusty mare, foal, and dog, navigates through the challenges of her tribe’s traditions and is inspired by the fierce female warrior Swan Circling.
Elizabeth Cole
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1774
Released: 2005
Retired: 2011
Elizabeth is Felicity’s best friend and the second Best Friend doll, with a book written about her, who has been portrayed as quiet and shy but also playful, with brown hair and eyes that were later changed to blue eyes and blonde hair.
Felicity Merriman
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1774
Released: 1991
Retired: 2019
Felicity Merriman is an independent and adventurous young girl living in the American Revolutionary War era who stays true to her beliefs while learning to become more refined.
Caroline Abbott
Created by: Kathleen Ernst
From: 1812
Released: 2012
Retired: 2014
Caroline Abbott embarks on a daring journey to save her captured father, testing her bravery and challenging her to make the right decisions along the way.
Josefina Montoya
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1824
Released: 1997
Retired: still available
Josefina Montoya is a young Mexican girl living on a ranch in 1824 Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose journey is filled with resilience, culture, and representation – American Girl’s first Latina doll.
Cecile Rey
Created by: Denise Lewis Patrick
From: 1850s
Released: 2011
Retired: 2014
Cecile Rey is an American Girl doll known for her confidence, diversity, and boldness, who caused a stir when she retired in 2014 due to reducing African-American representation.
Marie-Grace Gardner
Created by: Sarah Masters Buckey
From: 1853
Released: 2011
Retired: 2014
Marie-Grace Gardner and Cécile Rey form an unlikely friendship while facing the tragedy of losing their mothers and helping those in need in 1850s New Orleans.
Kirsten Larson
Created by: Janet Beeler Shaw
From: 1854
Released: 1986
Retired: 2010
Kirsten Larson is a Swedish immigrant who embarked on a new journey in 1854 and embraced life in America while still clinging to her Swedish traditions, inspiring and captivating hearts to this day.
Addy Walker
Created by: Janet Beeler Shaw
From: 1864
Released: 1993
Retired: 2017
Addy Walker is a courageous American Girl doll whose story of escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad was so impactful it inspired a stage adaptation and national tour.
Samantha Parkington
Created by: Susan S. Adler, Valerie Tripp
From: 1904
Released: 1986
Retired: 2004
Samantha is an orphaned only child growing up in the Edwardian period who becomes friends with a poor servant girl and ultimately finds a loving home with her uncle and aunt, dealing with themes of women’s suffrage, child labor, and classism.
Nellie O’Malley
Created by: Susan S. Adler, Valerie Tripp
From: 1906
Released: 2004
Retired: 2009
Nellie O’Malley is an Irish immigrant and Samantha’s best friend who personifies the working-class immigrant experience and was adopted by Samantha’s relatives, later being marketed with a small collection of clothing and her book.
Rebecca Rubin
Created by: Jacqueline Dembar Greene
From: 1914
Released: 2009
Retired: still available
Rebecca Rubin is a nine-year-old Russian Jewish girl who immigrated to New York City in 1914 and is the first Jewish Historical Character created by American Girl, whose six-book series focuses on issues related to the assimilation of immigrants.
Claudie Wells
Created by: Brit Bennett
From: 1922
Released: 2022
Retired: still available
In 2022, Brit Bennett created the historical character Claudie Wells, a 9-year-old black girl living during the Harlem Renaissance in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, and has since written two books about her adventures.
Kit Kittredge
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1932
Released: 2000
Retired: 2019
Kit Kittredge is a tomboy who dreams of becoming a reporter and hates change during the Great Depression as her family struggles with job loss.
Ruthie Smithens
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1932
Released: 2008
Retired: 2014
Ruthie Smithens is the loyal best friend of Kit Kittredge and a member of the retired Best Friends line, who loves fairy tales and princesses.
Nanea Mitchell
Created by: Kirby Larson
From: 1941
Released: 2017
Retired: still available
Nanea Mitchell is a BeForever exclusive character from Honolulu in the early 1940s who wants to help her Ohana despite the challenges of Pearl Harbor being attacked by Japan.
Molly McIntire
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1944
Released: 1986
Retired: 2013
Molly McIntire is a World War II-era character from the American Girl series who must cope with wartime changes while also having leisure activities like skating and tap dancing.
Emily Bennett
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1945
Released: 2006
Retired: 2013
Emily Bennett is a British girl temporarily residing with the McIntires in “Happy Birthday, Molly!” who was made into the third doll in the Best Friends collection and archived with Molly in 2013.
Maryellen Larkin
Created by: Valerie Tripp
From: 1954
Released: 2015
Retired: still available
Maryellen Larkin is an enthusiastic and imaginative girl from the 1950s who dreams of being a hero and was released as American Girl’s Fourteenth Historical Character alongside a short film about her.
Melody Ellison
Created by: Denise Lewis Patrick
From: 1963
Released: 2016
Retired: still available
Melody Ellison is a nine-year-old girl living with her family in Detroit, Michigan during the early 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and she learns about racial discrimination while confronting her fear of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Julie Albright
Created by: Megan McDonald, Susan McAliley
From: 1975
Released: 2007
Retired: still available
Julie Albright is a 9-year-old girl from San Francisco in 1974–75 who is featured in a six-book series and movie proposal that focuses on the changes and societal upheavals of American society during that period.
Ivy Ling
Created by: Megan McDonald, Susan McAliley
From: 1975
Released: 2007
Retired: 2014
“Good Luck, Ivy” focuses on the conflict of Ivy, a Chinese American girl living in San Francisco, between her love of gymnastics and family traditions and responsibilities, and is represented by an accompanying doll.
Courtney Moore
Created by: Kellen Hertz
From: 1986
Released: 2020
Retired: still available
Courtney Moore is an ’80s-styled eight-year-old doll released in 2020 who enjoys the mall, restaurant, school, and Pac-Man arcade games.
Isabel Hoffman
From: 2014
Released: 2023
Retired: still available
Isabel is an American Girl doll with blond hair, green eyes, and light skin who enjoys dancing with her friends and learning the importance of family.
Nicki Hoffman
From: 2014
Released: 2023
Retired: still available
Nicki is an American Girl Historical doll who skateboards, has brown hair with blond highlights, and is part of the first interfaith twin set from American Girl.
List of American Girl Dolls in “Girls of the Year”
American Girl’s “Girl of the Year” dolls is an exclusive collection that started in 2001. Meet Lindsey, our doll from 2001-2002, followed by Kailey from 2003-2004. Starting in 2005, each doll was only available for one year, except for Lindsey and Kailey who had a two-year reign. Get them while you can, as they are only available until December 31 or while supplies last.
Did you know that starting in 2017, our Girl of the Year dolls are available for two years again? Gabriela McBride kicked off this exciting change. From 2009-2016, our dolls even had their films to accompany their release, but Lea Clark in 2016 marked the end of this tradition. However, from 2011-2016, every Girl of the Year doll had an additional mobile app experience.
Lindsey Bergman
Girl of the Year 2001
Created by: Chryssa Atkinson
Lindsey Bergman is a character from the American Girl series who has short dark brown curls, blue eyes, and a Classic face mold, and her self-titled book details her attempts at helping others.
Kailey Hopkins
Girl of the Year 2003
Created by: Amy Goldman Koss
Kailey Hopkins is an avid swimmer and surfer from California who leads a protest to protect her beloved tide pools, and she was released as the second American Girl of the Year in 2003.
Marisol Luna
Girl of the Year 2005
Created by: Gary Soto
Marisol Luna is a nine-year-old Latina girl from Chicago who aspires to be a dancer and was the first Mexican American Girl of the Year made by American Girl.
Jess McConnell
Girl of the Year 2006
Created by: Mary Casanova
Jess is the first biracial Girl of the Year by American Girl, and her story follows her journey to Belize where she learns important lessons about preserving history and discovering her identity.
Nicki Fleming
Girl of the Year 2007
Created by: Ann Howard Creel
Nicki Fleming is a Colorado ranch-dwelling Girl of the Year who volunteers to train a service dog and deals with loyalty issues in her friendships.
Mia St. Clair
Girl of the Year 2008
Created by: Laurence Yep
Mia is a doll released in 2008, whose accompanying stories chronicle her passion for competitive figure skating and her struggle with her hockey-playing family, she has a Classic face mold with light skin, hazel eyes, and light red hair.
Chrissa Maxwell
Girl of the Year 2009
Created by: Mary Casanova
Chrissa Maxwell is a doll released in 2009, with an accompanying movie and books about peer bullying, with light skin, blue eyes, and dark brown/near black hair face mold of Josefina Montoya.
Gwen Thompson
Girl of the Year 2009
Created by: Mary Casanova
Gwen Thompson is a Girl of the Year companion doll with blond hair, brown eyes, light skin, and a classic mold who sparked controversy for being homeless yet costing $95.
Sonali Matthews
Girl of the Year 2009
Created by: Mary Casanova
Sonali is a dark-skinned doll whose face mold was first developed as an African-American version of Mia, and who was featured as the companion of Chrissa in the 2009 Girl of the Year series.
Lanie Holland
Girl of the Year 2010
Created by: Jane Kurtz
Lanie is a ten-year-old girl with an affinity for science and biology who was released in January 2010, complete with light skin, hazel eyes, curly blonde hair, and a blue and green striped polo dress.
Kanani Akina
Girl of the Year 2011
Created by: Lisa Yee
Kanani is the ninth Girl of the Year character, with a multiracial background, originating from Kaua’i, whose doll comes with a kukui nut necklace, a pink flower in her hair, and a light-blue floral dress, using the Jess McConnell face mold.
McKenna Brooks
Girl of the Year 2012
Created by: Mary Casanova
McKenna is a ten-year-old girl from Seattle, Washington who is determined to be an Olympic gold medalist for gymnastics and is portrayed by actress Jade Pettyjohn with a Josefina Montoya face mold.
Saige Copeland
Girl of the Year 2013
Created by: Jessie Haas
Saige Copeland is an American Girl of the Year from Albuquerque, New Mexico who loves to paint and ride horses, and whose story was adapted into a made-for-television film and iOS app.
Isabelle Palmer
Girl of the Year 2014
Created by: Laurence Yep
Isabelle Palmer is the twelfth Girl of the Year released in 2014, featuring three books, a mobile app, and a movie about her and a doll with hazel eyes, light skin, and long blonde hair.
Grace Thomas
Girl of the Year 2015
Created by: Mary Casanova
Grace Thomas is the 2015 Girl Of The Year who dreams of being an entrepreneur and embarks on a journey to Paris, with her doll coming with unique features, a film starring Olivia Rodrigo, and a mobile app.
Lea Clark
Girl of the Year 2016
Created by: Lisa Yee
Lea Clark, the fourteenth American Girl of the Year released in 2016, is a budding photographer from St. Louis, Missouri who discovers new possibilities during a trip to Brazil and helps launch an advocacy campaign with the World Wildlife Fund.
Gabriela McBride
Girl of the Year 2017
Created by: Teresa E. Harris
Gabriela McBride is the first African American Girl of the Year, released in 2017 who uses poetry to express her feelings and loves to dance at her community center after school.
Luciana Vega
Girl of the Year 2018
Created by: Erin Teagan
Luciana Vega is the second Latina American Girl of the Year released by American Girl, a space-loving eleven-year-old Chilean girl from Virginia who wants to be the first person to walk on Mars.
Blaire Wilson
Girl of the Year 2019
Created by: Jennifer Castle
Blaire Wilson is the seventeenth Girl of the Year, with paler skin and Josefina face mold, who loves to cook and craft but has trouble with her smart device addiction and newly diagnosed lactose intolerance.
Joss Kendrick
Girl of the Year 2020
Created by: Erin Falligant
Joss Kendrick is the eighteenth Girl of the Year, a deaf surfer who joins a cheer team in exchange for entering a surfing contest and is trying to meet her idol with her friend Sofia.
Kira Bailey
Girl of the Year 2021
Created by: Erin Teagan
Kira Bailey is the nineteenth Girl of the Year released in 2021 and uses the Josefina mold, making her the first American Girl doll to include LGBTQ characters in her storyline.
Corinne Tan
Girl of the Year 2022
Created by: Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Corinne Tan is the 20th Girl of the Year, a fourth Asian doll in the line, who lives in Aspen, Colorado, and uses her new Corinne mold with larger eyes to navigate through her parents’ divorce and being harassed due to her heritage.
Kavi Sharma
Girl of the Year 2023
Kavi is the first South Asian and neurodivergent Girl of the Year for 2023, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, medium skin, and a Marie-Grace face mold.
List of American Girl Dolls in “Contemporary Characters”
Unlike the limited edition Girl of the Year dolls, these dolls are here to stay for a few years. And that’s not all, this line also welcomes the first-ever 18-inch boy doll in the American Girl series. Although the Bitty Baby and Bitty Twin lines have already featured boy dolls, this is a big step forward.
Tenney Grant
Created by: Kellen Hertz
Released: 2017
Retired: 2018
Tenney Grant is an aspiring songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee who was marketed as a regular character and came with a book and accessories before being discontinued in 2018.
Logan Everett
Created by: Jen Calonita, J.J. Howard
Released: 2017
Retired: 2018
Logan Everett is Tenney’s 18-inch sidekick and bandmate, released alongside her in 2017 with a modified hand to play musical instruments.
Z Yang
Created by: Kellen Hertz
Released: 2017
Retired: 2018
Z Yang is an American Girl doll who is a Korean-American filmmaker and photographer from Seattle, WA, with accompanying chapter books and accessories.
List of American Girl Dolls in “World by Us”
The World by Us collection is a powerful dive into social justice and the transformative journey of young girls. Meet Evette, Maritza, and Makena, united as close friends and fierce advocates for change. Join them on their mission to make a difference.
Makena Williams
Created by: Denise Lewis Patrick
Makena uses her love for fashion to express her views on injustice, and with the help of Dr. Deborah Rivas-Drake, has created a doll with a new face mold that celebrates dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes.
Evette Peeters
Created by: Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Evette is a doll that embodies the message of upcycling, protecting nature, and healing racism and is inspired by Katrina Lashley’s leadership in the Women’s Environmental Leadership Initiative.
Maritza Ochoa
Created by: Angela Cervantes
Maritza is a Latina doll whose story was created with the help of M. Lucero Ortiz, a human rights lawyer and advocate for Kids In Need of Defense, to celebrate her heritage and promote advocacy for immigrant families.
Conclusion
The American Girl brand continues to expand and evolve with its diverse range of dolls, showcasing a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From aspiring artists to activists, these dolls serve as role models for young girls all around the world. With each new addition to the American Girl collection, we are reminded that every girl’s story is unique and worth celebrating.
So, whether it’s through their books, movies, or accessories, the American Girl dolls continue to inspire and empower girls of all ages. Let us celebrate the diverse and beautiful stories of these contemporary characters and look forward to what new adventures they will bring in the future.
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