List of American Girl Dolls | Comprehensive List

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 Originally made with white muslin bodies, we later changed to matching flesh tones in 1991 for a more authentic look.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 

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

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

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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List of American Girl characters – Wikipedia

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