Barbie fans shocked to discover Ken's real name

“Just Ken” isn’t Kenough. Here's the backstory we never knew. 

Barbie fans, you've been warned. Don't ever refer to him as "Just Ken" ever again. 

The interesting backstory of the popular character, brought to life by Ryan Gosling in the new blockbuster film, has been revealed and to say the internet is shook is an understatement. 

As it turns out, the name "Ken" is not "Kenough" and the popular character actually has a full name - along with a middle AND surname.

I know, how wild. 

Want more TV news? Sign up to Kidspot’s Talking TV newsletter for all the up-to-date news sent straight to your inbox.

Fans are shocked to discover Ken has a surname. Image: Supplied

Ken's real name 

But that's not all. Ken is in fact named after a real person. 

Kenneth Sean Carson is Ken's full name and according to reports, was named after Barbie creator Ruth Handler's son. 

While he goes hand-in-hand with Barbie herself, Ken hasn't always been around. After Barbie was released by toy giant Mattel in 1961, the company received a lot of backlash over the fact that the bubbly blonde didn't have a companion. 

But while Ken was loosely inspired by Ruth's son, Kenneth, the two actually have nothing in common. 

RELATED: Barbie launches first doll with Down Syndrome

Is Ken actually like his namesake? 

Ken is a Malibu man who loves the ocean but according to the real Ken himself, he wasn't as "cool". 

“He goes to the beach and surfs. He is all these perfect American things," Kenneth, now a NYC real estate investor, told the LA Times, adding that he “played the piano and went to movies with subtitles.

“I was a nerd. A real nerd. All the girls thought I was a jerk," he laughed. 

RELATED: Meet Barbie’s new boyfriend … ‘dad bod’ Ken!

All this time and we had no idea. Image: Big W

Fans can't believe Ken has a surname

While these details have not been kept a secret, the Barbie movie has reignited people's interest. And even die-hard fans from the 80s and 90s are shocked to discover Ken's back story. 

"I had no idea he had a surname! I thought he was just Ken," one fan told Kidspot. 

HIS NAME IS KENNETH SEAN CARSON?!?!?! -my last words before I promptly perish

— Sarah Sunfire ⚫️🔥 (@SarahMNeilson) July 21, 2023

And another said: "I did a deep-dive into Barbie's history after watching the movie, and I was absolutely shocked to find out he had a last name - legitimately always thought she was Barbara Millicent Roberts, and he was just ... Ken."

Even people online can't believe it. 

"HIS NAME IS KENNETH SEAN CARSON?!?!?! -my last words before I promptly perish," one person shared on Twitter. 

You learn something every day, eh?

Originally published as Barbie fans shocked to discover Ken's real name