What are the names given to dolls belonging to American Girl Dolls?

       These are names given to toy dolls in the American Girl historical doll collections.

1. Addy Walker's rag doll was named Ida Bean.
2. Kirsten Larson's rag doll was named Sari.
3. Molly McIntire was given a Red Cross, nurse doll for Christmas
4. Felicity Merriman's fashion doll was carved from wood and Felicity named her Lucy.
5. Kit Kitteredge's Amelia Earhart, Aviator doll.
6. Josephina Montoya's rag doll, Nina.
7. Elizabeth's wooden fashion doll named Charlotte.
8. Nellie O'Malley's china doll named Lydia
9. Samantha Parkington's china doll named Clara came with an even tinier nutcracker

How did you decide to name your doll?

When 800 children were asked why and how they came up with the name of their doll, 521 gave the following responses:

1. The number one reason for renaming or just naming a doll... 199 children said that their doll was named after a friend.
2. 87 children said that they chose the name of their doll because they thought it was pretty or fancy.
3. 54 children said that they chose their dolls name because the doll looked like someone they knew with that name.
4. 35 children said that the name of their doll was from a story they had heard.
5. 33 children said that the doll was named after the person who had gifted it too them.
6. 34 children said that their doll had no name at all and was simply called, Dolly.
7. 21 children said that they always gave their doll a new name, not the name that came with the doll.
8. 20 children polled said that their doll was given a name that described a quality that they thought their doll had. The doll's name was not a typical name but a attribute like: precious, patience, sleepy etc...
9. 9 dolls were given the exact same name of it's owner.
10. 6 dolls were given a name after the place where they received the doll.
11. 5 dolls were named after a feigned likeness.
12. 4 dolls had purely imaginary names.
13. 2 dolls had very 'ugly names' because they were so disliked!
14. In two instances the dolls were named after the materials they were made from.
15. Ten dolls were given formal christenings along with their name.
16. Sometimes the dolls were all given the same family name. 
17. Dolls that had frequent name changes rarely seemed to have distinct personalities attached to them upon further discussions.

How to name a doll...

• How to name a AG Doll/Tips Ideas to name your American Girl Doll
• How I Chose My American Girl Doll's Names

Differences between two dimensional and three dimensional doll patterns?

      The differences have to do with the number of pattern components and the way these are used in the doll design.

      In two dimensional designs, there are most frequently only two flat surfaces to work with: a front and a back side of the doll. However, some doll patterns like these do include an additional boot. This boot or shoe will be a pattern that is two dimensional as well, having only a front side and a back side. Now given that these patterns have only two sides, it is not correct to assume that your doll will not “look” three dimensional. However, those who have little experience in making dolls will assume this is what it means when the pattern is labeled as such. Dolls always take on a 3D quality when they are stuffed. The proportions of a two dimensional doll pattern are very specific to the eventual appearance of a rag doll. This in turn makes the stuffing of a rag doll, an art form in and of itself. This you will quickly determine on your own after having stuffed a doll incorrectly. Hence, the random affectation from somewhere in the classroom, “Teacher, my doll looks funny.”

      A three dimensional pattern eliminates much of the guess work or “experience necessary” when stuffing a doll. These patterns must be constructed in a particular order and the the darts must always be lined up in order for the doll artist to have success with them. This is because the compensation for inexperience comes in the manipulation of components within the design. Neither pattern type is necessarily superior, these are merely options given according to the skills and preferences of those artists using them. In other words, three dimensional doll patterns do not necessarily make more attractive dolls or are not more valuable to doll collectors because of their number of parts.

      There are, in fact, many highly valued rag dolls in museum collections that are constructed from simple, two dimensional patterns. I enjoy working with both types of patterns. Students, most usually do not. This is because a three dimensional pattern “looks” more intimidating prior to it’s assembly.