•Raven and Starfire, from Teen Titans (the cartoon).
•Arwen & Eowyn, LotR.
•Sally, from Nightmare Before Christmas.
•The Baroness, from G.I. Joe. (define “wholesome”)
I have an eight year old girl - and this one is tough. My daughter only knows some of these characters - and most of the ones she knows she knows by proxy (she knows Anne of Green Gables through me - but its a Mom thing, not a her thing). She knows other - much more obscure - characters as well (Betsy, Tacy and Tib and Marizpan from Strongbad). There is so much information out there now that its hard to pin down cultural literacy for an eight year old. Kids without cable will know fewer characters than kids with cable.
Hannah Montana
Any Disney ‘princess’ (and they come in all shades)
Barbie
Little Orphan Annie?
Heloise?
Barbi?
Pocohontas
Mary Poppins
The American Girl Dolls: Addy, Samantha, Felicity, Kirsten, Kit, Molly…
I believe it’s Eloise
Little Red Riding Hood
Thelma and Daphne of Scooby Do.
Jane and Judy Jetson. Rosey the maid.
Sandy Cheeks from Spongebob, perhaps?
Matilda!
The American Girl dolls–they come in a veritable rainbow.
That’s your best bet–cable or no, all the girls will at least know who the dolls are (and Kit has a movie out). There’s Addy (AA), Molly, Josephina (Latino), Samantha, Felicity, Kit, and god knows who else since my daughter outgrew them. Most likely by now there is a Native American one, I’m sure. Hope they add an Asian one and an Indian one (as in Mumbai, not Pocohantas), as well as say a Nigerian. How about a Lebanese? Ok, I’ve drifted off topic. Sorry, the heat has melted my brain.
Or the Disney princesses–did they ever come out with that AA princess story? (I thought one was due to be released?).
Elizabeth Swann
Nancy Drew (probably wouldn’t have been known to 8 year olds a year ago but they just did the movie)
Has anyone mentioned Powerpuff Girls yet?
Thanks everybody, some good names here. I’ve been at work for the past while so haven’t been back.
It’s the game where you put a name on everyone’s back and they have to guess who they are. So I need names that are really well-known to the majority of 8yos–my daughter knows Anne of Green Gables and the literary ones, but not Kim Possible. I don’t think her friends will know Anne yet unless they have the movie at home. So it’s quite tricky–you don’t want ‘babyish’ names like Dora, and they’re too young to know the Powerpuff Girls (who I love). I don’t think any of them will have heard of Lilo yet either. And I, personally, rather dislike Hannah Montana. I’ll use her if I get desperate though.
The AG girls are great, I will definitely use Kit, should have thought of that. There is an NA one now, Kaya–my kid loves her books. The newest one is white–a hippie girl from the 70’s whose parents are divorced, that’s her hook.
Sigh, I’m kind of appalled at how non-multicultural my list is. Mulan and Addy need company!
I always suspected Sleeping Beauty needed some kind of intervention! 
One way ticket to hell, please…
No–Snow White was the one who needed it, IMO! Eating food from strangers, living with strange men, running away (ok, so her stepmom was kind Joan Crawford-ish, but still). Loose morals, bad judgement and utter stupidity get you your Prince! Um, ok…
At least Cindy took some initiative, Belle sacrificed herself for her dad, and Aurora tried to be “good” (she was poisoned, IMS), but that Snow White chick, man o man–I always wondered how Rose Red turned out–blood will Tell! 
dangermom–why not expand it a bit to include some Sesame Street characters (like Elmo or Big Bird?) or Toy Story ones–Woody and Buzz? Just characters they would know. How about Violet from the Incredibles?
No Goldilocks?
Tinkerbell and Wendy from Peter Pan? Maid Marian?
The X-Men movies might be a bit old for an 8-year-old, but perhaps: Jean Grey, Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Jubilee?
Susie Derkins from Calvin and Hobbes?
Hmm…other people are doing non-humans, so: Duchess and Marie from The Aristocats, Perdita from 101 Dalmations the movie (or Perdita, Missus and Tibs from 101 Dalmations the book), Lady from Lady and the Tramp.
Eleanor of Aquitane forgot Susan Pevensie. And then maybe Jane Drew from The Dark is Rising series (not to be confused with The Dark is Rising, which is one of the books in the series, but does not include Jane).
Smurfette? Babs Bunny? Goslyn from Darkwing Duck (obscure?)? Webby from Duck Tales?
Phew. OK, I’m done. I tell you what, it’s hard to come up with a whole bunch of names that you know 12 8yo girls have heard of, even the ones who don’t read well yet or who don’t watch cable. Here’s my final list:
Minnie Mouse
Ariel
Little Red Riding Hood
Maid Marian (the fox)
Tinkerbell
Lucy Pevensie
Princess Leia
EVE
Kit
Addy
Mulan
Rapunzel
Too many Disney characters IMO, and not enough butt-kickers, but what are you going to do. At least I got Mulan doing kung-fu and EVE shooting something. I found images of each one to pin on their backs, so it turned out cute. Thanks for the help, it saved me hours of painful thinking!
I work at a Walmart. The big things among young girls are Hannah Montana & the fairies…Tinkerbelle (“Tink”) & friends. Dora the Explorer (& bro Diego) are also big right now.
Just an fyi.
Love, Phil