100 U.S. President Name Meanings and Presidential Nicknames

Learn the meaning and history of presidential nicknames. Plus get baby name inspiration from the names and surnames of U.S. Presidents!

Heidi Butler

Updated: November 10, 2022

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Finding the perfect baby boy name or baby girl name for your little one can seem like a daunting task.

For those who love American history, you might find some inspiration in the names of the nation’s leaders and the presidential nicknames that they earned while in office.

While some of these presidential names are well-known, others may surprise you!

Baby Girl Names Inspired By American Presidents

Madison —An Old English name meaning “son of a mighty warrior”. James Madison was the shortest president in the nation’s history standing at only five feet four inches tall.
Robinette — An English name meaning “bright” or “famous”. This is the surprising middle name of President Joe Biden.

Baby Boy Names Inspired By American Presidents

1. Abraham — A Hebrew name meaning “Father of multitudes”. Abraham Lincoln is by far the most famous of America’s presidents. He is known for freeing the slaves with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Known for his honesty and integrity, America’s 16th president was nicknamed “Honest Abe”, making this an honorable title to emulate.

Adam — A Hebrew name meaning “earth”. The plural of this biblical name was the last name of two of the earliest presidents.
Albert — A German name meaning “noble”, “bright”, or “intelligent”. Al Gore was Bill Clinton’s Vice President and while he never claimed the top spot in the White House, he is famous for his work with climate change, even winning a Nobel Peace Prize.
Andrew — A Greek name meaning “valiant” or “courageous”. Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson were the nation’s seventh and 17th presidents.
Arthur — A Welsh name meaning “bear”. Chester A. Arthur was known for his expensive taste and love of fashion, gaining him the nickname “The Dude President”.
Baines — A Scottish and Northern English nickname meaning “bones”. This was the middle name of the 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson whose Secret Service code name was “Volunteer”.
Barack — An Arabic name meaning “blessing”. Barack Obama served as number 43 and was the first African-American president of the United States.
Benjamin — A Hebrew name meaning “son of my right hand”. The 23rd President of the United States Benjamin Harrison is one of the main individuals who we have to thank for America’s national forests.
Biden — An English name meaning “button maker”. Joe R. Biden is the current president and his Secret Service code name is Celtic, due to his Irish heritage.
Birchard — An English name whose meaning is unknown. This was the middle name of Rutherford B. Hayes.
Buchanan — A Scottish name meaning “of the canon”. James Buchanan was the nation’s 15th President. Buck is an adorable nickname for this solid title.
Buren — A German name that comes from the word “bur” meaning “cottage” or “dwelling place”. The eighth president was nicknamed “The Little Magician” during his time in New York because of “his ability to make the impossible happen, and because he was not a very tall man”.
Bush — An Old English name meaning “bush”. George W. Bush’s Secret Service code name was “Trailblazer,” and his father’s code name was “Timberwolf”.
Calvin — A Latin name meaning “bald”. Calvin Coolidge was number 30 and known as “Silent Cal” due to the fact that he was a man of very few words.
Carter — An Old English name meaning “cart driver”. Interestingly enough, this Democrat owned a peanut farm.
Chester — A Latin name meaning “camp”. Chester A. Arthur was America’s 21st president whose nicknames included “Chet” and “The Gentleman’s Boss”.
Clark — An Old English name meaning “Cleric”. It may come as a surprise that this was Herbert Hoover’s middle name.
Cleveland — An Old English name meaning “land near the hill”. Grover Cleveland was affectionately known as “Uncle Jumbo'' by his family.

Clinton — An Old English name meaning “hill”. This president was dubbed “slick Willie” thanks to his alleged sexual actions in office. However, a better nickname for your little one is “Clint”.
Coolidge — An English name meaning “dwelling near cool water”. Many don’t know that this president went by his middle name. His first name was John.
Dash — An English name meaning “to run quickly”. Many people don’t know that Jimmy Carter’s first Secret Service code name was Dasher.
David — A Hebrew name meaning “beloved”. This was the middle name of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Interestingly enough, Camp David is named after his grandson.
Deacon — A Greek name meaning “messenger” or “servant”. This was the code name that the Secret Service gave President Jimmy Carter due to his passion for religion.
Delano — A French name meaning “from the elder tree grove” as well as an Irish name meaning “dark”. FDR was nicknamed “the Sphinx” due to the secrecy surrounding his potential third term.
Donald — An Old English name meaning “ruler of the world”. Nicknamed “Mogul”, Donald Trump is the country’s richest president. This businessman is worth 3.2 billion as of 2022.
Dutch — A German name meaning “from the Netherlands”. This title is a subtle tip of the cap to the nation’s 40th President.
Dwight — An English name meaning “fair”. Number 34 was nicknamed “Providence” by the Secret Service.
Earl — An Old English name meaning “nobleman”. This was Jimmy Carter’s middle name.
Eisenhower — A German name meaning “iron hewer” (a miner). Many people don’t know that the nation’s 34th president was also a five-star general.
Fillmore — An Old English name that means “very famous”. He is one of the few American presidents who did not have a middle name.
Fitzgerald — An English name meaning “son”. John F. Kennedy, otherwise known as JFK, was the youngest person to assume office at 43. Fitz is an adorable nickname for this title.
Ford — An Old English name meaning “river crossing”. Known as “Mr. Nice Guy”, Gerald Ford was known for his openness and moral principles. He is the only president to never be elected into the position.
Franklin — An Old French name that means “freeman”. Franklin D. Roosevelt, otherwise known as FDR, is the only president to serve more than two terms.
Gamaliel — A Hebrew name meaning “recompense of God”. This is Warren Harding’s unique middle name.
Garfield — An English name meaning “promontory”. President Garfield was one of the four presidents in the nation’s history that were assassinated.
George — A Greek name meaning “farmer”. This is a fitting name for all three presidents with this title. George Washington, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush were all cultivators of change for the country.
Gerald — An French name meaning “spear warrior”. Nicknamed “Jerry” by the masses, this president’s Secret Service code name was “Passkey”.
Grant — A Scottish name meaning “big” or “large”. Ulysses S. Grant was America’s 18th president and was known for attending West Point, but only graduated in the middle of his class.
Grover — An English name meaning “one who tends the groves”. Grover Cleveland was another president known for his integrity and morality.
Harding — An Old English name meaning “good health”. President Harding’s time in office was filled with scandal and he died during his third term.

Harrison — An Old English name meaning “Army ruler” as well as a German name meaning “ruler of the household”. President Harrison was called “the human iceberg” due to his cold demeanor in smaller settings.
Harry — An Old German name meaning “commander”. “Give 'Em Hell Harry” was America’s 33rd president.
Henry — A German name meaning “house ruler”. President Harrison served as the nation’s ninth president and is known for being the oldest person to assume office in his time. This title was not taken for over a hundred years. He also holds the title for the shortest tenure in office, dying just days after his inauguration.
Herbert — An English name meaning “exalted ruler”. The 31st president was known as “The Great Humanitarian”.
Hiram — A Hebrew name meaning “noble one”. This is the fitting first name of Ulysses S. Grant. Nicknamed “Unconditional Surrender Grant”, he became a war hero during the Battle of Fort Donelson in the Civil War.
Howard — An English name meaning “protector of the home”. William Howard Taft is the only person to have served as both President of the United States and Chief Justice on the Supreme Court.
Ike — A Hebrew name meaning “he will laugh”. This short nickname was supposedly an abbreviation of Eisenhower’s last name.
Jackson — A Hebrew name meaning “God’s Grace”. This was the title of the seventh president, who was nicknamed “Old Hickory”. His fellow soldiers noted that he was “as unbending as a tree, but also as tough as wood.”
James — A Hebrew name meaning “supplanter” or “substitute”. This is the most popular name amongst American presidents. James Buchanan, James A. Garfield, James Madison, James Monroe, James K. Polk, and James Carter all served the nation. President Carter was the only one to change things up, going by the name Jimmy.
Jefferson — An Old French name meaning “peaceful”. Thomas Jefferson was a man of the people and the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
John — A Hebrew name meaning “God's grace”. This is another common name amongst U.S. Presidents. John F. Kennedy as well as father and son John Adams and John Quincy Adams all had this traditional moniker. Jack is a great epithet of this biblical name.
Johnson — Another Hebrew name meaning “God’s grace”. This is the last name of both Andrew Johnson, the Tennessee Tailor, as well as Lyndon B. Johnson, who was affectionately known as LBJ.
Joseph — A Hebrew name meaning “he shall add”. President Biden was elected into office after serving as the Vice President to Obama.
Kendrick — An Irish name meaning “son of Henry”. While it has never been officially confirmed, it is theorized that this was Franklin Pierce’s middle name since it was his mother’s maiden name.
Knox — An Old English name that means “from the hills”. This is the middle name of President James K. Polk.
Lance — A French name meaning “lancer” and a German name meaning “spear”. This is a nice play on JFK’s Secret Service code name “Lancer”.
Lincoln — An Old English name meaning “home by the pond”. “Link” is an adorable shortening to this clear nod to the nation’s Great Emancipator.
Lyndon — An Old English name meaning “Linden tree”. Lyndon B. Johnson, otherwise known as LBJ, was responsible for the monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964, which broke down barriers for those of color, women, and other minorities.
Martin — An English name meaning “warrior of Mars”, “warlike” or “warring”. Another nickname of this president was “the careful Dutchman” as Dutch was his first language.
Milhous — An English name that is a variant of millhouse. This is the middle name of President Richard Nixon.
Millard — An Old English name meaning “caretaker of the mill”. Millard Fillmore was America’s 13th president and was the last candidate to ever not be affiliated with the Democrats or Republicans. Instead, he was a part of the Whig Party.
Monroe — An Irish name meaning “mouth of the Roe River” or “wheelwright”. James Monroe was the last of the Founding Fathers to become president.
Nixon — A Greek name meaning “victorious people”. Nixon was the only president to resign from office.
Obama — A Fang (western Central African) name meaning “to lean” or “to bend”. President Obama was hailed “The Great Communicator” for his impressive oratory skills.
Pierce — A Latin and English name meaning “rock” or “stone”. Dubbed “Handsome Frank”, many considered number 14 as one of the most attractive presidents.
Polk — A Scottish name meaning ”from the pool or pit”. President Polk was actually a protégé of Andrew Jackson, earning him the nickname “Young Hickory”.
Quincy — A Spanish name meaning “fifteenth child”. John Quincy Adams was instrumental in the founding of the Smithsonian Institution due to his love of science. This former Senator is the only president to be elected into the House of Representatives after serving in office.
Renegade — A Spanish name meaning “defector” or “rebel”. It was also President Obama’s Secret Service code name. This can easily be shortened to “Ren” or “Renney”.
Richard — An English name meaning “rich and powerful ruler”. The 37th president of the United States was nicknamed “tricky dick” by the public but was called “Searchlight” by the Secret Service.
Ronald — An Old Norse name meaning “mighty”. Ronald Reagan was dubbed “The Great Communicator”. This comes as no surprise considering that this Republican was originally a Hollywood actor.
Roosevelt — A Dutch name meaning “field of roses”. This was the name of two presidents — Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Interestingly enough, they were distant cousins.
Rudolph — A German name meaning “wolf”. This was President Ford’s second middle name. His mother changed his original name of Leslie Lynch King to Gerald Rudolph Ford to honor his adoptive father whose last name was Rudolff.
Rush — A French name meaning “red-haired”. The Mount Rushmore National Monument honors four remarkable presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. This makes the name Rush a unique way to honor some of the greatest figures in the nation’s history.
Rutherford — An Old English name meaning “from the cattle ford”. This president was considered a fair egalitarian.
Shipp — An English name that means “ship”. What may surprise you is that President Harry S. Truman’s middle initial doesn’t stand for anything. This was to honor both his paternal and maternal grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young.

Solomon — A Hebrew name meaning “peaceful”. This was the first name of President Truman’s maternal grandfather and where his “S” middle initial was partially derived.
Stephen — A Greek name meaning “crown”. This was President Grover Cleveland’s real first name.
Taft — An English name meaning “flowing”. William Howard Taft is the only President to serve on the Supreme Court after his term. “Big Bill” was also known for getting stuck in a bathtub.
Theodore — A Greek name meaning “gift of God”. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to win a Nobel Peace Prize, he was a champion for conservation creating the U.S. Forest Service, and he is the inspiration behind the teddy bear.
Thomas — A Greek name meaning “twin”. Nicknamed “Long Tom”, Thomas Jefferson stood at over six feet tall — six inches taller than the average man at that time.
Tim — A Greek name meaning “honoring God”. This serves as an abbreviated version of George H.W. Bush’s Secret Service code name “Timberwolf”.
Truman — An Old English name meaning “disciple”. President Truman was best known for bringing an end to WWII in the Pacific by dropping an atomic bomb on Japan.
Trump — An English name meaning “trumpet”. Not only was he a successful businessman, but President Trump was also a television personality and has been in over a dozen movies. Trump and Reagan are the only two presidents with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Ulysses — A Latin name meaning “the hateful one” or “wounded in the thigh”. America’s 18th president was considered a war hero for leading “the Union Armies to victory over the Confederacy in the American Civil War.”
Walker — An English name meaning “distinctive”. This is the middle name of George W. and his late father George H.W. Bush.
Warren — A German name meaning “watchman”, “gamekeeper”, or “enclosure”. Warren G. Harding was the 29th President of the United States.
Washington — An Old English name meaning “town near water”. The nation's first president was best known for being “the Father of his Country”. Legend also states that he chopped down a cherry tree and that he had wooden teeth, but those stories have since been proven false.
William — A Spanish name meaning “resolute” or “protector”. This is another prevalent name in American history with William Henry Harrison, William Howard Taft, William McKinley, and Bill Clinton all sporting this strong title.
Woodrow — An Old English name meaning “forester”. Number 28 was responsible for the Federal Reserve Act, which implemented economic stability.
Wilson — A German name meaning “valiant protector”. President Woodrow Wilson was also dubbed “the phrasemaker” due to his ability to effortlessly craft speeches.
Van — An American name meaning “quiet”. Martin Van Buren was the 8th president.
Zachary — A Hebrew name meaning “renowned by God”. Number 12 was nicknamed ‘Old Rough and Ready” for his willingness to fight alongside his troops, despite his rank as Major General.

Gender-Neutral Names Inspired By American Presidents

1 Hayes — An Old English name meaning “hedged area”. Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th President of the United States.
Kennedy — An Irish and Scottish name meaning “chief with helmet”. JFK was also the youngest person to die in office at 46.
McKinley — A Scottish name meaning “son of Kinley”. William McKinley was the 25th president and one of the four individuals who were assassinated while holding office. While not a common first name, “Mickey” is a cute way to acknowledge this American leader.
Quinn — An Irish name meaning “wise”. This is a subtle nod to the nation’s sixth president.
Reagan — An Irish name meaning “little king”. This president’s Secret Service code name was “Rawhide” thanks to his passion for ranching.
Sam — A Hebrew name meaning “to hear” or “like the son”. This was actually a part of Ulysses “S” Grant’s nickname that he earned at Westpoint. His classmates called him “Uncle Sam Grant” or “U.S. Grant”.
Taylor — An English name meaning “tailor”. President Zachary Taylor was known as a national war hero, fighting in both the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.
Tyler — A Middle English name meaning “tiler” or “roofer”. John Tyler’s Presidential nickname was “His Accidency” due to the fact that he was the first person to rise to the office due to the death of his predecessor.