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Help[Opinions] US Presidential surnames as first names (long post)
I saw a post on here a few days ago about US states as names, which got me thinking about how people often use US presidents’ surnames as names. So here’s a list of those names and when they peaked. As a note, some of those surnames are popular on their own without the presidential association so this may not be totally accurate.
Washington : peaked at #325 in 1884 (29)
Adams : #885 in 1898 (7)
Jefferson : #251 in 1891 (40)
Madison : #2 in 2001 (22166) for girls ; #307 in 1881 (28) for boys
Monroe : #177 in 1882 (76)
Jackson : #14 in 2021 (9197)
Harrison : #52 in 1888 (400)
Tyler : #5 in 1993 (29797) for boys; #238 in 1993 for girls (1182)
Taylor : #6 in 1994 (20733) for girls; #51 in 1994 (7688) for boys
Pierce: #462 in 2013 (608)
Lincoln: #40 in 2020 (7034)
Johnson: #322 in 1905 (38)
Grant: #115 in 1997 (3315)
Hayes: #228 in 2021 (1597)
Garfield: #88 in 1881 (147)
Arthur: #14 for 1880-84, 1886-89 for boys, #695 in 1895 for girls (10)
Cleveland: #92 in 1884 (174)
McKinley: #137 in 1896 (121) for boys; #379 in 2015 (860) for girls
Roosevelt: #91 in 1905 (264)
Taft: #272 in 1908 (62)
Wilson: #122 in 1918 (1381)
Harding: #391 in 1921 (229)
Coolidge: #731 in 1924 (82)
Hoover: #364 in 1928 (255)
Truman: #247 in 1945 (540)
Kennedy: #516 in 1964 (229) for boys; #54 in 2015 (4497) for girls
Nixon: #481 in 2017 (607)
Ford: #439 in 2021 (703)
Carter: #24 in 2015 (10798) for boys, #457 (702) in 2016 for girls
Reagan: #97 in 2016 (3093) for girls, #596 in 2004 (366) for boys
Bush: #789 in 1889 (7)
Clinton: #124 in 1981 (2207)
Not included are Van Buren, Polk, Buchanan, Eisenhower, Obama, Trump, and Biden, which did not show up in the top 1000. If you’re in the US, do you like any of these names, regardless of political support? How do you feel about naming children after political/historical figures?
Personally, I feel like most of these names are either too connected to the president, or too generic. It continues to puzzle me how names with controversial associations like Nixon and Reagan are so popular.
Washington : peaked at #325 in 1884 (29)
Adams : #885 in 1898 (7)
Jefferson : #251 in 1891 (40)
Madison : #2 in 2001 (22166) for girls ; #307 in 1881 (28) for boys
Monroe : #177 in 1882 (76)
Jackson : #14 in 2021 (9197)
Harrison : #52 in 1888 (400)
Tyler : #5 in 1993 (29797) for boys; #238 in 1993 for girls (1182)
Taylor : #6 in 1994 (20733) for girls; #51 in 1994 (7688) for boys
Pierce: #462 in 2013 (608)
Lincoln: #40 in 2020 (7034)
Johnson: #322 in 1905 (38)
Grant: #115 in 1997 (3315)
Hayes: #228 in 2021 (1597)
Garfield: #88 in 1881 (147)
Arthur: #14 for 1880-84, 1886-89 for boys, #695 in 1895 for girls (10)
Cleveland: #92 in 1884 (174)
McKinley: #137 in 1896 (121) for boys; #379 in 2015 (860) for girls
Roosevelt: #91 in 1905 (264)
Taft: #272 in 1908 (62)
Wilson: #122 in 1918 (1381)
Harding: #391 in 1921 (229)
Coolidge: #731 in 1924 (82)
Hoover: #364 in 1928 (255)
Truman: #247 in 1945 (540)
Kennedy: #516 in 1964 (229) for boys; #54 in 2015 (4497) for girls
Nixon: #481 in 2017 (607)
Ford: #439 in 2021 (703)
Carter: #24 in 2015 (10798) for boys, #457 (702) in 2016 for girls
Reagan: #97 in 2016 (3093) for girls, #596 in 2004 (366) for boys
Bush: #789 in 1889 (7)
Clinton: #124 in 1981 (2207)
Not included are Van Buren, Polk, Buchanan, Eisenhower, Obama, Trump, and Biden, which did not show up in the top 1000. If you’re in the US, do you like any of these names, regardless of political support? How do you feel about naming children after political/historical figures?
Personally, I feel like most of these names are either too connected to the president, or too generic. It continues to puzzle me how names with controversial associations like Nixon and Reagan are so popular.
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I try not to associate too many names with famous people because we all know, they can ruin a good name in a heart beat. Most surnames should stay surnames. I can tolerate some surnames on boys. I do not think they are well suited as a given name for girls.
Wilson, Ford, Carter, Hayes, Johnson, Grant, Taylor, Tyler, Harrison, Jackson, Madison, Monroe, Pierce, and Adams are all too common and familiar to immediately be associated with presidents only. Hoover makes me think of vacuum cleaners first.
Names I like regardless of association with famous people:
Kennedy- an old family name in my history.
Pierce- just always liked it. No reason.
Lincoln- because some of my family came from Lincolnshire in the UK.
Wilson, Ford, Carter, Hayes, Johnson, Grant, Taylor, Tyler, Harrison, Jackson, Madison, Monroe, Pierce, and Adams are all too common and familiar to immediately be associated with presidents only. Hoover makes me think of vacuum cleaners first.
Names I like regardless of association with famous people:
Kennedy- an old family name in my history.
Pierce- just always liked it. No reason.
Lincoln- because some of my family came from Lincolnshire in the UK.
This message was edited 6/12/2022, 5:46 PM
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I'm not at all surprised Reagan is popular; Ronald Reagan is practically canonized in many quarters of the United States. Many Republicans continue to run on the mantle of "the next Reagan," so it does not surprise me at all that that name is rather popular.
That said, I don't think ANY president is worthy of the valorization they receive and I would never use any of them as names in honor of a president. A few - Arthur, Tyler, Grant, etc. - obviously have associations well beyond their presidential associations, though I don't know that I'd use them.
The broader notion of naming children after notable historical figures, that I have no problem with. I just think that, regardless of how historians/the public view them, the realpolitik of being president often involves genuinely awful actions. Politics is messy, and even the most admired have negative marks to their name.
That said, I don't think ANY president is worthy of the valorization they receive and I would never use any of them as names in honor of a president. A few - Arthur, Tyler, Grant, etc. - obviously have associations well beyond their presidential associations, though I don't know that I'd use them.
The broader notion of naming children after notable historical figures, that I have no problem with. I just think that, regardless of how historians/the public view them, the realpolitik of being president often involves genuinely awful actions. Politics is messy, and even the most admired have negative marks to their name.
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I definitely wouldn't want to carry a presidential name. God help all of the people who will be soon named after Barron Trump. People often feel so much emotion and hate towards political figures.
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I agree. I have no idea why people choose those names. Kinda sad actually. I wonder how those people with the names feel about it.
Anyways I’m not about to put my input on ALL of these names, but just the ones I have something to get off my chest about.
Washington is kinda silly. Even a bit pretentious. It just reminds me of parents who think they did something special when it’s just... not. I don’t think it’s that bad, but there are better ones.
Jefferson is basically just Madison but on a boy. Thomas Jefferson was awful but his contributions to America are undeniable so I see why ignorant people would want to honor him. Madison is okay on a boy. Better than Jackson any day.
I actually quite like Harrison. It also reminds me of George Harrison. Handsome and interesting.
Tyler, Taylor, Lincoln, and Arthur are very mainstream names at this point. So besides the obvious Lincoln, nobody would really think you named your child after that president. Anyways, I actually like Tyler but I would use it, pointless on a girl. Taylor is fine. Arthur is respectable and Lincoln is trendy but understandable. I wonder if these people even use it because of him, lol.
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I like Jackson & Arthur.
Others from this list that I feel absolutely work, even if I may not like them myself:
Jefferson (Can always go by "Jeff" anyway)
Madison
Monroe
Grant
Wilson
Harrison
Tyler
Taylor
Pierce
Kennedy (Prefer for a boy)
Carter
Raegan (Also for a boy.)
I personally think it's fine naming a child after
political/historical figures. I mean it's not something that I would do, but as long as it isn't an overwhelmingly bad or controversial association. *Cough cough* Trump for example. Also depends on the name itself. Trump wouldn't work anyway. Neither would Biden. Perhaps it was 'Kiden' or Briden/Bryden or something. The popularity of Raegan, Nixon, and also Kennedy surprises me as well in regards to their negative associations. But then again...names like Reagan and Kennedy have been often used so much, that they almost seem to separate from the presidential association. Like with 'Kennedy' being a common surname anyway, and not just connected to one particular person or family.
Others from this list that I feel absolutely work, even if I may not like them myself:
Jefferson (Can always go by "Jeff" anyway)
Madison
Monroe
Grant
Wilson
Harrison
Tyler
Taylor
Pierce
Kennedy (Prefer for a boy)
Carter
Raegan (Also for a boy.)
I personally think it's fine naming a child after
political/historical figures. I mean it's not something that I would do, but as long as it isn't an overwhelmingly bad or controversial association. *Cough cough* Trump for example. Also depends on the name itself. Trump wouldn't work anyway. Neither would Biden. Perhaps it was 'Kiden' or Briden/Bryden or something. The popularity of Raegan, Nixon, and also Kennedy surprises me as well in regards to their negative associations. But then again...names like Reagan and Kennedy have been often used so much, that they almost seem to separate from the presidential association. Like with 'Kennedy' being a common surname anyway, and not just connected to one particular person or family.
This message was edited 6/7/2022, 12:22 PM
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Roosevelt is the most interesting to me. It's a name I feel you definitely wouldn't use without intending to reference the president, and at the point of its peak it could only have been referencing Teddy. People must have really loved the guy! But so much more than, say, Washington?
Then again the data only starts at 1880. Maybe Washington was even more popular closer to his presidency.
Then again the data only starts at 1880. Maybe Washington was even more popular closer to his presidency.
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With Washington, I would be interested to see how many times it was used as a middle name. I feel like George Washington [Surname] would be more likely to be used than just Washington.
Roosevelt does have the edge of having two presidents that it could be honoring - Theodore and Franklin. Plus Alice and Eleanor were both popular figures. Individually, I doubt any of them matches George Washington's popularity.
Roosevelt does have the edge of having two presidents that it could be honoring - Theodore and Franklin. Plus Alice and Eleanor were both popular figures. Individually, I doubt any of them matches George Washington's popularity.
This message was edited 6/8/2022, 9:05 AM
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