President’s Day Names: All the Presidents’ children

One of my most formative name nerd experiences was when Lucy Baines Johnson decided to start spelling her name Luci with an i. It was a symbol that the new style had reached even the White House, and an early warning sign that yooneek spellings were moving in.

I’m pretty sure Lincoln’s son Edward they called Teddy as nm.

Wow! There are some interesting names up there. I really like Susanna, Octavia and Louisa for the girls and Quentin, Edward and Lachlan for the boys. Also, I think Lauren is right. Lincoln’s son was definately called Teddy.

Interesting names… and so often the nns are not obvious – I like that!

None of them are really my style

I was surprised to see “Jane Jefferson” as I’ve read quite a bit about Jefferson’s family and didn’t recall a Jane. Searching for said Jane, I found that his second daughter was named Jane (as were his mother and one of his sisters), but that Jane lived only a short while, 1774-1775. Only two of Jefferson’s children survived childhood and were living during his presidency, daughters Martha “Patsy” and Maria “Polly”.

As I recall, Susanna Adams is another presidential child who didn’t live past infancy. I see that “Robin” Bush, who died very young, is also included. Edward “Eddie” Lincoln died before his 4th birthday.

I wonder how many of the others in this list died young. Kind of a sad list…

Yes, Patricia, I debated about whether to include some of these children who died young, and decided that given the stated category–names chosen by presidents for their children, I would.

must say I like the boys names better this time around, unusual for me!

DOUD (nn Ikky) Eisenhower… Aw c’mon! They didn’t even give the poor kid a chance, I think this wins as the first ‘celebrity’ (crazy) name!

Doud was Mamie Eisenhower’s maiden name.

Was “Ikky” perhaps pronounced “Ike-y”, as in “little Ike”? (I’m hoping!)

Sadly, Doud Eisenhower was another child of a future president who died very young — age 3.5 years, of scarlet fever in 1921. According to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Doud’s nn was spelled Icky. Surely they didn’t call their little boy Icky (rhymes with Ricky), but instead intended Ikey?

Yes, I’m sure it must have been pronounced Ikey.

I’ve always been fascinated by Lincoln, so I want to clarify that Edward was indeed nicknamed Eddie. His other sons were Robert (called Bob as a child), William (Willie) and Thomas (Tad) but no Teddy’s. Maybe you guys were combining Tad with Eddie?

Lincoya Jackson was a boy, *not* a girl. He also died fairly young, about 16 I think He was a Creek boy adopted by the Jacksons from a battle site in Alabama near where I live. There is a big monument to him on the spot. He was found dead in the arms of his mother on the field and with no relatives alive to care for him (and the Creek people decimated by Jacksons attacks) they would have put him to death. Ironically Jackson took him in and raised him- son of the woman his army killed.

You missed Jeb Bush, son of Bush Sr. and Governor of Florida.