On this momentous day in American history, with a new president exceptional in every way, including being the first to have a precedent-shaking multi-ethnic name, it’s interesting to compare it with previous Presidential names.  We know how influential some of the surnames have been–Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy have become  adopted as first names–but what about the actual given names of these Commanders-in-Chief?  Already we’ve seen a number of celebratory baby Baracks, with undoutedly many more to follow.

The majority of past presidents have had standard issue Anglo-Saxon classic names, including five Jameses, four Johns, four Williams, three Georges (looking back, there’s a certain historic symmetryt here beginning with Washington and ending with Bush) and one and a half Thomases (see below).  Curiously enough, there are only two Old Testament names among them–Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison.  Barack Obama is not the first president to inherit his father’s name–the others, some of whom were actually Juniors and some who weren’t–were John Adams, James Madison, James Buchanan, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Gerald Ford.  Bill Clinton is William Jefferson Clinton III, and President Ford was a double junior: he was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. and later became Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.

Although Lincoln was known as Abe and Theodore Roosevelt as Teddy, the true Nickname Era started with Eisenhower, who ran on the slogan “I Like Ike.”  He was followed by Jack Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.  Speaking of Jack, it’s possible that Kennedy added a bit of panache to that form of his name which still lingers today.

It’s interesting to note how many of these men actually reinvented their names.  Eisenhower switched his first two names from David Dwight to Dwight David, as did Stephen Grover/Grover Stephen Cleveland and Thomas Woodrow/Woodrow Thomas Wilson.  Grant was christened Hiram Ulysses Grant, but a clerical error when he was enrolling at West Point listed him as Ulysses Simpson (his mother’s maiden name) Grant, relieving him of the embarassing initials HUG.  Two others whose mothers’ maiden names became their firsts were Millard (always wondered where that came from) Fillmore and Woodrow Wilson.

All in all, presidential first names have not had a huge impact on baby naming–unless you want to count the negative effect on the name Richard after Nixon’s decline in reputation.  Looks like here, as in so many other areas, Barack Obama will break new ground.

Our newly-elected President, Barack Obama, has famously called himself “a skinny black kid with a funny name.”  He’s the first one to admit how difficult it’s been living with such an unusual moniker.  In a video aired during the Democratic National Convention, he said Barry Obama might have been okay, or Barack Smith, but being named Barack Obama made everything doubly difficult.   And at the Alfred E. Smith roast, he humorously declared that Barack was Swahili for “That one” and that Steve and not Hussein was his real middle name.

But Barack Obama has obviously triumphed over any challenges presented by his name, symbolic of an American future in which diversity is not only tolerated but celebrated.  Many parents have already embraced a baby-naming ethic that champions ethnic names, distinctive names, and genuine if odd family choices.  One pro-Obama group even launched a campaign in defense of unusual names.

Barack Obama was named for his African father.  Called Barry as a child and young adult, he later reverted to the full, authentic, form of his name.  Barack, which means blessing in both Swahili and Arabic, is, when spelled Barak, an Old Testament name meaning lightning–fitting in view of the numbers of parents worldwide who have instantly started using it as a namesake for their babies. 

Interestingly, Obama’s older daughter is named Malia, a Hawaiian name that celebrates that part of his heritage.  Under President Obama’s lead, the next four years should prove to be livelier and more forward-thinking in terms of baby names along with everything else.

It’s fitting that on the day of this historic election, we turn our attention to Presidential baby names.

The Presidential Names are fashionable partly by accident, and partly by design.  Many of the parents naming their babies Madison and Taylor, Tyler and Reagan are choosing those names not because they love the Presidents associated with them but because they’re attracted to the surname feel, or the unisex quality, or the stylishness of the names.

But some parents are also choosing names associated with presidents because we’re all hungry for heroes these days.  How can a child fail to be inspired by a name like Lincoln or Kennedy?

The most fashionable Presidential names are those a little off the beaten track: McKinley is an excellent choice, as are Pierce, Truman, Jefferson, Ford, Hayes.

Some Presidential names may still not be quite ready for prime time: Dwight or Eisenhower, for example, Ulysses or Washington.  And it seems unlikely that anyone is ever going to name her baby Coolidge or Nixon.

We might look to Presidential first names, middle names and First Lady names for fresh inspiration.  Quincy is a good choice, as is Mamie.  Franklin, Theodore, Calvin, and Woodrow may all be ready for a revival.  Even outgoing President Bush’s middle name Walker may prove baby-worthy, but Bush itself?  Doubtful.