Presidential names

Cleveland

English

"hilly land, from the cliff"

A presidential and place-name that's not a stand-out in either category.

Ulysses

Latin variation of Odysseus, Greek

"wrathful"

Ulysses is one of the few U boys' names anyone knows -- with heavy links to the Homeric hero of The Odyssey , the eighteenth US president Ulysses Grant, and the James Joyce novel -- all of which…

Truman

English

"loyal one"

Truman is an upstanding presidential name that radiates an aura of integrity and moral truth, values any parent would want for a child. It seems definitely headed for a revival. Also associated with…

Taft

English

"building site"

A solid, brief but not brusque single-syllable surname with a presidential pedigree.

Kennedy

Irish

"misshapen head"

This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert…

Fillmore

Fillmore is a masculine name of English origin, classified as an occupational surname that has occasionally transitioned into use as a given name. It literally meant 'one who works with a file' (a…

Buchanan

Scottish

"place of the cannon"

A lesser-used presidential choice, with a charming, buccaneering sound. Fictional bearers include the Marvel Comics character James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, as well as the heroine of F. Scott…

Barack

Hebrew; also Swahili from Arabic

"thunderbolt, lightning; or blessing"

The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the…

Obama

Luo; Japanese

"bending or leaning; little beach"

The surname of the 44th US President has been been adopted as a first, for girls as well as boys, by admiring parents around the world. And the O beginning even makes it fashionable. Though Barack…