U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents

  1. Howie
    • Hubert
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "bright, shining intellect"
      • Description:

        A name that sounds so old-fashioned some parents out there might conceivably find it quirky enough for a comeback, along with other one-time fuddie-duddies like Oscar and Homer.
    • Humphrey
      • Origin:

        German
      • Meaning:

        "peaceful warrior"
      • Description:

        Humphrey is an old name that might have faded completely were it not for that Bogie flair. A royal name in Britain, where it's used somewhat more frequently, Humphrey might just have some life beyond Bogart here, especially with the recent interest in the names of Golden Age Hollywood stars. His first name was the maiden name of his mother, Maud Humphrey, a well-known illustrator who used baby H. as a model.
    • Jack
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of John
      • Meaning:

        "God is gracious"
      • Description:

        Jack may have fallen from its Number 1 place in England, but in the US it's as popular as it was at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. A durable, cheery, everyman form of John, Jack ranks as one of the most popular boy names starting with J.
    • Jackie
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "supplanter"
      • Description:

        Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.
    • Jackson
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of Jack"
      • Description:

        Jackson is one of those names that's much more popular than you think, coming in near the top of our annual Playground Analysis, which ranks names by grouping all their spellings together. Last year, nearly 17,000 baby boys were named Jackson -- along Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon, Jaxen, Jaxyn, Jaxsen, and Jaxsyn -- which counted together makes it the Number 3 boys' name.
    • Jacqueline
      • Origin:

        French, feminine diminutive of Jacques
      • Meaning:

        "supplanter"
      • Description:

        Jacqueline originated as a feminine form of Jacques, the French variation of James, and therefore Jacob. Jacob was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov, and gets its meaning, "supplanter" from the story of Jacob supplanting his brother Esau as the first-born son in the Bible. Jacqueline was first used in France in the Middle Ages.
    • James
      • Origin:

        English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "supplanter"
      • Description:

        James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys' baby names, and is the most common male name, counting people of all ages, in the US.
    • Jamie
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of James
      • Meaning:

        "supplanter"
      • Description:

        The cool form of James in the 1970s and '80s for both sexes. Still a more stylish short form than Jimmy, though many parents will want to call James by his entire, not-very-long name.
    • Jeff
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Jeffrey, Jefferson
      • Meaning:

        "pledge of peace"
      • Description:

        The ultimate dad name.
    • Jefferson
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of Jeffrey"
      • Description:

        The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most famously used as a first name by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, which may justifiably make you not want to use it. Jefferson is the middle name of another Prez, William Clinton.
    • Jeffrey
      • Origin:

        Spelling variation of Geoffrey
      • Meaning:

        "pledge of peace"
      • Description:

        The mostly Americanized version of Geoffrey was a trendy mid-century hit, with nickname Jeff the epitome of cool. Jeffrey entered the pop list in 1934 and was a Top 20 name from the mid-fifties to 1978.
    • Jim
      • Origin:

        English, diminutive of James
      • Meaning:

        "supplanter"
      • Description:

        Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.
    • Jimmy
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of James
      • Meaning:

        "supplanter"
      • Description:

        Every other little kid's name in 1957 but few Jameses are called Jimmy today; they're more often James or Jamie.
    • Joanna
      • Origin:

        Variation of Johanna
      • Meaning:

        "God is gracious"
      • Description:

        Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached saint status. Other names related to Joanna include Joan, Joanne, Johanna, and Jana.
    • Joe
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Joseph
      • Meaning:

        "Jehovah increases"
      • Description:

        Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average Joe — and now President Joe (Biden).
    • Joey
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Joseph
      • Meaning:

        "he will add"
      • Description:

        This nickname for popular and traditional Joseph has a long history of being used as a given name all on its own. Nonetheless, everyone will always assume that Joey is short for the longer form. It might be nice for a potential son to have the option of a more professional and classic name to fall back on.
    • John
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "God is gracious"
      • Description:

        John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to tire of this straight-arrow, almost anonymous John Doe of names, replacing it with fancier forms like Jonathan and the imported Sean and Ian.
    • Johnny
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of John
      • Meaning:

        "God is gracious"
      • Description:

        The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.
    • Johnson
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "son of John"
      • Description:

        No competition for Jackson.