List of nicknames of presidents of the United States
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Presidents of the United States have often acquired nicknames, both flattering and unflattering. This list is intended to note those nicknames that were in common use at the time they were in office or shortly thereafter.
George Washington
The American Cincinnatus: Like the famous Roman, he won a war, then became a private citizen instead of seeking power or riches as a reward. He became the first president general of the Society of the Cincinnati, formed by Revolutionary War officers who also "declined offers of power and position to return to his home and plough".
The Colossus of Independence for his leadership in Congress in 1776.
The Duke of Braintree due to residing in Braintree, Massachusetts and his strong opinions on the use of honorifics for important officers of the government.
Father of American Independence
His Rotundity for his girthy bodily figure.
Old Sink or Swim, for the speech in which he vowed "sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I am with my country from this day on.".
Little Jemmy or His Little Majesty: at only 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm), the shortest U.S. president.
James Monroe
The Era of Good Feelings President for "The Era of Good Feelings", the period following the War of 1812, during which America became less divided politically, to the extent that the only opponents of the ruling Democratic Republicans, the Federalist Party, went out of existence. It was not until resistance to Andrew Jackson's policies produced the Whig Party that oppositional politics resumed in the United States.
The Abolitionist or Old Man Eloquent: famed for routinely bringing up the slavery issue against Congressional rules, and for his role later on in the Amistad case. He is the only American president to be elected to the House of Representatives after his presidency. The nickname gained currency as a result of his campaign against slavery waged as a congressman, and as the attorney in the Amistad case.
Jackass: Andrew Jackson's critics disparaged him as a "Jackass"; however, Jackson embraced the animal, making it the unofficial symbol of the Democratic Party.
King Andrew for his supposedly excessive use of the veto power.
King Mob
Old Hickory, allegedly given to him by his soldiers for being as "tough as old hickory".
Blue Whiskey Van, a reference to his excessive drinking of whiskey.
The Careful Dutchman: Van Buren's first language was Dutch.
Dandy President, criticizers called him for his fancy expensive outfits
The Enchanter
The Great Manager
The Little Magician, given to him during his time in the state of New York, because of his smooth politics and short stature.
Machiavellian Bellshazzar, given to him by detractors
Martin Van Ruin
The Master Spirit
Matty Van from "Tippecanoe Songs of 1840"
The Mistletoe Politician, so called by Joseph Peyton of Tennessee, a Whig opponent, who charged that "Martin Van Buren was a mere political parasite, a branch of mistletoe, that owed its elevation, its growth--nay, its very existence, to the tall trunk of an aged hickory" (i.e. Andrew Jackson).
Old Kinderhook (OK), a reference to his home town.
Red Fox of Kinderhook, a reference to his red hair and home town.
The Sly Fox
William Henry Harrison
General Mum, as in the expression, "keep it mum," because of his avoidance of speaking out on controversial issues during his election campaign.
Old Granny, his opponents called him for he was the oldest person at the time to be president, his age was 68
Tippecanoe or also Old Tippecanoe, a reference to Harrison's victory at the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe; used in the campaign song Tippecanoe and Tyler Too during the 1840 presidential election.
Washington of the West, a reference to Harrison's victories at the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe and 1813 Battle of the Thames.
John Tyler
His Accidency, a nickname given by his opponents; the first president to be elevated to the presidency by the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison.
Wool Carder President, when he was 15, he was sent to be an apprentice to a wool carder.
Franklin Pierce
Handsome Frank
Purse
Young Hickory of the Granite Hills: "Young Hickory" compared his military deeds (in the Mexican–American War) with those of Andrew Jackson. "The Granite Hills" were his home state of New Hampshire.
James Buchanan
Bachelor President, per his unmarried status.
Old Buck, from a shortening of his last name, used later in life.
Old Public Functionary, used by Buchanan in his December 1859 State of the Union address and adopted by newspapers.
Ten-Cent Jimmy: derogatory, as a reaction to Buchanan's campaign statement that ten cents a day was decent pay for a worker.
Abraham Lincoln
Abe
Honest Abe
Uncle Abe for his avuncularity in his later years.
The Ancient One, a nickname favored by White House insiders because of his "ancient wisdom".
Grand Wrestler, Abraham was great at wrestling and only had one recorded loss
The Great Emancipator and The Liberator for the emancipation of the slaves.
The Rail-Splitter
The Tycoon, for the energetic and ambitious conduct of his Civil War administration.
Andrew Johnson
Sir Veto, because of the large number of legislative vetoes he issued during his presidency; 29 in total, (the most at the time).
The Tennessee Tailor, for his career as a tailor before going into politics.
Ulysses S. Grant
The Butcher, Grant's unmatched persistence led him to win several key victories for the Union forces earning him this nickname.
Boatman Jim, referencing his work on the Ohio canals in his youth.
Canal Boy, also referring to his old job on Ohio canals as a boy
Preacher President
Chester A. Arthur
Chet, shortened version of his name used by publications of that era.
Elegant Arthur, for his style and huge wardrobe of clothes
Gentleman Boss, as the dapper leader of New York State's Republican party.
Prince Arthur and The Dude President, for his fancy attire and indulgence in extravagant luxury.
Walrus, because of his magnificent mustache
Grover Cleveland
Big Steve, as his full name was Stephen Grover Cleveland.
Grover the Good, for his honesty and public integrity.
His Obstinacy, he vetoed more bills than the first 21 presidents combined.
Uncle Jumbo
Benjamin Harrison
The Front Porch Campaigner; during the 1888 election, he gave nearly ninety speeches from his front porch to crowds gathered in the yard of his Indianapolis home; this nickname has been widely but erroneously attributed to William McKinley.
The Human Iceberg, although he could warmly engage a crowd with his speeches, he was cold and detached when speaking with people on an individual basis.
Kid Gloves Harrison
Little Ben, given to him by Democrats of his era because of his stature; this could also be a reference to his being the grandson of former president William Henry Harrison, who had served fifty years before.
Pious Moonlight Dude, because of his romance
William McKinley
Idol of Ohio
The Major
The Napoleon of Protection, referring to high tariffs such as the one he wrote in 1890.
Sleeping Beauty, a nickname his wife Helen Herron Taft called him because he was always falling asleep
Woodrow Wilson
Coiner of Weasel Words, given by former president Theodore Roosevelt in a speech
The Phrasemaker: as an acclaimed historian, Wilson had no need of speech-writers to supply his oratorical eloquence.
Professor, for his job was a college professor
The Schoolmaster: a bespectacled academic who lectured his visitors.
Warren G. Harding
Wobbly Warren
Calvin Coolidge
Cal, short for Calvin
Cautious Cal
Cool Cal, since his reelection campaign used the slogan, "Keep It Cool With Coolidge".
Silent Cal
Red, because of his hair color
The Sphinx, because he was non talkative and a man of few words
Herbert Hoover
The Chief, a nickname picked up at the age of 23 as a geologist surveying in the Australian Outback, that stuck for the rest of his life.
The Great Engineer and the Great Humanitarian: He was a civil engineer of some distinction and when the Mississippi burst its banks in 1927, engulfing thousands of acres of agricultural land, he volunteered his services and did extensive flood control work. The latter nickname would later be used facetiously in reference to his perceived indifference to the hardships faced by his constituents during the Great Depression. However, the nickname dates back to 1921, when the ARA under Hoover saved millions of Russians suffering from famine. "It was such considerations that Walter Lippmann took into account when he wrote of Hoover's Russian undertaking in the New York World in May 1922: 'probably no other living man could have done nearly so much.".
Franklin D. Roosevelt
FDR, abbreviation of his full name.
Feather-duster, boys at Groton School called him because they thought he was snobbish and a bit of a sissy.
Sphinx, in reference to his initial silence on whether or not he would run for a third term. Later visually depicted in a caricature sculpture commissioned by Secretary James D. Preston of the National Archives.
That Man in the White House, used by those who disliked Roosevelt so much that they outright avoided saying his name.
Harry S. Truman
Give 'Em Hell Harry (also a campaign slogan).
Haberdasher Harry
Man From Independence
The Senator From Pendergast, for his connection with political boss Tom Pendergast
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ike, known for being in his campaign slogan "I like Ike".
LBJ; he liked to be known by this abbreviation, which was used in the campaign slogan, "All the way with LBJ"; later it would be used in the Anti-Vietnam Warpolitical slogan "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?".
Light-Bulb Lyndon, because he hated wasting electricity, and would often storm around the White House shutting off unnecessary lights.
Mr. Nice Guy for his clean-cut and non-partisan image.
Jimmy Carter
Hot, short for Hot Shot, which was a childhood nickname.
Jimmy, the first president to use his nickname in an official capacity, rather than his first name James.
Jimmy Cardigan, got the nickname after he wore a sweater instead of a suit one day
The Peanut Farmer, he owned a peanut farm and fostered this image in his early campaigns, as a contrast to elite Washington insiders.
Ronald Reagan
Dutch: shortly after his birth, his father said he looked like a "fat little Dutchman"; reinforced when he wore a Dutch boy haircut (see pageboy) as a youngster.
The Great Communicator for his ability to communicate.
The Teflon President, coined by Rep. Patricia Schroeder because nothing negative "stuck to" him (like a Teflon skillet); he remained blame-free in the eyes of the American people.
George H. W. Bush
41,Papa Bush,Bush 41, Bush Senior, Senior, and similar names that were used after his son George W. Bush became the 43rd president, to differentiate between the two
Little Pop, because he was named after a grandfather
Poppy, a nickname used from childhood on.
Bill Clinton
Bill, itself short for his first name, William.
Bubba, common nickname for males in the Southern U.S.
The Comeback Kid, coined by press after strong second place showing in 1992 New Hampshire primary, following polling slump.
Slick Willie, a term originally coined when he was Governor of Arkansas and popularized by newspaper Pine Bluff Commercial, whose staff disagreed with his political views.
George W. Bush
43,Bush Jr., Junior, Bush 43, and similar names, used to differentiate him from his father.
45, the 45, and similar names, referencing his being the 45th president, and his penchant for wearing monogrammed "45" apparel.
The Donald since his first wife Ivana Trump referred to him as such in a 1989 Spy magazine cover story.
Mr. Drumpf, from the ancestral German spelling of his surname, considered humorous by modern American standards. When exactly Drumpf was Anglicized as Trump in his family is unknown, but appears to have happened sometime during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). The nickname was adopted by detractors of Trump after comedian and political commentator John Oliver highlighted the etymology in a segment on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and encouraged his audience to "Make Donald Drumpf Again".
Orange Man, in reference to his prominent skin tan. Especially used in the phrase "Orange man bad", an ad hominem of poor grammar meant to mock his detractors.
^He has gained fame around the world as a quintessential example of a benevolent national founder. Gordon Wood concludes that the greatest act in his life was his resignation as commander of the armies—an act that stunned aristocratic Europe. The earliest known image in which Washington is identified as such is on the cover of the circa 1778 Pennsylvania German almanac (Lancaster: Gedruckt bey Francis Bailey).
^"Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus: The Perfect Leader". Parcon Research. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. "It's easy to see why history sometimes refers to George Washington as "the American Cincinnatus". Washington too did great things then went back to his farm".
^Ford, Paul Leicester (1896). The True George Washington: Soldier: Strategy. J.B. Lippincott. "His great caution in respect to the enemy, acquired him the name of the American Fabius." (Timothy Pickering)
^Wood, Gordon (March 2, 1993). The Radicalism of the American Revolution (Reprint). Vintage. pp. 105–106. ISBN978-0679736882.
^Purcell, Sarah J. (March 25, 2010). Sealed With Blood: War, Sacrifice, and Memory in Revolutionary America. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 97. ISBN978-0812221091.
^Higginbotham, Don (2004). George Washington and the American Military Tradition. Mercer University Lamar Memorial Lectures Series.[citation needed]
^Jefferson, Thomas; Bergh, Albert Ellery; Lipscomb, Andrew Adgate (August 31, 2012). The writings of Thomas Jefferson Volume 13. Ulan Press. p. xxiv.
^Latham, Edward (1904). A Dictionary of Names Nicknames and Surnames of Persons Places and Things. London: George Routledge & Sons LTD. p. 63. Retrieved July 11, 2013. A surname given to John Adams ... in allusion to his earnest and persevering efforts towards colonial independence in the Continental Congress. Sometimes also called the Colossus of the Revolution.
^Freeman, A (1828). The Principles and Acts of Mr. Adams' Administration. Concord, New Hampshire: New Hampshire Journal Office. p. 5. Retrieved July 11, 2013. Yes, John Adams, whom Jefferson pronounced the 'Colossus of Independence,' and who died with the motto 'Independence forever!' on his lips, 'probably desired independence.' So say William Badger and Francis N. Fisk. Shall we believe them? We will — not withstanding the doubt which their expression implies.
^French, Daniel Chester. "Biography of John Adams". United States Senate. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2012. ... the folds of material at the bottom of the vest suggest the girth that led Adams to be dubbed 'His Rotundity.'
^ abBrant, Irving (November 3, 1961). "Mr. Madison's War". Time. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. The enemies of the fourth President of the U.S. called him 'little Jemmy,' or 'his little majesty,' or 'withered little apple-John.'
^Norton, Anthony Banning (1888). The Great Revolution of 1840. hansebooks. p. 74. ISBN9783337234713.
^Warshauer, Matthew (August 15, 2007). Andrew Jackson and the Politics of Martial Law (2nd ed.). University of Tennessee Press. p. 108. ISBN978-1572336247.
^ abTracosas, L.J. White House Winners What You Don't Know About The Presidents.
^Johnson, David (June 12, 2006). "American History: 1840 U.S. Presidential Campaign". History.net. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. While the Democrats adopted a platform denouncing federal assumption of state debts, opposing internal improvements, and calling for separation of public money from banking institutions, Weed decided to keep Harrison quiet and emphasize his war-hero record and humble character. The Democrats took aim at Harrison's silence, calling him 'General Mum'.
^Encyclopædia Britannica. "James Buchanan". Retrieved August 30, 2022.
^ abBoyer, Paul; Stuckey, Sterling (2005). American Nation: In the Modern Era. Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
^"Lincoln's Sense of Humor". America's Story from America's Library, Library of Congress. Retrieved August 30, 2022. Refers to a song about Lincoln called, "Hey! Uncle Abe, are you joking yet?"
^"Why Lincoln?". Association of Lincoln Presenters. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
Association of Lincoln Presenters, Lincoln Quotes, "LINCOLN had many nicknames such as Honest Abe, the Railsplitter, the Liberator, the Emancipator, the Ancient One, the Martyr".
^"Abraham Lincoln: 1862-1864 - Part 2". Sparknotes. Retrieved August 30, 2022. "During a time of war, the executive always plays a stronger role than usual, and Lincoln was no exception to this rule. His uncompromising style as commander- in-chief, coupled with his ambitious domestic program to preserve and further the Union, earned him the nickname of "the tycoon".
^"Page 1". teva.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
^Harris, Lauren Lanzen. Biography For Beginners Presidents of the United States. ISBN0-7808-0262-4.
^Barnard, Harry (1954). Rutherford Hayes and his America. Newtown, Connecticut: American Political Biography Press. pp. 402–403. ISBN978-0-945707-05-9.
^ abTracosas, L.J. White House Winners What You Don't Know About The U.S. Presidents.
^"Chester A. Arthur Quick Facts". MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Chester Arthur was fond of fine clothes and entertainment, earning him the nicknames 'Dude President,' 'Elegant Arthur,' and 'Prince Arthur'.
^Moberg, Julia (2012). Presidential Pets The Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived in the White House. Watertown, MA.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Edelstein, Robert (September 25, 2018). "WAS THIS PRESIDENT TRULY A "HUMAN ICEBERG"?". Watson Adventures. Retrieved August 30, 2022. "He was known as the "Human Iceberg" because he was stiff and formal when dealing with people".
^Freidel, Frank; Sidney, Hugh (2006). "Benjamin Harrison". White House. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
^Todd Davis, And Marc Frey. The New Big Book Of U.S. Presidents Fascinating Facts About Each and Every President, Including an American History Timeline.
^DeMatteo, Arthur E. (2005). "Book Reviews". Northeast Ohio Journal of History. Archived from the original on November 30, 2007.
^Rubel, David. Encyclopedia Of The U.S. Presidents And Their Times. ISBN0-439-28323-X.
^Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2013). The Bully Pulpit. Simon & Schuster.
^Gould, Lewis L. (February 20, 2012). "Teddy, Teddy, enough already". Oxford University Press. Retrieved August 30, 2022. Anyone who spends time with the extensive historical literature on Theodore Roosevelt recognizes that he abhorred his public nickname.
^Oremus, Will (June 11, 2012). "RFK, DSK, OBL, WTF?". Slate. Retrieved August 30, 2022. And Franklin's distant cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, may have been the first president to go by his initials in headlines, though in his case there were only two.
^"Hoover Dam". Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region. July 13, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022. Hoover, "known early in his career as "The Great Engineer", was now popularized as "The Great Humanitarian" for his "relief efforts in America's stricken heartland".
^Patenaude, Bertrand (2002). "The Big Show in Bololand". Stanford Program on International and Cross-cultural Education. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011.
^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdkbNGCp1G4%7Ctitle=PAPER TRAILS: Origins of Bill Clinton nickname 'Slick Willie' a bit slippery|first=Sean|last=Clancy|publisher=Arkansas Democrat Gazette|date=August 8, 2021|accessdate=December 17, 2022}}
^Robbins, Jim (January 24, 2021). "In Rural Montana, a Hope That Biden Will Reopen the Rails". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2021. The North Coast Hiawatha hasn't run through Montana since 1979. Now cities like Billings, Bozeman, Helena and Missoula are hoping that "Amtrak Joe" will help fund new rail service. But with a new president known as "Amtrak Joe" and Democratic control of both houses of Congress,