Over the past few years I've noticed an resurgence in popularity of 'presidential' names including Truman, Lincoln, and Harrison, to name just a few. This got me to thinking about the presidents in my own family tree including:
- George Washington Shultz (b/d 1877)
- George Washington Sutton (1914-1982)
- Jefferson Cryder (1802-1839)
- Andrew Jackson Kirkendall (1861-1941)
- Abraham Lincoln Brower (1879-1896)
- Josiah Lincoln Greenwalt (1867-1922)
- Woodrow Wilson Sutton (1921-1988; brother of the aforementioned George. They also had a brother named Robert E. Lee, but that’s another story.)
Statistician Howard Steven Friedman talks about the “presidential baby name bounce” in his article When Did Americans Stop Naming Babies after the President? Presidents weren't the only ones who inspired others to name their children after them. If you've seen the movie National Treasure you may recall the main character is named for Benjamin Franklin and his father for Patrick Henry.
Understanding naming patterns is an important skill for genealogists and learning more about the names of our ancestors can be an entertaining pursuit. The census bureau tracks the popularity of baby names by year and there are some fun visualizations on the web such as Six Decades of the Most Popular Names for Girls, State-by-State and Popular Baby Names By Decade to help you put naming patterns in context with popular culture. Not sure if any names in your family tree are connected to former presidents? Check out this list of baby names inspired by American presidents and first ladies.
What names will the Madisons and Reagans – born at the end of the 20th century – name their children? Only time will tell! In honor of Presidents Day, what presidential or patriotic hero namesakes do you have in your family tree?
