Humanities › History & Culture Presidential Surname Meanings and Origins Last Name Meanings for US Presidents Print Mount Rushmore in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest depicts the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Getty / Dave Bartruff History & Culture Genealogy Surnames Basics Genealogy Fun Vital Records Around the World American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Kimberly Powell Kimberly Powell Genealogy Expert Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University B.A., Carnegie Mellon University Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy. She teaches at the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on February 19, 2020 Do the surnames of U.S. presidents really have more prestige than your average Smith and Jones? While the proliferance of babies named Tyler, Madison, and Monroe may seem to point in that direction, presidential surnames are really just a cross-section of the American melting pot. With origins in Ireland, England, Germany, Scotland, and the Netherlands, the surnames of the US presidents are much like other American surnames, with differences in spelling not seen in the old country and representatives of each of the major surname groups: Patronymic, Occupational, Nicknames and Place Names. While one president's surname does mean "warrior or hero" and another's "true and faithful man," the majority of the surnames in this list can't really boast meanings that sound presidential, but each has an interesting story to tell. Presidential Surnames - Meanings & Origins * Select a surname below to view its origin and meaning John ADAMS Born: 30 Oct 1735 Died: 4 Jul 1826Term: 4 Mar 1797 – 4 Mar 180110 Things to Know about John Adams Thomas JEFFERSON Born: 13 Apr 1743 Died: 4 Jul 1826Term: 4 Mar 1801 – 4 Mar 180910 Things to Know about Thomas Jefferson John Quincy ADAMS Born: 11 Jul 1767 Died: 23 Feb 1848Term: 4 Mar 1825 – 4 Mar 182910 Things to Know about John Quincy Adams Andrew JOHNSON Born: 29 Dec 1808 Died: 31 Jul 1875Term: 15 Apr 1865 – 4 Mar 186910 Things to Know about Andrew Johnson Chester A. ARTHUR Born: 5 Oct 1829 Died: 18 Nov 1866Term: 19 Sep 1881–4 Mar 1885 10 Things to Know about Chester A. Arthur Lyndon B. JOHNSON Born: 27 Aug 1907 Died: 22 Jan 1973Term: 22 Nov 1963 – 20 Jan 196910 Things to Know about Lyndon B. Johnson James BUCHANAN Born: 23 Apr 1791 Died: 1 Jun 1868Term: 4 Mar 1857 – 4 Mar 186110 Things to Know about James Buchanan John F. KENNEDY Born: 29 May 1917 Died: 22 Nov 1963Term: 20 Jan 1961 – 22 Nov 1963Family Tree of John F. Kennedy George H. W. BUSH Born: 12 Jun 1924Term: 20 Jan 1989 – 20 Jan 1993Family Tree of George H. W. Bush Abraham LINCOLN Born: 12 Feb 1809 Died: 15 Apr 1865Term: 4 Mar 1861 – 15 Apr 186510 Things to Know about Abraham Lincoln George Walker BUSH Born: 6 Jul 1946Term: 20 Jan 2001 – 20 Jan 2009Family Tree of George Walker Bush James MADISON Born: 16 Mar 1751 Died: 28 Jun 1836Term: 4 Mar 1809 – 4 Mar 181710 Things to Know about James Madison Jimmy CARTER Read More BUSH Surname Meaning and Origin By Kimberly Powell Born: 1 Oct 1924Term: 20 Jan 1977 – 20 Jan 198110 Things to Know about Jimmy Carter William MCKINLEY Born: 29 Jan 1843 Died: 14 Sep 1901Term: 4 Mar 1897 – 14 Sep 190110 Things to Know about William McKinley Grover CLEVELAND Born: 18 Mar 1837 Died: 24 Jun 1908Term: 4 Mar 1893 – 4 Mar 189710 Things to Know about Grover Cleveland James MONROE Born: 28 Apr 1758 Died: 4 Jul 1831Term: 4 Mar 1817 – 4 Mar 182510 Things to Know about James Monroe William Jefferson "Bill" CLINTON Born: 19 Aug 1946Term: 20 Jan 1993 – 20 Jan 200110 Things to Know about Bill Clinton Richard NIXON Born: 9 Jan 1913 Died: 22 Apr 1994Term: 20 Jan 1969 – 9 Aug 197410 Key Facts about Richard Nixon Calvin COOLIDGE Born: 4 Jul 1872 Died: 5 Jan 1933Term: 2 Aug 1923 – 4 Mar 192910 Key Facts about Calvin Coolidge Barack OBAMA Born: 4 Aug 1961Term: 20 Jan 2009 –Barack Obama Family Tree Dwight D. EISENHOWER Born: 14 Oct 1890 Died: 28 Mar 1969Term: 20 Jan 1953 – 20 Jan 196110 Things to Know about Dwight Eisenhower Franklin PIERCE Born: 23 Nov 1804 Died: 8 Oct 1868Term: 4 Mar 1853 – 4 Mar 185710 Things to Know about Franklin Pierce Millard FILLMORE Born: 7 Jan 1800 Died: 8 Mar 1874Term: 9 Jul 1850 – 4 Mar 185310 Things to Know about Millard Fillmore James K. POLK Born: 2 Nov 1795 Died: 15 Jun 1849Term: 4 Mar 1845 – 4 Mar 184910 Things to Know about James Polk Gerald FORD (born Leslie King, Jr.) Born: 14 Jul 1913 Died: 26 Dec 2006Term: 9 Aug 1974 – 20 Jan 1977Gerald Ford Family Tree Ronald REAGAN Born: 6 Feb 1911 Died: 5 Jun 2004Term: 20 Jan 1981 – 20 Jan 1989Ronald Reagan Family Tree James A. GARFIELD Born: 19 Nov 1831 Died: 19 Sep 1881Term: 4 Mar 1881 – 19 Sep 188110 Things to Know about James Garfield Franklin Delano ROOSEVELT Born: 30 Jan 1882 Died: 12 Apr 1945Term: 4 Mar 1933 – 12 Apr 194510 Things to Know about Franklin D. Roosevelt Ulysses S. GRANT Born: 27 Apr 1822 Died: 23 Jul 1885Term: 4 Mar 1869 – 4 Mar 187710 Things to Know about Ulysses Grant Theodore "Teddy" ROOSEVELT Born: 27 Oct 1858 Died: 6 Jan 1919Term: 14 Sep 1901 – 4 Mar 190910 Things to Know about Teddy Roosevelt Warren G. HARDING Born: 2 Nov 1865 Died: 2 Aug 1923Term: 4 Mar 1921 – 2 Aug 192310 Things to Know about Warren Harding William Howard TAFT Born: 15 Sep 1857 Died: 8 Mar 1930Term: 4 Mar 1909 – 4 Mar 1913Biography of William Howard Taft Benjamin HARRISON Born: 20 Aug 1833 Died: 13 Mar 1901Term: 4 Mar 1889 – 4 Mar 189310 Things to Know about Benjamin Harrison Zachary TAYLOR Born: 24 Nov 1784 Died: 9 Jul 1850Term: 4 Mar 1849 – 9 Jul 185010 Things to Know about Zachary Taylor William Henry HARRISON Born: 9 Feb 1773 Died: 4 Apr 1841Term: 4 Mar 1841 – 4 Apr 184110 Things to Know about William Harrison Harry S. TRUMAN Born: 8 May 1884 Died: 26 Dec 1972Term: 12 Apr 1945 – 20 Jan 195310 Things to Know about Harry Truman Rutherford B. HAYES Born: 4 Oct 1822 Died: 17 Jan 1893Term: 4 Mar 1877 – 4 Mar 1881Biography of Rutherford Hayes John TYLER Born: 29 Mar 1790 Died: 18 Jan 1862Term: 4 Apr 1841 – 4 Mar 184510 Things to Know about John Tyler Herbert HOOVER Born: 10 Aug 1874 Died: 20 Oct 1964Term: 4 Mar 1929 – 4 Mar 193310 Key Facts about Herbert Hoover Martin VAN BUREN Born: 5 Dec 1782 Died: 24 Jul 1862Term: 4 Mar 1837 – 4 Mar 184110 Key Facts about Martin Van Buren Andrew JACKSON Born: 15 Mar 1767 Died: 8 Jun 1845Term: 4 Mar 1829 – 4 Mar 183710 Things to Know about Andrew Jackson George WASHINGTON Born: 22 Feb 1732 Died: 14 Dec 1799Term: 30 Apr 1789 – 4 Mar 179710 Key Facts about George Washington Woodrow WILSON Born: 28 Dec 1856 Died: 3 Feb 1924Term: 4 Mar 1913 – 4 Mar 192110 Things to Know about Woodrow Wilson Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Powell, Kimberly. "Presidential Surname Meanings and Origins." ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/presidential-surname-meanings-and-origins-1420794. Powell, Kimberly. (2021, February 16). Presidential Surname Meanings and Origins. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/presidential-surname-meanings-and-origins-1420794 Powell, Kimberly. "Presidential Surname Meanings and Origins." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/presidential-surname-meanings-and-origins-1420794 (accessed April 26, 2024). copy citation