Presidential Nicknames - George Washington Nicknames
Presidential Nicknames - This page includes a list of US Presidents from President George Washington nicknames to President Barack Obama. Also included are some well known and some not so well known presidential nicknames.
Many Presidents throughout history have had some interesting nicknames! This list of US Presidents is shown in numerical order, starting with President George Washington and ending with President Barack Obama.
President George Washington Nicknames
George Washington, the first President of the United States, was known by several nicknames during his lifetime. Here are a few of his most common nicknames:
"Father of His Country" - This nickname was given to Washington in recognition of his key role in leading the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolution and serving as the first President of the United States.
"The American Cincinnatus" - This nickname was a reference to Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a Roman general who was called from his farm to serve as dictator in a time of crisis and then willingly resigned his office when the crisis was over. Like Cincinnatus, Washington had served his country selflessly and then voluntarily stepped down from power at the end of his presidency.
"His Excellency" - This title was used to address Washington during his presidency and reflected the great respect and reverence that many Americans had for him.
"The Indispensable Man" - This nickname was coined by historian James Flexner to describe Washington's crucial role in winning the American Revolution and establishing the new nation. According to Flexner, "If Washington had failed, it is difficult to see how any of his successors could have succeeded."
"The Sage of Mount Vernon" - This nickname reflects Washington's reputation as a wise and thoughtful leader, both during his presidency and in his retirement years at his Virginia estate, Mount Vernon.
It's worth noting that while these nicknames are widely accepted, there may be others that are less well-known or more controversial. Additionally, some of these nicknames may reflect certain biases or perspectives from the time period in which they were used.
US Presidents have been known by a variety of nicknames throughout history. Some of these nicknames have been given as terms of endearment or admiration, while others have been used to criticize or mock a President.
Their nicknames are listed beside the names. If you know of any presidential nicknames that has been missed, please use form to submit them for publishing to this website.
List of US Presidents Nicknames
George Washington, 1789-1797 - Father of his Country, The Sage of Mount Vernon
John Adams, 1797-1801 - His Roundity, Atlas of Independence, Bonny Johnny
Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809 - Father of the Declaration of Independence, Long Tom, Sage of Monticello
James Madison, 1809-1817 - Father of the Constitution, Little Johnny, Sage of Montpelier, His little majesty
James Monroe, 1817-1825 - The Last of the Crooked Hats
John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829 - Old Man Eloquent, Publicola, King John II
Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837 - Old Hickory, The Old Hero, King Andrew the First
Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841 - The Careful Dutchman, The Red Fox of Kinderhook, Old Kinderhook, The Little Magician
William Henry Harrison, 1841 - Old Tippecanoe, The Cincinnatus of the West, Old Granny
John Tyler, 1841-1845 - His Accidency, Young Hickory, Old Veto
James K. Polk, 1845-1849 - Polk the Purposeful, Napoleon of the Stump
Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850 - Old Rough and Ready, Old Zack
Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853 - The Accidental President, The American Louis Phillipe, the Wool Carder President
Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857 - Hansome Frank, Purse
James Buchanan, 1857-1861 - Ten Cent Jimmy, Old Buck, The Do-Nothing President
Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865 - The Great Emancipator, Honest Abe, The Rail Splitter
Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869 - The Tailor, Sir Veto, Father of the Homestead Act
Ulysses Simpson Grant, 1869-1877 - American Ceasar, The Galena Tanner, Useless S. Grant
Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 1877-1881 - His Fraudulency, Old 8 to 7, Lemonade Lucy, Granny
James Abram Garfield, 1881 - The Canal Boy, The Preacher President
Chester Alan Arthur, 1881-1885 - The Dude President
Grover Cleveland, 1885-1889 - Grover the Good, Old Grover, The Elephantine Economist
Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893 - Young Tippecanoe, Little Ben, The Centennial President, The Human Iceberg
Grover Cleveland, 1893-1897 - Grover the Good, Old Grover, Uncle Jumbo
William McKinley, 1897-1901 - Liberator of Cuba, The Idol of Ohio, Wobbly Willie
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909 - The Rough Rider, The Cowboy, Rough and Ready, T.R.
William Howard Taft, 1909-1913 - Big Bill
Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921 - The Professor, The Phrasemaker
Warren Gamaliel Harding, 1921-1923 - W.G.
Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929 - Silent Cal
Herbert Clark Hoover, 1929-1933 - Chief, Grand Old Man
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945 - F.D.R., The Boss
Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953 - Give'em Hell Harry, Haberdasher Harry
Dwight David Eisenhower, 1953-1961 - General Ike, Kanasas Cyclone, Duckpin
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-1963 - J.F.K., Jack, The King of Camelot
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-1969 - L.B.J.
Richard Milhous Nixon, 1969-1974 - Tricky Dick, Richard the Chicken-Hearted
Gerald Rudolph Ford, 1974-1977 - Jerry, accidental president, Mr. Nice Guy
James Earl Carter, Jr., 1977-1981 - The Peanut Farmer, Cousin Hot, Jimmy
Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-1989 - The Great Communicator, The Gipper, Dutch, Ronnie
George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993 - Poppy (family nickname), 41, Papa Bush
William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001 - Bill, Bubba, Slick Willie
George Walker Bush, 2001-2009 - W., Bushie, Dubya, 43, baby Bush, Bush Jr., shrub
Barack Hussein Obama, 2009- Barry, No drama Obama
It's worth noting that while some of these nicknames are widely accepted, others may be controversial or offensive to some individuals or groups. If you enjoyed this list of US Presidents and Presidential nicknames, be sure to visit our other pages. Read more facts about US Presidents.
