How The Presidential Election Could Impact Baby Names
What’s in a name? In the 2024 presidential election cycle, the answer is: Perhaps more than you think.
Throughout former President Donald Trump’s campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has mocked and attacked Harris’ racial identity, her laugh and even her given name. The Republican nominee and fellow GOP-ers have intentionally misspelled “Kamala” and mispronounced it as “ka-MALA” or “Camilla” in a seeming attempt to ridicule and “other” the opposing candidate, who was born in California to immigrant parents from India and Jamaica.
But does all this talk of names impact the actual naming choices parents in the U.S. will make when they welcome newborns? We asked experts to weigh in on the influence of presidential politics on baby names and the popularity of “Kamala” and “Donald.”
The Impact Of Presidential Politics On Baby Names
“In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, parents regularly named their children after their political heroes,” Abby Sandel, the creator of the baby name blog Appellation Mountain, told HuffPost. “Even a name as unlikely as Cleveland spiked in use for boys in 1885, the year Grover Cleveland became the 22nd president of the United States.”
According to the Social Security Administration’s data, the name Grover also saw a huge surge as Cleveland hit the national political scene ― rising from No. 104 for boys in 1883 to No. 20 in 1884 and 1885.
“Losing candidates could prove influential, too,” Sandel noted. “William Jennings Bryan lost the 1896 election, but Bryan more than quintupled in use that year anyway.”
Although presidential politics influenced baby names into the 20th century, parents eventually started to shift away from the trend.
“Franklin peaked in 1933 at No. 33 when FDR was elected, Truman peaked in 1945 at No. 247 when Harry Truman was elected, and Woodrow jumped from No. 232 to No. 46 between 1911 and 1912, during his campaign for president,” said Nameberry editor-in-chief Sophie Kihm. “This effect started to slow by the Kennedy administration.”
She noted that the name Kennedy entered the list of 1,000 most popular names for boys for the first time in 1960, the year John F. Kennedy was elected president, and rose to No. 592 in his first year in office. But the name didn’t peak until 1964, following his assassination.
Although some suggest Reagan is an example of a popular presidential name, the moniker didn’t see major increases in popularity until the 1990s, after President Ronald Reagan had left office.
“The popularity of the name Reagan had more to do with the 1973 movie ‘The Exorcist’ than Ronald Reagan’s landslide wins in 1980 and 1984,” Sandel explained. “In fact, the names Ronald and Reagan both fell in use during his time in office.”
She emphasized that most U.S. presidents’ given names have been quite traditional in the last several decades, and it’s difficult to track how politics influence the popularity of names like James, George, William and Joseph. The same goes for John and Jack in the Kennedy era.
“On the other hand, Barack Obama’s first name debuted in the U.S. popularity data in 2007 as he rose to national prominence,” Sandel added. “In 2009, 71 boys were named Barack, an all-time high. That suggests that a history-making Harris presidency could see the name Kamala climb.”
What To Know About The Name Kamala
“Kamala first debuted on the U.S. popularity charts in 1955, when it was given to six baby girls,” Kihm explained. “It peaked in 1964 ― the year Kamala Harris was born ― when it was given to 105 American baby girls.”She cited two cultural influences that likely contributed to the name Kamala’s 138% increase in popularity between 1963 and 1964.
“The first is the remake of the Bollywood film ‘Thoratanchi Kamala,’ released in 1963, which features a character named Kamala as the protagonist,” Kihm said. “The second is Kamala Devi, a British-Indian actress who starred in film and television throughout the ’60s. She married American athlete and actor Chuck Connors in 1963.”
Sandel pointed to the influence of British-Indian novelist Kamala Markandaya around the same period as well.
The name Kamala declined in popularity over the subsequent decades, but it remained in the Social Security Administration’s data (which includes names given to five or more babies in a given year), with the exception of the years 2000 and 2010. The name reached its highest usage level in the 21st century in 2021 ― the year Harris took office as vice president ― when 25 baby Kamalas were born.
“Last year, just seven girls were named Kamala,” Sandel noted. “Even a few dozen parents inspired to name their daughters after Harris would be noticeable.”
If Harris wins the presidential election, Sandel believes there will be a small but measurable increase in the number of girls named Kamala, as her victory would represent a significant milestone, a la Obama and the name Barack. The prospect of a major popularity boost that lasts beyond her tenure seems less likely, however.
“Kamala is a very rare name for babies these days, and it’s strongly tied to a particular set of cultures,” Kihm explained. “Kamala is virtually only used among Americans with Indian, Nepali, Sri Lankan and Azerbaijani heritage ― a small subset of the overall population ― and is unlikely to be used outside of that demographic whether or not she wins the presidency.”
Many parents also hesitate to choose a name strongly associated with a singular figure, hence the decline of names like Beyoncé and Elon. Harris’ first name seems primed to meet the same fate for that reason.
But Kamala does have some qualities that appeal to modern parents. After all, it sounds similar to the current No. 13 name, Camila (as well as other recent faves like Layla and Delilah).
“Kamala has a beautiful meaning of ‘lotus flower or lotus blossom,’” said Heidi Prunkl, a name consultant and founder of Baby Name Sunday. “I can definitely see it rising, as both nature names and K-names are very sought out for as parents.”
“Kamala also has an uncommon sound and an interesting ‘K’ initial that are intriguing to parents already considering names like Kaia, Kamila and Kehlani,” echoed baby name consultant and My Name for Life founder Sherri Suzanne.
If the vice president wins the election, the name Harris could also get a boost after falling off the Top 1,000 list in 2021.
“One of the strongest trends in contemporary naming in America is the transferred use of surnames to first names ― and presidential surnames are an abundant source,” Suzanne said. “Just check out the growing popularity of Lincoln, Hayes and Harrison.”
Sandel recommended keeping an eye on Harris’ middle name Devi, which doubled in use between 2020 and 2023 and features the strong middle v-sound heard in popular picks like Ava, Evelyn, Sylvia and Jovie.
“Devi could be the best of both worlds ― a subtle nod to a history-making figure and a very stylish choice, too,” she said. “We hear presidents’ full names far more often after they’re elected, in a way we never really hear many other officials’ full names. Think of George Herbert Walker Bush or William Jefferson Clinton. If Harris wins, expect to hear ‘Kamala Devi Harris’ during her inauguration.”
What To Know About The Name Donald
“Donald was in the Top 10 for boys from 1923 to 1942 and then started to drop off slowly,” said Jennifer Moss, founder of BabyNames.com. “It is currently No. 657 for baby boys.”
She added that Donald is also coincidentally the name of Kamala Harris’ father.
“Donald is a classic name in the U.S., where it has always ranked in the Top 1,000,” Kihm said. “It peaked in 1934 at No. 6 for baby boys. Donald was a Top 50 name in the U.S. from 1907 through 1978, equating to over 1.3 million boys named Donald during that 70-year period alone. Namewise, Donald Trump is just a product of his time.”
The name Donald has followed a general trajectory of decline since the late 1950s, dropping more precipitously in the 2000s.
“After generations of Donalds, parents turned to more exciting options,” Kihm explained. “But the prevalence of Donald in previous generations is also what keeps it on the charts. There were so many Donalds in the past that it’s a common name for parents to use when naming a son after a family member or loved one — something parents have historically been more likely to do with baby boys than girls.”
The name Donald has seen small popularity jumps in recent years, however.
“It increased in rank — from No. 489 to 486 — between 2016 and 2017, when Trump was inaugurated,” Kihm said. “But this is not statistically significant. Percentage-wise, 0.031% of 2016 babies, totaling 625, were named Donald, compared to just 0.03% in 2017, totaling 602.”
Another slight increase occurred in 2021 after Trump lost his reelection bid. The name jumped from No. 609 to 596 with the number of baby Donalds increasing from 449 to 467. But Donald then hit its lowest ranking in 2022 at No. 679.
“There will likely be a small, rather insignificant bump in the name Donald in 2025, regardless of if he wins or loses,” Kihm said. “But most parents will continue to avoid this name because it’s simply unfashionable for 21st-century babies.”
Like Gerald and Shirley, there’s nothing fresh or interesting about Donald at the moment. It’s hard to imagine a second Trump presidency reversing that trend.Abby Sandel, creator of the baby name blog Appellation Mountain
Sandel also believes the name Donald belongs to a different moment in time and will probably continue its general downward trajectory even if Trump wins the election.
“Like Gerald and Shirley, there’s nothing fresh or interesting about Donald at the moment,” she said. “It’s hard to imagine a second Trump presidency reversing that trend.”
Trump’s name seemingly fits with his executive office ambitions, however.
“Donald has a very powerful meaning ― ruler or king of the world,” Prunkl said. “That can have a big impact on parents who love that name style of strong, leader-like meanings.”
She noted that this meaning contrasts with the more beautiful sound and symbolism in the name Kamala.
“The name Kamala means ‘lotus’ ― will it also mean POTUS?” Moss asked. “Will she be the Lotus Potus?”
Just as we don’t know the outcome of this presidential election, we also won’t have a sense of its impact on baby names until the SSA releases its 2024 data next May. But parents today tend to draw inspiration from different types of public figures.
“In our modern era, presidential candidate names are unlikely to meaningfully rise or fall in popularity regardless of if they win or lose,” Kihm said. “Today, parents are much more impacted by celebrities and influencers than politicians when it comes to choosing baby names.”
