According to the SSA, the name “Trump” was used as a first name for seven baby boys born in the United States last year. This marks the first time the name has ever appeared in the federal government’s public data.

“There is a very long tradition of presidential surnames becoming first names for babies, usually boys,” Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of the baby name resource Nameberry, told HuffPost. “In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, parents named children after presidents in the same way today’s parents might use the name of a celebrity or star athlete ― think Zendaya or Beckham.”

She presented the 26th president of the U.S., Theodore Roosevelt, as an example.

“Theodore Roosevelt’s surname was adopted as a first name beginning in 1885 and was a Top 150 name from 1902 ― one year into his term ― through 1908,” Kihm explained. “It remained in the Top 500 until 1971. Even presidential surnames that may feel less ‘name-like’ ― like Taft and Coolidge ― have made it onto the Top 1,000 during their namesakes’ terms.”

Abby Sandel, creator of the baby name blog Appellation Mountain, traced the tradition back a bit further.

“Back in 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous ‘Cross of Gold’ speech as he accepted the presidential nomination,” she said. “Bryan soared in use, from 27 boys in 1895 to 157 in 1896. Bryan lost the election to Grover Cleveland. Cleveland’s surname also spiked in use when he was first elected to office earlier in the 19th century.”

The trend faded in the mid-20th century, however, she added.

“Kennedy and Nixon saw modest increases in use around their elections in the 1960s,” Sandel said. “But despite Ronald Reagan’s tremendous popularity, his surname barely budged after he won office in 1980. By the time Clinton was elected in 1992, we just weren’t naming our children for political figures.”

Kihm similarly sees less influence from presidential surnames on American baby naming trends after Kennedy.

“Names like Carter and Ford actually reached peak lows in those administrations,” she said. “Surname-style baby names started to really come into fashion in the 1980s, and the ‘80s and ‘90s presidential names Reagan and Clinton did see modest bumps in popularity during those presidents’ terms. But critically, parents were already familiar with both of those choices as given names.”

Interestingly, some presidential surnames found greater popularity after these famous figures’ time in office.

“Lincoln has been in the top 1,000 boy names since the 1880s when the Social Security Administration started tracking baby names, and it’s more popular now than ever, ranking No. 68 on BabyCenter this year,” said Rebekah Wahlberg, a baby name trends specialist at BabyCenter. “Reagan, another popular presidential name, has consistently ranked in the top 1,000 girl names since the early 1990s, a few years after former President Ronald Reagan’s term ended.”

And although Carter fell out of the SSA’s top 1,000 list in 1978 during that president’s tenure, that trend did not persist.

“The name rejoined the top 1,000 boy names a few years later in 1980 and has been climbing the charts since,” Wahlberg said. “It currently ranks No. 40 on BabyCenter.”

However, those examples may simply be popular in spite of a presidential association, rather than because of it.

“Gen X and Millennial parents might call their children Kennedy or Reagan, but few ― if any ― choose it as a political statement,” Sandel said. “Chances are that many parents of kids named Hayes, Carter or McKinley never think of the presidential connection.”

As for the presidents of our current century, the data tells an interesting story.

Joe Mahoney via Getty Images

Trump holds two babies after speaking in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on July 29, 2016.

“Donald J. Trump commands an enormous and deeply devoted following, and if his tenure as president has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected,” she explained.

Most of the experts who spoke to HuffPost believe Trump’s presence in the realm of baby naming will be temporary.

“I’d call it less of a trend and more of a fluke,” Sandel said. “Seven babies named Trump pales in comparison to other names that rose around waves of publicity. Kobe tripled in use following the tragic death of the basketball star, Netflix’s ‘Addams Family’-inspired series ‘Wednesday’ spiked interest in the character’s name, and both Chappell and Roan ticked up in use as ‘Pink Pony Club’ became a viral sensation. Also in 2025? Ten girls were named Kamala.”

Kihm predicted a complete fall-off by the next SSA release.

“I do not expect to see Trump in the 2026 data,” she said. “This will likely be a one and done blip in the data. Even if it does appear again, the name Trump is unlikely to grow in popularity, and it will definitely be gone from the SSA list by the time his term is over.”

She was direct about the name’s limitations as well.

“Personally, I am not a fan of the name Trump for a baby,” Kihm said. “The ‘ump’ sound is not fashionable ― it does not appear in any names in the U.S. Top 1,000. In general, names that end in ‘p,’ like Philip and Tripp, are trending down.”

Sandel also did not endorse the choice.

“I rarely suggest parents skip a name, but I’d put Trump on the short list of names better avoided,” she said. “Regardless of political leanings, the underlying meaning of the word is negative. And yes, a baby named Trump in 2025 or 2026 captures a polarizing moment in our history. I can only imagine a kid called Trump heading to high school circa 2040 and facing a lot of raised eyebrows.”

She pointed to the underlying issues of sound and semantics as well.

“It takes more than headlines for a name to stick,” Sandel said. “On sound alone, Trump almost fits with brief, brisk boy names like Truce, Coast, Banks, and Beck. But if parents search for the name’s literal meaning? To trump is to deceive or swindle. If charges are ‘trumped up,’ they’re false. You have to overlook a lot to seriously consider the name. Trump feels way too extreme to catch on as a given name.”

Meanwhile, Humphrey broke down why certain families could be drawn to the choice.

“Trump’ is more than just a politician’s surname,” she said. “This bold, one-syllable word has a well-established meaning of outranking, surpassing or excelling. I can absolutely see why some parents would be attracted to its bombastic ― and, dare I say, braggadocious ― nature. At the same time, it evokes the musical imagery of trumpets, lending it an unexpectedly ethereal, almost angelic quality ― especially given how strong and self-assured the name sounds.”

Using a last name as a first name is a general trend in baby naming as well. Plus, many folks use baby naming to convey certain values and aspirations.

“It’s not uncommon for parents to choose a baby name that expresses their hopes and dreams for their baby,” Wahlberg said. “You can see this in larger-than-life, powerful-feeling names like King, Baron, Shah and even Donald ― a Scottish name meaning ‘world ruler.’ In this case, Trump is another powerful-sounding name ― both because of its association with the president and thanks to the phrase ‘trump card,’ a card that beats all others in a card game.”

Sandel reflected on the broader tension parents face when choosing politically-charged names.

“How much should your child’s name reflect your values and priorities, and how much should it be a blank slate that lets your child make it their own?” she asked. “Twenty-first century parents tend to find a good balance. We might discover our child’s name from a ‘Bridgerton’ or ‘House of the Dragon’ character, but we want our little Benedict or Alicent to have a name that won’t be too pre-judged by others. That’s probably why most parents tend to avoid politically-inspired names.”

Indeed, parents are more likely to choose the name of a broadly admired cultural figure, Sandel added, giving the example of John Lennon. In 2025, more than 1,700 newborn babies were named Lennon.

For parents drawn to names that signal their values or political identity, she suggested considering subtler options that would serve a child better in the long run.

“There are certainly MAGA-coded names that parents might give their children that would wear far better,” Sandel said. “Liberty, for example, tends to read a little red state. But it has a long history as a patriotic choice in American English and other languages and cultures, too.”

She offered some broader advice for expectant parents as well.

“I believe parents should choose the names we love best, but we should look to the future,” Sandel emphasized. “Before we know it, our children are moving through the world without us. There are plenty of names that express our values and deeply-held beliefs in a manner far more subtle than using a politician’s name.”

And for those concerned about the rise of certain controversial names, Wahlberg offered one note of practical comfort.

“Baby name regret is common, and almost one in 10 parents experience it according to our research,” she said. “So, while a child may be named Trump today when signing a birth certificate, it may not be their name forever.”