Name of all the US presidents: The Real List and What Everyone Gets Wrong

You probably think you know the name of all the US presidents by heart, or at least you’ve seen the placemats. But honestly, the "official" count is a bit of a mess. Most people say there have been 47 presidents. Technically, that’s true if you’re looking at the numbers on a timeline. However, only 45 actual human beings have held the job.

Grover Cleveland is the reason for the headache. He served one term, lost to Benjamin Harrison, and then came back four years later to win again. Because his terms weren't back-to-back, he's counted as both the 22nd and 24th president. It’s a quirk of history that makes trivia nights a nightmare.

The Full Name of All the US Presidents in Order

If you're just looking for the straight list to settle a bet or help with a school project, here it is. We are currently in 2026, so the list includes the second term of Donald Trump, who took office again on January 20, 2025.

1. George Washington (1789-1797)
2. John Adams (1797-1801)
3. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
4. James Madison (1809-1817)
5. James Monroe (1817-1825)
6. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
7. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
8. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
9. William Henry Harrison (1841) – He died after just 31 days.
10. John Tyler (1841-1845)
11. James K. Polk (1845-1849)
12. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
13. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
14. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
15. James Buchanan (1857-1861)
16. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
17. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
18. Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
19. Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
20. James A. Garfield (1881)
21. Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)
22. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)
23. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
24. Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
25. William McKinley (1897-1901)
26. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
27. William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
28. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
29. Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
30. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
31. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
33. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
35. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
36. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
37. Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
38. Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
39. Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
40. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
41. George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
42. Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
43. George W. Bush (2001-2009)
44. Barack Obama (2009-2017)
45. Donald Trump (2017-2021)
46. Joe Biden (2021-2025)
47. Donald Trump (2025-Present)

Wait, did you catch that?

Trump is listed twice, just like Cleveland. He is the 45th and 47th president. It’s weird, I know. But that’s how the National Archives and the White House Historical Association handle it.

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Why do some names have "S" or "K" in the middle?

Middle names and initials have their own drama. Harry S. Truman? The "S" doesn't actually stand for anything. His parents couldn't decide between his grandfathers' names (Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young), so they just used the letter.

Ulysses S. Grant is even stranger. His name was actually Hiram Ulysses Grant. When he got to West Point, the congressman who nominated him accidentally wrote "Ulysses S. Grant" on the forms. Grant tried to fix it, but the bureaucracy was too much, so he just kept it. The "S" became a permanent fixture of his legacy.

Weird Stuff You Probably Didn't Know About These Guys

Let's talk about the names that rarely get mentioned in history books. Ever heard of Franklin Pierce? Most people haven't. He was reportedly quite charming but had a tragic life; his son died in a train accident right before his inauguration. Then there's Millard Fillmore, who is basically the "invisible" president. He took over after Zachary Taylor died from eating too many cherries and cold milk (yes, really).

"The cherry tree story about George Washington? Total myth. A biographer named Mason Locke Weems just made it up to sell books."

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Abraham Lincoln is another one where the legend outshines the man. People think he was just a humble "rail-splitter" from the woods. While he was born in a log cabin, by the time he ran for office, he was a very successful, high-earning lawyer for the railroads. He wasn't just some guy who wandered out of a forest with an axe.

The Dynasty Names

You've probably noticed some repeating surnames when looking for the name of all the US presidents.

• The Adams Family: John (2nd) and John Quincy (6th).
• The Harrisons: William Henry (9th) and Benjamin (23rd) were grandfather and grandson.
• The Roosevelts: Teddy (26th) and FDR (32nd) were fifth cousins.
• The Bushes: George H.W. (41st) and George W. (43rd) were father and son.

It's not quite a monarchy, but it's definitely a small club.

Common Misconceptions About the List

People often forget about the "accidental" presidents. These are the Vice Presidents who took over because the sitting president died or resigned. John Tyler was the first. People actually called him "His Accidency" because they weren't sure if he really had the full power of the office. He had to stay firm and insist that yes, he was the actual president, not just an "acting" one.

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Gerald Ford is the only person on this list who was never elected by the people at all. He wasn't elected as Vice President (he was appointed after Spiro Agnew resigned) and he wasn't elected as President (he took over after Nixon resigned). He’s the ultimate wild card in the history of presidential names.

The Problem with 1789

Technically, there were leaders before George Washington. Under the Articles of Confederation, several men held the title "President of the United States in Congress Assembled." John Hanson is often cited as the "first" by some history buffs. But since they didn't have executive power and the Constitution didn't exist yet, we don't include them in the official 47.

How the List Ends in 2026

As of today, January 17, 2026, Donald Trump is back in the White House. This makes the count of individual men 45, while the number of presidencies sits at 47.

To really understand the name of all the US presidents, you have to look past the list. You have to see the weird coincidences. Like how Thomas Jefferson and John Adams—once bitter rivals, then best friends—both died on the exact same day: July 4, 1826. That was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. You couldn't write a script that perfect.

If you want to dive deeper into a specific era, I’d suggest looking into the "Forgotten Presidents" of the late 1800s. Men like Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester A. Arthur did more than you’d think, especially regarding civil service reform.

Next Steps for Your Research:

• Check the White House Historical Association for detailed biographies of the 19th-century leaders.
• Cross-reference the list with the Vice Presidents, as many "accidental" presidents changed the course of the country more than those who were elected.
• Visit the National Portrait Gallery's online archives to see how these men wanted to be remembered.