When George Washington took the oath of office in 1789, nobody actually knew what to call him. Think about that for a second. We take it for granted now, but at the time, the world was obsessed with royalty. John Adams, the first Vice President, was honestly kind of obsessed with titles himself. He suggested "His Highness, the President of the United States of America, and Protector of their Liberties."
People hated it. It sounded way too much like the king they just kicked out.
Instead, we ended up with Mr. President. It’s so simple it’s almost boring, but that was the point. It was meant to show that the guy in charge was just a regular citizen who happened to have a really important job. But that’s just the start of the rabbit hole. From Secret Service code names to the weird evolution of POTUS, the list of names for the President of the United States is actually a wild map of American history.
The Battle of the Formal Titles
The debate over what to call the executive wasn't just some polite chat; it was a huge political fight. Adams thought "President" was a term for a guy who ran a cricket club or a fire department. He worried that if the U.S. leader didn't have a grand title, foreign kings would treat him like a joke.
Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, thought Adams was being ridiculous. Jefferson and his buddies wanted something that didn't smell like a monarchy. They pushed for "The Honorable" or just the office name itself. Washington eventually settled the matter by preferring the simple "Mr. President."
Today, the formal etiquette is still pretty rigid. If you're writing a letter, you address the envelope to "The President." The salutation is "Dear Mr. President" (or "Dear Madam President" when that day comes). Interestingly, when a president is abroad, the formal introduction often shifts to "The President of the United States of America" to be specific. Internationally, they might still be referred to as "His/Her Excellency," even if we don't use that title at home anymore.
🔗 Read more: Nate Silver Trump Approval Rating: Why the 2026 Numbers Look So Different
Formal Style Guide for the President
- Formal Address: The President
- Spoken Greeting: Mr./Madam President
- Formal Introduction: The President of the United States
- Secret Service ID: Various (e.g., Lancer, Renegade, Mogul)
Why Everyone Says POTUS Now
You see the word POTUS everywhere. It’s on Twitter, in news headlines, and even in TV shows like The West Wing. But it wasn't always a thing. It’s actually an acronym for President of the United States.
The term started in the late 1800s as a telegraph code. Back then, you paid by the word, so shortening "President of the United States" saved money. It sat in the background of government lingo for nearly a century. It didn't really explode into the public consciousness until the 1990s. Now, it’s basically the unofficial official name for the officeholder.
The Weird World of Presidential Nicknames
Sometimes the public gives the president a name they can't shake. These nicknames often tell you more about the person’s reputation than their actual policies.
Take Andrew Jackson. His soldiers called him Old Hickory because he was as tough as hickory wood. But his enemies called him Jackass because they thought he was stubborn and crude. Jackson, being the guy he was, actually liked the name and adopted the donkey as the symbol for the Democratic Party.
Then you have the "Honest Abe" moniker for Lincoln. It’s a classic, but did you know his White House staff often called him The Tycoon? It was a nod to his massive energy and the way he ran the war.
💡 You might also like: Weather Forecast Lockport NY: Why Today’s Snow Isn’t Just Hype
Here are a few other legendary nicknames:
- Silent Cal: Calvin Coolidge was a man of so few words that a dinner guest once bet she could get him to say more than two words. He looked at her and said, "You lose."
- The Great Communicator: Ronald Reagan got this one because of his background in Hollywood and his ability to connect with people through a TV screen.
- The Teflon President: Also Reagan. This was used by critics because scandals never seemed to stick to him.
- Dutch: Reagan’s childhood nickname, given to him by his father because he looked like a "fat little Dutchman."
- Dubya: A play on the Texas pronunciation of the "W" in George W. Bush’s name.
The Secret Service Code Names
The Secret Service gives every president a code name, and they usually pick names for the whole family that start with the same letter. These names aren't really "secret" anymore, but they are still used for radio communication.
John F. Kennedy was Lancer. It fit the whole "Camelot" vibe his administration was going for. Richard Nixon was Searchlight, which is kind of ironic considering he tried to keep things in the dark during Watergate.
Bill Clinton was Eagle. Barack Obama was Renegade. Donald Trump was Mogul. Joe Biden is Celtic. These names are often chosen from a list of words that are easy to say and recognize over a fuzzy radio frequency.
How We Address Former Presidents
This is where things get a bit confusing. Technically, according to strict protocol, there is only one "President." When a person leaves office, they are supposed to go back to being called The Honorable [Name] or Mr. [Last Name].
📖 Related: Economics Related News Articles: What the 2026 Headlines Actually Mean for Your Wallet
However, in real life, almost everyone still calls them "President Clinton" or "President Bush." It’s a sign of respect for the office they once held. The State Department says "The Honorable" is the right way to address them formally, but if you meet one in person, "Mr. President" is still the standard social greeting. It’s sort of an "once a president, always a president" rule in the eyes of the public.
The Trend of the Numbers
Lately, there’s a new way of referring to the commanders-in-chief: by their number. It really took off with the Bush family. Since there were two George Bushes, people started calling the father 41 and the son 43.
Donald Trump famously used 45 in his branding, and now 47. It’s a quick, shorthand way to distinguish between different eras of leadership. You’ll often see these numbers on hats, coins, or even as digital handles.
Actionable Insights: Using the Right Names
If you're writing about the presidency or meeting a high-level official, here is how you should actually use these names:
- In formal writing: Use "President [Last Name]" on the first mention and just the last name after that.
- In a letter: Use "The President" on the envelope and "Dear Mr. President" in the greeting.
- In casual conversation: Using "POTUS" or the president's name is fine, but avoid using just the first name unless you’re intentionally trying to be informal or provocative.
- Addressing a former president: "Mr. President" is socially acceptable, but "The Honorable [Name]" is the technically correct formal title.
The names we use for the president reflect our changing relationship with power. We’ve moved from wanting to call them "Highness" to calling them by their initials (FDR, JFK, LBJ) or even just a number. It’s a shift from seeing the leader as a distant royal to seeing them as a person we know—or at least, a person we feel we have the right to nickname.
To stay accurate when referencing the executive branch, always cross-reference the current numbering and formal style guides provided by the White House Historical Association or the State Department. These resources ensure you aren't using outdated honorifics or incorrect historical monikers.