Why Did Americans Start Naming Their Babies After the President?

American actor Woody Strode in Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘Spartacus’ (L) and the person after whom he was named: Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States of America.

Know any kids named Barack? In Time’s “Now You Know” feature, Merrill Fabry looks at the history of Americans naming their children after Presidents, and what happened to it. Cameos by the ANS’ own Cleve Evans and Frank Nuessel!