Commander in cute: The top 51 presidential baby names

Naming babies after U.S. presidents is not new. In fact, presidential names for babies are very popular, especially last names used as firsts.

Baby naming expert Pamela Redmond of Nameberry said the popularity of certain baby names tied to presidential influence fluctuates.

"Looking to our internal statistics, we see some new presidential names taking off as some of the old favorites begin to wane," Redmond told TODAY Parents.

Related: Couple names kids after presidents — here’s what’s in store for baby No. 4!

Hayes — Jessica Alba and Kevin Costner both propelled this name into the limelight when they chose it for their sons. While few parents today are choosing it to honor Rutherford B. Hayes, the presidential connection still confers some seriousness.

Pierce — More Brosnan than Franklin, but Pierce is currently fashionable.

Grover — Lena Dunham’s character on "Girls" chose this name for her baby in the final season, making it cool again.

Truman — Truman builds on the popular virtue name True. Ike is cool too. 

Monroe — Cooler now for girls than boys, but usually honors Marilyn and not President James.

TODAY asked Redmond whether presidential name trends had anything to do with politics. For example, are Republican presidential names more popular in red states, and vice versa?

"In our study of Red State-Blue State names, we found that unconventional names such as last names as firsts and gender neutral names are much more popular across the board in red states than blue," Redmond said.

Jackson at #17

"When all the spelling variations — such as Jaxon (and) Jaxson — are taken into account, it’s the number one boys’ name in the country," Redmond said.

Theodore at #23

"While most presidential first names can’t be tied directly to their White House bearers, Theodore’s current popularity is not not connected to President Theodore Roosevelt," Redmond explained. "Roosevelt has cross-party appeal and was also a champion of the environment. The name now ranks at an all-time high at 23." 

Carter at #33

"The opposite of Theodore, President Carter is usually not the primary factor in parents’ choice of this name," Redmond said of the name.

 Lincoln at #40

"(The name is) always in the top one thousand, but is really taking off since 2000," Redmond told TODAY. "Lincoln now stands at 40, it's highest point ever, (while) Abraham is 201."

 Madison at #23

 Kennedy at #72

"Kennedy peaked as a boys’ name in 1964, the year after JFK’s assassination," Redmond said. "Now it is far more popular for girls."

Reagan, another popular name directly tied to the president, is ranked at 114.

"It took off in the 1990s after Ronald Reagan’s presidency (and) broke the Top 100 in 2015 and 2016," Redmond said.

1. Theodore
2. James
3. Arthur
4. Zachary
5. Benjamin
6. Harrison
7. George
8. William
9. Calvin
10. Hayes
11. Madison
12. Carter
13. Lincoln
14. Jackson
15. Grant
16. Chester
17. Ford
18. Tyler
19. Richard
20. Pierce
21. Taylor
22. Abraham
23. Kennedy
24. Ulysses
25. Reagan
26. Franklin
27. Wilson
28. Gerald
29. Grover
30. Truman
31. Ike
32. Woodrow
33. Monroe
34. Donald
35. Nixon
36. Lyndon
37. Bill
38. McKinley
39. Joe
40. Barack
41. Dwight
42. Roosevelt
43. Garfield
44. Jefferson
45. Clinton
46. Rutherford
47. Millard
48. Obama
49. Cleveland
50. Hoover
51. Eisenhower

Related:

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April 5, 201701:04