Can You Tell Us the First Names of These U.S. Presidents?

By: Jonnathan Chadwick
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Tell Us the First Names of These U.S. Presidents?
Image: Wiki Commons by Gilbert Stuart

About This Quiz

Gone are the days when Millard and Grover and Rutherford and Chester were popular boy's names, but U.S. presidents live forever, so you've probably heard those names uttered at some point in your life. For the 44 members of one of the most powerful and exclusive fraternities in the world, last names are everything. They get elected based on their last name, they get referred to by last name and they will go down in history known by their last name. 

Take the examples of Jackson, Monroe or Madison. These names are immortal in American history. It's nearly impossible to visit a state in the country that hasn't erected a memorial to at least one of them, if not all three. The Monroe Doctrine is famous. Madison Square Garden is famous. The capital of Mississippi (Jackson) is famous. What isn't famous is the first names of these guys. Do you know them?

It's really hard to name all the U.S. presidents. Some served in office for just months or even weeks and have largely been forgotten. Others did such a bad job they wish they were forgotten. Nevertheless, if you're American, you should know the leaders of this country. The nation isn't even 250 years old, and there have only been 44 presidents over the course of 45 presidencies. See if you can match the first name to all these U.S. presidents.

6 William Howard Taft
Wiki Commons by Anders Zorn
President Taft is most remembered for a false story about him getting stuck in the White House bathtub. What was his first name?
Scott
William
Andrew
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William Howard Taft served one term as the 27th POTUS, and in 1921 he joined the Supreme Court as the chief justice of the United States. Nobody else has ever served as president and chief justice in their lifetime.

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8 James Madison
Wiki Commons by Gilbert Stuart
New York City's Madison Square Garden and Madison Avenue are named after this Madison. What's his name?
James
John
Andrew
George
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James Madison was the fourth U.S. president, one of the country's Founding Fathers and is known as the Father of the Constitution. He was also a main author of the Federalist Papers. He's immortalized in countless memorials across the country and even has a university named after him called James Madison University.

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1 President Barack Obama
Wiki Commons by Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
In 2008 Obama became the first African-American to be elected U.S. president. What is his first name?
John
Barry
Brock
Barack
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The impossible became possible in 2008 when Barack Obama defeated John McCain to win the presidency. His landmark legislation was the Affordable Healthcare Act, which came under fire as soon as it was passed.

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2 Donald Trump
Wiki Commons by Shealah Craighead
In 2016 Trump became the first U.S. president to never have served in government office or the military. What is his first name?
Donald
Dawn
James
Eric
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Donald Trump held a mock campaign rally in response to discovering that NBC was paying him less than a fellow television star, and that campaign rally gained so much traction that he actually ran for president and became the first president who had never served in a government office or the military.

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3 George Washington
Wiki Commons by Gilbert Stuart
Washington, D.C. is named for the country's first president. Do you know him?
Grover
James
George
Greg
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The country's first president isn't known for passing landmark legislation but is known for setting an important precedent. He chose not to serve a third term even though he easily could have, and he established the practice of creating a presidential cabinet.

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4 Jgarfield
Wiki Commons by Calvin Curtis
This Garfield was the second president to be assassinated while in office. What's his name?
James
John
Chester
Samuel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Less than 20 years after the assassination of Lincoln came Garfield's assassination. He was shot by a disgruntled citizen who believed he should've been rewarded a government seat. The shot killed Garfield just months into his presidency.

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5 James Buchanan
Wiki Commons by George Peter Alexander Healy
Can you name this Buchanan who remained impartial during the issue of slavery, which was the biggest issue in the world at the time?
Andrew
Benjamin
James
John
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you can't imagine a U.S. president refusing to take a stance on slavery in the mid-1800s, you're not alone, but it really happened. Buchanan's lack of leadership hasn't helped his legacy age well, and he's regularly listed as one of the worst presidents.

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7 James Polk
Wiki Commons by George Peter Alexander Healy
America reached manifest destiny (aka the West Coast) under President Polk. What was his first name?
George
Andrew
James
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James Polk doesn't get listed among the top presidents when discussing politics, but he did oversee the nation as it expanded through Texas and Oregon and finally reached the West Coast. He also started a war with Mexico and bought slaves as president, which doesn't help his legacy.

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9 James Monroe
Wiki Commons by Samuel Morse
The Monroe Doctrine is one of the most famous doctrines in American history. Who is it named after?
George
Andrew
John
James
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Monroe Doctrine was a major piece of foreign policy that said the U.S. would not interfere with European colonies as long as European colonies didn't interfere in North or South America. It helped many South American countries keep independence from Spain and Portugal.

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10 Jimmy Carter Portrait
Wiki Commons by Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Naval Photographic Center
Do you know Jimmy Carter's real name?
Benjamin
James
William
George
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James is the most popular name for U.S. presidents, and there have been six of them in the country's history. James "Jimmy" Carter served one term as president from 1977 to 1981, but couldn't beat Ronald Reagan to win re-election.

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11 John Adams
Wiki Commons by John Trumbull
The country's second president shared a first name with four other presidents. Do you know what it was?
John
James
Andrew
Samuel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Once George Washington revealed he wouldn't seek a third term, all hell broke loose, but John Adams eventually became president without doing any campaigning. Thomas Jefferson received the second most amount of votes, and as was the case back then, became vice president.

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12 George W Bush
Wiki Commons by White House photo by Eric Draper
George Washington was America's first president, but this Bush is commonly known as G.W. What's his name?
George
Geoff
Grant
Graham
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

History has drastically changed George W. Bush's legacy in just a few short years. It went from rock bottom during Obama's administration to sky-high during Trump's administration. Only time will tell where he ends up on a list of America's leaders.

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13 Bill Clinton
Wiki Commons by Bob McNeely, The White House
The second and last U.S. president to ever be impeached was this Clinton. Who is he?
William
Jeffrey
Jon
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William Jefferson Clinton is commonly known as Bill and is one of the most popular presidents in American history. The charismatic kid from Arkansas will be remembered most for his extra-marital affair with a White House intern.

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14 Ronald Reagan
Wiki Commons by Executive Office of the President of the United States
Before Reagan was tinkering with economics he was starring on the silver screen. Do you know his first name?
Grover
Ronald
Donald
Gary
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ronald Reagan is most known for economic initiatives he put in place in the 1980s known as Reaganomics, but he's also the first Hollywood star to become a U.S. president. The 45th POTUS, Donald Trump, was also a TV celebrity before assuming office.

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15 Grover Cleveland
Wiki Commons by Eastman Johnson
President Cleveland was the only president to serve non-consecutive terms. What was his name?
Grover
Benjamin
Andrew
George
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grover is a first name we don't see much anymore, but President Cleveland will go down in history as the only person to serve non-consecutive terms. Even though we say President Trump is the 45th POTUS, he is really only the 44th president, because Cleveland is counted twice. There have been 44 U.S. presidents and 45 U.S. presidencies.

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16 Franklin Roosevelt
Wiki Commons by Jacob H. Perskie
This Roosevelt is the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms. Do you know him?
John
Theodore
Franklin
Gary
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

F.D.R. is regularly listed alongside George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as the best presidents of all time. He was elected to four terms but died weeks into his fourth term. He created the New Deal, the G.I. Bill and dug the country out of the Great Depression.

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17 Lyndon Johnson
Wiki Commons by Arnold Newman, White House Press Office (WHPO)
Do you know this President Johnson who served between two of America's most polarizing presidents?
Andrew
Lyndon
James
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like J.F.K., Lyndon B. Johnson, J.F.K.'s successor, went by a three-letter moniker: L.B.J. He assumed the presidency following J.F.K.'s assassination and was succeeded by Richard Nixon. He is most remembered for his work with American civil rights and racial inequality.

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18 President_Woodrow_Wilson
Wiki Commons by Frank Graham Cootes
Did you know that President Wilson has more than 50 U.S. schools named after him? What's his first name?
Woodrow
James
Andrew
George
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Only J.F.K., George Washington and Thomas Jefferson have more K-12 schools named after them. President Wilson was also the only U.S. president to ever have been a college professor, so it's fitting that so many schools are named after him.

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19 Zachary Taylor
Wiki Commons by Joseph Henry Bush
War hero President Taylor had no intention of being president, but became the first president to be elected without ever serving in office. Do you know his first name?
Zachary
Andrew
William
George
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Zachary Tyler was a pure military general through and through and became president solely off of his war hero status. Unfortunately, he died just 16 months into the presidency and never really got to accomplish anything.

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20 Richard Nixon
Wiki Commons by White House Photo Office
President Nixon was the only president to resign from office. Do you know his first name?
Ronald
Jimmy
George
Richard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Richard Nixon became president in 1969 and got to say he was president when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. He is most remembered for the Watergate Scandal, which forced him to resign before he could get impeached.

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21 President_Andrew_Johnson
Wiki Commons by Mathew Brady, Retouched by Mmxx
This Johnson was the first president to ever be impeached. Who is he?
Andrew
John
Harry
Grover
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's vice president and he assumed the presidency after Lincoln's assassination, but he opposed the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted citizenship to former slaves. He was the first president to be impeached but was acquitted by the Senate.

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22 Ulysses S Grant
Wiki Commons by Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress
General Grant led the Union forces to victory in the Civil War before becoming president. Do you know his first name?
Andrew
Robert
Ulysses
JohSamueln
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ulysses S. Grant beat Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Forces in the American Civil War, and he continued on with Lincoln's vision when he became president. He opposed racism and slavery, appointed minorities to public office and led the country during Reconstruction.

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23 Rutherford B Hayes
Wiki Commons by Mathew Brady
President Hayes secured his White House seat by cutting a backroom deal with the South. What was his first name?
Samuel
John
Andrew
Rutherford
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The election of 1876 was the sketchiest in U.S. history, to say the least. No candidate won the needed amount of electoral votes and nobody could as 20 electoral votes were tainted by fraud. The South wanted Tilden. The North wanted Hayes. An unwritten deal called the Compromise of 1877 promised to pull troops out of the South and end Reconstruction as long as Hayes assumed the presidency. That's what happened.

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24 Warren Harding
Wiki Commons by Edmund Hodgson Smart
President Harding is most known for a series of scandals, including having an affair with his secretary. What's his first name?
Warren
William
Grant
Andrew
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Luckily for Warren G. Harding, he was able to live a scandal-free life, but as soon as he died, an avalanche of scandals piled upon his presidency and smothered his legacy. He's now known for having a child out of wedlock and having an affair with his secretary.

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25 Theodore Roosevelt
Wiki Commons by Harris and Ewing
This Roosevelt's first name inspired the teddy bear. What is it?
Franklin
Benjamin
Theodore
William
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Legend has it that Theodore Roosevelt refused to kill a captured bear while on a hunting trip, calling his fellow hunters "unsportsmanlike." Once word of the story hit the states, someone in Brooklyn began making stuffed bears and called them teddy bears.

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26 Calvin Coolidge
Wiki Commons by Notman Studio, Boston
The 30th president of the United States was born John Coolidge, but he officially went by his middle name. What was it?
George
Samuel
John
Calvin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin Coolidge assumed the presidency after Warren G. Harding died while in office, and he won his own election in 1924. He only served one term because he didn't want to run in 1928, saying that if he won, he'd be in Washington too long for one man to handle.

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27 John Tyler
Wiki Commons by George Peter Alexander Healy
President Tyler was the first president to assume the office without election. What was his first name?
George
Zachary
John
William
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Tyler was the country's 10th president, and he was the first vice president to assume office after the sitting president, Harrison, died. President Harrison died just one month into office, so although Tyler only served one term, he served longer than anyone who wasn't elected.

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28 Herbert Hoover
Wiki Commons by Library of Congress
Do you know who the Hoover Dam is named after?
Herbert
Grover
Andrew
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Herbert Hoover served one term from 1929 to 1933, and the Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936. It was originally known as the Boulder Dam, but it was renamed the Hoover Dam in 1947. He lost to F.D.R. in 1932 and isn't considered one of the country's better presidents.

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29 Millard Fillmore
Wiki Commons by Library of Congress
President Fillmore was the last U.S. president to be a member of the Whig party. What was his first name?
John
Millard
Greg
William
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You don't meet many people named Millard anymore, and President Fillmore took over when Zachary Tyler died in office. He served until 1853. Fillmore was the last ever Whig president. Every president since him has been part of the Republican or Democrat party.

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30 John Adams
Wiki Commons by Library of Congress
This Adams was the eldest son of America's second president. What's his name?
George
Andrew
John
Samuel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Quincy Adams served just one term and lost a contentious re-election campaign to Andrew Jackson. Jackson positioned himself as a "common man" compared to the Adams family who had been American royalty for decades.

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31 Franklin Pierce
Wiki Commons by Mathew Brady
President Pierce didn't even get nominated by his own party for re-election. Can you remember his name?
Franklin
Theodore
William
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's really difficult to defeat a sitting president, but in 1857, the Democratic Party abandoned its candidate, who was already president, and nominated James Buchanan instead. Buchanan won, and it's the only time a party didn't support its candidate and actually won the presidency.

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32 Chester Alan Arthur
Wiki Commons by Charles Milton Bell
President Arthur assumed the presidency after the death of James Garfield. What was his first name?
Andrew
Chester
William
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chester Arthur was the 21st POTUS, finishing James Garfield's term in 1885. He did not seek re-election and was succeeded by Grover Cleveland. He wasn't able to get much done and had a tough time dealing with Southern Democrats after Reconstruction.

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33 Thomas Jefferson
Wiki Commons by Rembrandt Peale
There are hundreds of buildings, parks, cities and schools named after President Jefferson. What's his first name?
Thomas
Bill
John
Jimmy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1915 and 1941 there were separate proposals to name an entire state after Thomas Jefferson. New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union around these times and very likely could have been called Jefferson.

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34 Abraham Lincoln
Wiki Commons by The U.S. National Archives
The Lincoln Memorial is one of D.C.'s most popular monuments. What president is it named for?
George Lincoln
Andrew Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
William Lincoln
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Abraham Lincoln led the country through its darkest hours, and for that reason he is regularly considered one of the best American presidents. Aside from the Lincoln Memorial, he's immortalized on Mount Rushmore, and his nickname was Honest Abe.

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35 William Henry Harrison
Wiki Commons by Rembrandt Peale
In 1841 President Harrison became the first president to die in office. What was his first name?
Andrew
William
George
John
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William Henry Harrison died just 31 days into office. Doctors don't know what exactly happened, and while folklore says his decision to dress light during bad weather at his inauguration led to pneumonia, that's not confirmed.

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36 Harry Truman
Wiki Commons by Greta Kempton
President Truman had big shoes to fill assuming the presidency after F.D.R.'s death. Do you know his first name?
Harry
Andrew
Martin
William
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

F.D.R. was just weeks into his fourth term as president when he died, allowing Truman to take over. His administration was known for scandal, but he was able to pull off a surprise victory in the next election to win a term on his own.

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37 Martin Van Buren
Wiki Commons by Mathew Brady
President Van Buren was the first president born after America declared independence in 1776. What was his first name?
Benjamin
John
Andrew
Martin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Martin Van Buren served one term from 1837 to 1841, and as he was born in 1782, he came into the world at the tail end of the country's creation. The American Revolution officially ended in 1783. Van Buren served as governor of New York prior to the presidency, and his legacy lives all over the state.

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38 Andrew Jackson
Wiki Commons by Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl
President Jackson strongly believed "to the victor belonged the spoils," but what was his first name?
Samuel
William
Andrew
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew Jackson was a war-hero-turned-president and is now considered one of the better leaders in U.S. history. He appears on the $20 bill and was integral in the creation of the Democratic Party, which deemed itself the party of the common man although it supported slavery. Jackson was the first Democrat president.

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39 Gerald Ford
Wiki Commons by William Fitz-Patrick
This Ford served as both vice president and president but never won an election. What's his first name?
Andrew
Gerald
James
Benjamin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gerald Ford became the country's 40th vice president when Nixon's V.P. Spiro Agnew resigned. Ford then became the 38th POTUS when his boss, Richard Nixon, resigned. Ford served until 1977 and lost his election bid to Jimmy Carter.

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40 Dwight Eisenhower
Wiki Commons by US Army
President Eisenhower was one of the country's best military leaders before becoming president. What was his first name?
Benjamin
Dwight
George
John
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower is regularly listed as one of the better American presidents. He commanded Allied Forces during major invasions in WWII, making him a national hero. In the mid '50s he called racial discrimination a national security risk, saying enemies around the world could use it to launch propaganda attacks within the states.

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You Got:
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Wiki Commons by Gilbert Stuart