Nov 6, 2020
Image: Insignia - secretservice.gov
The United States Secret Service uses code names for U.S. presidents, first ladies, and other prominent persons and locations according to wikipedia.org. The use of such names was originally for security purposes and dates to a time when sensitive electronic communications were not routinely encrypted; today, the names simply serve for purposes of brevity, clarity, and tradition. The Secret Service does not choose these names, however. The White House Communications Agency maintains a list that candidates choose from, often choosing ones that resonate with them personally.
According to established protocol, good codewords are unambiguous words that can be easily pronounced and readily understood by those who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of their native language. Traditionally, all family members' code names start with the same letter.
The codenames change over time for security purposes, but are often publicly known. For security, codenames are generally picked from a list of such 'good' words, but avoiding the use of common words which could likely be intended to mean their normal definitions.
Presidents of the United States and their families
Woodrow Wilson
Edith Wilson – Grandma
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt – Rover
Harry S. Truman – General or Supervise
Bess Truman – Sunnyside
Dwight Eisenhower – Scorecard or Providence
Mamie Eisenhower – Springtime
David Eisenhower – Sahara
John F. Kennedy – Lancer
Jacqueline Kennedy – Lace
Caroline Kennedy – Lyric
John F. Kennedy, Jr. – Lark
Rose Kennedy – Coppertone
Ethel Kennedy – Sundance
Lyndon Johnson – Volunteer
Lady Bird Johnson – Victoria
Lynda Bird Johnson – Velvet
Luci Baines Johnson – Venus
Richard Nixon – Searchlight
Pat Nixon – Starlight
Patricia Nixon Cox – Sugarfoot
Edward F. Cox – Seminole
Julie Nixon Eisenhower – Sunbonnet
Gerald Ford – Passkey or Pass Key
Betty Ford – Pinafore
Susan Ford – Panda
Michael Ford – Professor
Jack Ford – Packman
Jimmy Carter – Lock Master or Deacon
Rosalynn Carter – Lotus Petal or Dancer
Amy Carter – Dynamo
Chip Carter – Diamond
Jack Carter – Derby
Jeff Carter – Deckhand
Ronald Reagan – Rawhide
Nancy Reagan – Rainbow
Maureen Reagan – Rhyme, Rosebud
Michael Reagan – Riddler
Patti Davis – Ribbon
Ron Reagan – Reliant
Doria Reagan – Radiant
George H. W. Bush – Timberwolf
Barbara Bush – Snowbank or Tranquility
Marvin Bush – Tuner
Neil Bush – Trapline
Jeb Bush – Tripper
Dorothy Bush – Tiller
Bill Clinton – Eagle
Hillary Clinton – Evergreen
Chelsea Clinton – Energy
George W. Bush – Tumbler, later Trailblazer
Laura Bush – Tempo
Barbara Bush – Turquoise
Jenna Bush – Twinkle
Barack Obama – Renegade
Michelle Obama – Renaissance
Malia Obama – Radiance
Sasha Obama – Rosebud
Marian Shields Robinson – Raindance
Donald Trump – Mogul
Melania Trump – Muse
Donald Trump Jr. – Mountaineer
Ivanka Trump – Marvel
Eric Trump – Marksman
Jared Kushner - Mechanic
Vice presidents of the United States and their families
Spiro Agnew – Pathfinder
Judy Agnew – Photograph
Nelson Rockefeller – Sandstorm
Happy Rockefeller – Shooting Star or Stardust
Walter Mondale – Cavalier or Dragon
Joan Mondale – Cameo
Ted Mondale – Centurion
Eleanor Mondale – Calico
William Mondale – Chessman
Dan Quayle – Scorecard or Supervisor
Marilyn Quayle – Sunshine
Al Gore – Sundance or Sawhorse
Tipper Gore – Skylark
Karenna Gore – Smurfette
Kristin Gore – Silhouette
Sarah Gore – Screwdriver
Albert Gore III – Shortstop
Dick Cheney – Angler
Lynne Cheney – Author
Elizabeth Cheney – Apollo
Mary Cheney – Alpine
Joe Biden – Celtic
Jill Biden – Capri
Mike Pence – Hoosier
Karen Pence – Hummingbird
Political candidates and their spouses
U.S. Secret Service codenames are often given to high-profile political candidates (such as presidential and vice presidential candidates), and their respective families and spouses who are assigned U.S. Secret Service protection. These codenames often differ from those held if they are elected or those from prior periods if they held positions needing codenames.
1968
Eugene McCarthy – Instructor
1972
George McGovern – Redwood
1976
Jimmy Carter – Dasher or Deacon
Bob Dole – Ramrod
Elizabeth Dole – Rainbow
Morris Udall – Dashboard
1980
John B. Anderson – Miracle, Starburst or Stardust
Keke Anderson – Scarlet
George H. W. Bush – Sheepskin (During 1980 Campaign)
Phil Crane – Swordfish
Ted Kennedy – Sunburn
1984
Geraldine Ferraro – Duster
John Zaccaro – N/A (Declined Secret Service Protection)
John Glenn – Iron
Jesse Jackson – Thunder
Walter Mondale – Dragon
1988
Lloyd Bentsen – Parthenon
Michael Dukakis – Peso
Kitty Dukakis – Panda
Jesse Jackson – Pontiac
Gary Hart – Redwood
Paul Simon – Scarlett
1996
Bob Dole – Patriot
Elizabeth Dole – Pioneer
Jack Kemp – Champion
Joanne Kemp – Cornerstone
2000
Joe Lieberman – Laser
Hadassah Lieberman – Liberty
2004
John Kerry – Minuteman
Teresa Heinz Kerry – Mahogany
John Edwards – Speedway
2008
Hillary Clinton – Evergreen
Bill Clinton – Eagle
John McCain – Phoenix
Cindy McCain – Parasol
Meghan McCain – Peter Sellers (Peter)
John Sidney McCain IV – Popeye
Bridget McCain – Pebbles
Sarah Palin – Denali
Todd Palin – Driller
2012
Mitt Romney – Javelin
Ann Romney – Jockey
Rick Santorum – Petrus
Newt Gingrich – T-Rex
Paul Ryan – Bowhunter
Janna Ryan – Buttercup
2016
Donald Trump – Mogul
Ben Carson – Eli
Hillary Clinton – Evergreen
Bill Clinton – Eagle
Tim Kaine – Daredevil
Bernie Sanders – Intrepid
2020
Joe Biden – Celtic
Bernie Sanders – Intrepid
Donald Trump – Mogul
Kamala Harris – Pioneer
Government officials
Kennedy Administration
Cabinet
Dean Rusk – Freedom
Staff
Rear Adm. George Burkley (Physician to the president) – Market
General Chester Clifton – Watchman
Andrew Hatcher – Winner
Malcolm Kilduff – Warrior
Evelyn Lincoln – Willow
Godfrey McHugh – Wing
Kenneth O'Donnell – Wand
Captain Tazewell Shepard (Naval Aide) – Witness
Lyndon Johnson Administration
Staff
Walter Jenkins – Vigilant
Pierre Salinger – Wayside
Nixon Administration
Cabinet
Henry Kissinger – Woodcutter
Nancy Kissinger – Woodlark
Staff
Ollie Atkins (White House photographer) – Hawkeye
James Baker – Fencing Master or Foxtail
Dwight Chapin – Watchdog
Kenneth Reese Cole Jr. – Spectator
John Ehrlichman – Wisdom
Tim Elbourne (White House aide) – Snapshot
Alexander Haig – Claw Hammer
H. R. Haldeman – Welcome
Lawrence Higby – Semaphore
James D. Hughes – Red Barron
Herbert G. Klein – Witness
William Lukash (Physician to the president) – Sawhorse
Clark MacGregor – Whipcrack
William Timmons – Windowpane
Walter Tkach (Physician to the president) – Signature
Ronald H. Walker – Roadrunner
Rose Mary Woods – Strawberry
Ron Ziegler – Whale Boat
Ken W. Clawson – Thunderstorm
Ford Administration
Staff
Ron Nessen – Clam Chowder
Dick Cheney – Backseat
Carter Administration
Cabinet
Cyrus Vance – Fade Away
Harold Brown – Finley
Staff
Zbigniew Brzeziński – Hawkeye
Bert Lance – Dumbo
Reagan Administration
William French Smith – Flivver
Terrel Bell – Foxcraft
George W. Bush Administration
Scott McClellan – Matrix (generic name for White House press secretary)
Andy Card – Potomac, later Patriot
Josh Bolten – Fatboy
Elaine Chao – Firebird
Obama Administration
Rahm Emanuel – Black Hawk
Tim Geithner – Fencing Master (generic codename for Secretary of the Treasury)
Trump Administration
Kellyanne Conway – Blueberry
H.R. McMaster - Braveheart
Congressional officials
Strom Thurmond – Footprint
Howard Baker – Snapshot
Thomas P. O'Neill – Flag Day
Other individuals
Queen Elizabeth II, codename "Kittyhawk".
Israel
Menachem Begin – Cedar
Hasia Begin Milo – Crystal
Commonwealth Realms
Queen Elizabeth II – Kittyhawk, Redfern
Prince Charles – Principal or Unicorn
United States
Bebe Rebozo – Christopher
Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd – Mrs. Johnson
Frank Sinatra – Napoleon
Vatican
Pope John Paul II – Halo
Locations, objects, and places
U.S. Secret Service codenames are not only given to people, they are often given to places, locations and even objects, such as aircraft like Air Force One, and vehicles such as the Presidential State Car.
Joint Base Andrews – Acrobat or Andy
The Presidential Motorcade – Bamboo
The Harry S Truman Building (Department of State headquarters) – Birds-eye
Camp David – Cactus or Buckeye
The Vice President's office – Cobweb
The Vice President's staff – Pacemaker
The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City – Roadhouse
Air Force One – Angel or Cowpuncher
The U.S. Presidential State Car – Stagecoach
Follow-up car – Halfback
The White House – Castle (Crown referring to the Executive Mansion, the central representative and office spaces of the White House)
The Capitol – Punch bowl
The White House Situation Room – Cement Mixer
Eisenhower Executive Office Building (part of the White House Complex) – Central
Reagan National Airport – Curbside
The temporary residence of the President – Charcoal or Base
The Pentagon – Calico
White House garage – Carpet
J. Edgar Hoover Building (FBI Headquarters) – Cork
Lyndon Baines Johnson's ranch – Volcano
In Fiction
In popular culture, the practice of assigning codenames is often used to provide additional verisimilitude in fictional works about the executive branch, or high-ranking governmental figures.
1600 Penn
First Son Standrich "Skip" Gilchrist Jr. — Meatball
24
President Wayne Palmer – Citadel
President Allison Taylor – Liberty
The American President
Andrew Shepherd – Liberty
Chasing Liberty
First Daughter Anna Foster – Liberty
First Daughter
Samantha Mackenzie – Lucky Charm
First Kid
President Paul Davenport – Eagle
Luke Davenport – Prince
Homeland
President Elizabeth Keane – Big Apple
In the Line of Fire
The President – Traveler
Jericho
President Jon Tomarchio – Condor
Olympus Has Fallen
The White House – Olympus
President Benjamin Asher – Southpaw
President's Son Connor – Sparkplug
Special agent in charge – Big Top
The Sentinel
President John Ballentine – Classic
First Lady Sara Ballentine – Cincinnati
Tom Clancy's novels
President Roger Durling in Debt of Honor – Jumper
Unnamed President in Clear and Present Danger – Wrangler
Unnamed President in Endwar – American Eagle
President Jack Ryan in Debt of Honor and Executive Orders – Swordsman
Dr. Caroline "Cathy" Ryan in Executive Orders – Surgeon
Olivia "Sally" Ryan in Executive Orders – Shadow
Jack Ryan, Jr in Executive Orders – Shortstop
Katie Ryan in Executive Orders – Sandbox
Kyle Daniel Ryan in The Bear and the Dragon – Sprite
George Winston (Secretary of the Treasury) in Executive Orders – Trader
Arnold Van Damm (White House Chief of Staff) in Executive Orders and The Bear and the Dragon – Carpenter
Callie Weston (Chief Speechwriter) in Executive Orders and The Bear and the Dragon – Calliope
Scott Adler (Secretary of State) in Executive Orders and The Bear and the Dragon – Eagle
Benjamin Goodley (National Security Advisor) in Executive Orders – Cardsharp
Elizabeth Eliot (National Security Advisor) in The Sum of All Fears – Harpy
The West Wing
President Jed Bartlet – Eagle or Liberty
Zoey Bartlet – Bookbag
C. J. Cregg – Flamingo
Sam Seaborn – Princeton
Gus Westin (grandson of Jed Bartlet) – Tonka
Arnold Vinick – Big Sur
The Prodigal Daughter
President Florentyna Kane – Baroness
Vantage Point
Henry Ashton – Eagle
The Last Jihad
President James MacPherson – Gambit
Vice President Lewis Rhodes – Topeka
Vice President Bill Oaks – Checkmate
Shooter
President – Flashlight
Triggers
President Seth Jerrison – Prospector
Vice President Paddy Flaherty – Rockhound
Air Force One
President James Marshall – Boy Scout
House of Cards
Frank Underwood – Little John (as Vice President), Big John (as President)
President Claire Underwood (Season 6)—Lone Star
Scandal
President Fitzgerald Grant – Falcon
First Lady Mellie Grant – Foxtail
Abby Whelan (as Chief of Staff) – Fireband
Veep
President/Vice President Selina Meyer – Duchess
Madam Secretary
President Conrad Dalton – Falcon
Secretary Elizabeth McCord – Bluebird
Designated Survivor
Thomas "Tom" Kirkman – Glasses (as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Phoenix (as President)
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