Secret Service code name
The United States Secret Service uses code names for U.S. presidents, first ladies, and other prominent persons and locations. 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 an 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 code names change over time for security purposes, but are often publicly known. For security, code names 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 and their families
- Woodrow Wilson
- * Edith Wilson – Grandma
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- * Eleanor Roosevelt – Rover
- Harry S. Truman – General or Supervise
- * Bess Truman – Sunnyside
- Dwight D. 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 B. 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 – Dasher which was changed to Deacon or Lock Master
- * 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
- * Roger Clinton Jr. – no code name; press claimed was Headache
- 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
- Joe Biden – Celtic
- * Jill Biden – Capri
- * Hunter Biden – Captain
Vice presidents and their families
- Spiro Agnew – Pathfinder
- * Judy Agnew – Photograph
- Nelson Rockefeller – Sandstorm
- * Happy Rockefeller – Shooting Star or Stardust
- Walter Mondale – Cavalier
- * 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
- Mike Pence – Hoosier
- * Karen Pence – Hummingbird
- Kamala Harris – Pioneer
- * Douglas Emhoff - Playmaker
- * Cole Emhoff - Pirate
- * Ella Emhoff - Pickle
- JD Vance – Bobcat
Political candidates and their spouses
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
- Phil Crane – Swordfish
- Ted Kennedy – Sunburn
1984
- Geraldine Ferraro – Duster
- * John Zaccaro – N/A
- 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
- John McCain – Phoenix
- * Cindy McCain – Parasol
- * Meghan McCain – Peter Sellers
- * 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
- Ben Carson – Eli
- Tim Kaine – Daredevil
- * Anne Holton – Dogwood
- Bernie Sanders – Intrepid
2020
- Bernie Sanders – Intrepid
- Kamala Harris – Pioneer
2024
Government officials
- Kennedy Administration
- * Cabinet
- ** Secretary of State Dean Rusk – Freedom
- * Staff
- ** Rear Adm. George Burkley – Market
- ** Senior military aide General Chester Clifton – Watchman
- ** Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher – Winner
- ** Assistant Press Secretary Malcolm Kilduff – Warrior
- ** Personal secretary Evelyn Lincoln – Willow
- ** Air Force aide Godfrey McHugh – Wing
- ** Special assistant and appointments secretary Kenneth O'Donnell – Wand
- ** Naval aide Captain Tazewell Shepard – Witness
- ** White House secretary Priscilla Wear – Fiddle
- ** White House secretary Jill Cowen – Faddle
- Lyndon Johnson Administration
- * Staff
- ** Walter Jenkins – Vigilant
- ** Pierre Salinger – Wayside
- Nixon Administration
- * Cabinet
- ** Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger – Woodcutter
- *** His wife, Nancy Kissinger – Woodlark
- * Staff
- ** White House photographer Ollie Atkins – Hawkeye
- ** Gulf Coast Regional Chairman James Baker – Fencing Master or Foxtail
- ** Deputy Assistant to the President Dwight Chapin – Watchdog
- ** Domestic Affairs Advisor Kenneth Reese Cole Jr. – Spectator
- ** John Ehrlichman – Wisdom
- ** White House aide Tim Elbourne – Snapshot
- ** Secretary of State Alexander Haig – Claw Hammer
- ** White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman – Welcome
- ** Assistant to Haldeman Lawrence Higby – Semaphore
- ** Air Force aide James D. Hughes – Red Barron
- ** Communications Director Herbert G. Klein – Witness
- ** Dr. William Lukash – Sawhorse
- ** Senior assistant Clark MacGregor – Whipcrack
- ** Assistant for Legislative Affairs William Timmons – Windowpane
- ** Dr. Walter Tkach – Signature
- ** Director of the White House Office of Presidential Advance, later Director of the National Park Service, Ronald H. Walker – Roadrunner
- ** Personal secretary Rose Mary Woods – Strawberry
- ** Press Secretary and Assistant to the President Ron Ziegler – Whale Boat
- ** Presidential spokesman Ken W. Clawson – Thunderstorm
- Ford Administration
- * Staff
- ** Press Secretary Ron Nessen – Clam Chowder
- ** Deputy Chief of Staff, later Chief of Staff, Dick Cheney – Backseat
- Carter Administration
- * Cabinet
- ** Secretary of State Cyrus Vance – Fade Away
- ** Secretary of Defense Harold Brown – Finley
- * Staff
- ** National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzeziński – Hawkeye
- ** Director of the Office of Management and Budget Bert Lance – Dumbo
- Reagan Administration
- * Attorney General William French Smith – Flivver
- * Secretary of Education Terrel Bell – Foxcraft
- George W. Bush Administration
- * Scott McClellan – Matrix
- * Chief of Staff Andy Card – Potomac, later Patriot
- * Chief of Staff Josh Bolten – Fatboy
- * Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao – Firebird
- Obama Administration
- * Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel – Black Hawk
- * Tim Geithner – Fencing Master
- First Trump administration
- * Senior Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway – Blueberry
Other individuals
- Israel
- * Prime Minister Menachem Begin – Cedar
- ** Hasia Begin Milo – Crystal
- Commonwealth realms
- * Queen Elizabeth II – Kittyhawk, Redfern
- * King Charles III – Principal or Unicorn
- United States
- * Senator Howard Baker – Snapshot
- * Actor Antonio Banderas – Zorro
- * Congressman and Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill – Flag Day
- * Florida banker and businessman, confidant of President Nixon, Bebe Rebozo – Christopher
- * Social secretary to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and mistress to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd – Mrs. Johnson
- * Singer and actor Frank Sinatra – Napoleon
- * Senator Strom Thurmond – Footprint
- Vatican
- * Pope John Paul II – Halo