JD Vance Opens Up About Family's Unique Baby Naming Process
Vice President JD Vance has provided an intimate glimpse into the personal preparations he and Second Lady Usha Vance are making as they anticipate the arrival of their baby boy later this year. In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with the Daily Mail conducted on Tuesday, Vance expressed profound excitement about welcoming his future son and detailed the couple's distinctive approach to selecting a name.
A Historic Pregnancy and Family Expansion
The second couple officially announced Usha's pregnancy with a baby boy on January 20. At 40 years old, Usha Vance holds a notable place in history as the first vice president's wife to be pregnant since Ellen Colfax, wife of Schuyler Colfax, who gave birth in April 1870 during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. This historical context adds a layer of significance to their growing family.
"We've talked about a few names," Vance revealed to the Daily Mail from his office within the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington DC. However, he then disclosed a key family tradition: they do not plan on finalising a name for their fourth child until after the baby is born. The couple are already parents to three young children: two sons, Ewan, aged 8, and Vivek, aged 6, along with their four-year-old daughter, Mirabel.
An Unconventional Naming Tradition
Vance elaborated on this personal practice, noting its unusual nature. "We're working on it, but, you know, with all three of our kids, we actually didn't settle on their names until after they were born, which is, I think, pretty unusual," he stated. He contrasted this with more common approaches, explaining, "Most people choose a name well before the kid is born. I think Usha and I have never just found a name where it's like, 'Alright, this is what we want to name our kid.' And so we always wait to meet them and settle on the names from there."
This method underscores a desire for the name to resonate personally upon meeting their newborn, rather than pre-selecting based on anticipation alone. Vance confirmed that he and Usha will probably adhere to this tradition, waiting until after their son's birth to decide on his name.
A Love Story from Yale Law School
The Vances' relationship has its roots in academia. They met while attending Yale Law School, where they were in the same classes before beginning to date. Their romance blossomed quickly, with Vance marrying Usha in 2014 and welcoming their eldest son in 2017. According to Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, his feelings were intense from the start; he told Usha he loved her after their first college date.
In his book, Vance affectionately referred to Usha as his "Yale spirit guide," crediting her with helping him navigate the elite Ivy League culture—a significant transition for Vance, who grew up in a poor working-class family in rural Ohio. Usha, the daughter of Indian immigrants, brought a different perspective to their partnership. Friends and even a former law school professor observed that Vance was visibly "lovesick" by Usha during their dating phase, a sentiment Vance himself described as "overwhelming."
Family Life in the Nation's Capital
Today, the couple resides with their young family at the Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, the official vice-presidential residence. Prior to assuming the vice presidency, Vance, a former Republican senator, split his time between DC and the family home in Cincinnati. As they prepare for their fourth child, the Vances continue to blend their personal traditions with their public roles, offering a rare look into the familial side of political life.
