JD Vance has gone by several names throughout his life, and his history of name changes has been scrutinized leading up to the vice presidential debate. While many Americans change their last names upon marriage, Vance has used three different names over the years. Below, we’ll detail each of these names and his reasons for changing them.
Which names has JD Vance gone by?
According to the Associated Press, JD Vance was born James Donald Bowman on August 2, 1984. His middle name, Donald, came from his father, Donald Ray Bowman. Vance’s parents divorced when he was young, and he didn’t have much of a relationship with his biological father after that. When his mother’s third husband, Bob Hamel, adopted him, she changed his middle name from Donald to David—after one of his uncles—effectively removing his father’s name.
For the next two decades, he was known as James David Hamel (including during his stint in the United States Marine Corps). However, he resented that his mother had changed his name and didn’t feel particularly attached to it after she divorced his adoptive stepfather. Since he and Bob Hamel weren’t close following the divorce, Vance decided to change his last name to something more meaningful to him.
In April 2013, he legally changed his name to James David Vance, taking his mother’s maiden name. He credits his maternal grandparents for raising him and wanted to honor them by adopting their surname.
Regarding his nickname “JD,” Vance says he has gone by “J.D.” since he was a child. He removed the periods from the abbreviation in July 2021 when he began his political career, preferring that styling in print.
So, Vance’s name changes are deeply connected to his tumultuous childhood and complicated family relationships. In the end, he chose the surname Vance to reflect the family members who truly supported him, honoring his maternal grandparents’ profound impact on his life.
