Secret Service code names for 12 presidents and first ladies

The White House Communications Agency assigns each member of the first family a Secret Service code name drawn from an agency-approved list. Those names are meant for internal use, but they often become public through filings, leaks, or agents being overheard, and advances in technology have made them less secret than they once were.

Family members typically receive names that share the same first letter, though not always the letter of their surname. Some code names reflect public images or personal backgrounds: John F. Kennedy was “Lancer,” evoking Lancelot and the Camelot image promoted by Jacqueline Kennedy, who was “Lace.” Richard Nixon was “Searchlight” while Pat Nixon was “Starlight,” a pairing the source calls ironic given the Watergate night raid.

Ronald Reagan was “Rawhide” and Nancy Reagan “Rainbow”; Barack Obama chose “Renegade” from an approved list and Michelle Obama was “Renaissance.” Donald Trump used “Mogul” despite once saying he would pick “Humble,” and Melania Trump was “Muse.” Other examples include Lyndon B.

United States, Washington, D.C.

lancer, lace, searchlight, starlight, rawhide, rainbow, renegade, renaissance, mogul, muse