As a fervent admirer of JD Vance, I find his journey through life and name changes to be not only intriguing but also deeply moving. His story is a testament to resilience and self-discovery, with each name change serving as a milestone in his personal evolution.
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.
What were JD Vance’s other names?
Born on August 2, 1984, as James Donald Bowman, JD Vance got his middle name, Donald, from his biological father, Donald Ray Bowman. However, his parents divorced at a young age, and he didn’t maintain a relationship with his father afterward. When his mother remarried to Bob Hamel and adopted him, she changed his middle name from Donald to David (after one of her relatives), thus eliminating the connection to his biological father.
For about two decades, he was commonly referred to as James David Hamel, even during his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. Yet, he harbored resentment towards his mother for altering his name, and after their divorce from his adoptive stepfather, he didn’t feel a strong connection to it. As Vance and Bob Hamel weren’t close post-divorce, he chose to adopt a new last name that held personal significance for him instead.
Back in April 2013, he officially adopted the name James David Vance, which was his mother’s birth surname. He acknowledges that it was his maternal grandparents who raised him, and he wished to pay tribute to them by adopting their family name.
Concerning his moniker “JD,” Vance mentions that he’s been known as “J.D.” since his youth. In July 2021, when he commenced his political career, he decided to drop the periods from the abbreviation and prefers this style in written form instead.
Essentially, Vance’s decision to change his surname was rooted in his turbulent upbringing and intricate family dynamics. Ultimately, he opted for the name Vance as a tribute to the relatives who stood by him, symbolizing the significant influence of his maternal grandparents on his life.
Originally reported by Jason Faulkner on Mandatory.
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2024-10-02 13:10