What's in a code name? Lots of history, what is it!
For more than 75 years, U.S. presidents and early families have been part of a long-standing tradition of using nicknames symbolic of their personalities or heritage. Dating back to the early decades of the 1900s, the Secret Service began using code names for security purposes at a time when electronic communications were unencrypted.
While still used today for the sake of brevity and clarity, the practice has become more symbolic, with presidents and their immediate family members choosing code names that all begin with the same letter but have a personal meaning for each person (although they rarely explain their choices publicly).
Former president Barack obamaThe codename of was Renegade while First Lady Michelle obama went by Renaissance. Their daughters Sasha obama and Malia obama were Rosebud and Radiance respectively.
Former president Donald trump went by magnate, a nod to his career as a businessman, while the First Lady Melania Trump, a former model, chose Muse.
