Michael Satterfield
The South is known for long formal names, monogrammed everything, and most of the time they won’t even consider it a family name unless you’re at least the fourth. But while they might enjoy long formal names like William Fontaine de La Tour Dauterive, they also love shorting them with creative nicknames. While you have likely heard of a “Bubba” or “Buddy Beau” or kids calling their grandparents MeMawor PaPaw, but the Bush Family has some really interesting ones.
Former President George W. Bush reportedly wanted to simply be called “Sir” by his grandchildren, kind of an odd choice for a grandpa. But according to People, his grandchildren refer to him as “Jefe,” the Spanish word for “the boss.” Laura Bush doesn’t go by Grandma, Nana, or even MeMaw. Instead, she is known a “Mimi Maxwells” a name chosen by daughters Jenna and Barbara, but there must be more to the story of how Laura became Mimi.
Jenna Bush Hager picked up the nickname “Benny” and Barbara was called “Beauregard,” which Jenna told Today happened when a stranger thought she and her twin sister we boys, so the quick-thinking Bushes introduced their two daughters with boys’ names to play along and they stuck.
Dubya’s father George Herbert Walker Bush was known as Poppy, and the family called Barbara Bush “The Enforcer” since she was sure to keep everyone in line. But the younger George Bush’s love of nicknames even extended beyond the family, he would often give nicknames to staff, politicians, and even foreign leaders. It is said the George W. would call Silvio Berlusconi the former Prime Minister of Italy “Shoes” due to his fancy footwear, and he used to call Karl Rove “Turd Blossom.”
Photo via @laurawbush
