Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance was born James Donald Bowman however has since modified his identify 3 times.
Vance was certainly given the identify James Donald Bowman at start, after his organic father …
… however, formally, he has solely modified his identify twice, not 3 times. The primary identify change was the results of his adoption by his stepfather. The second identify change was one he requested as he was about to graduate from Yale Legislation College, a yr earlier than he received married.
In late September 2024, social media customers revived a rumor (archived) that Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance had modified his identify 3 times since being born James Donald Bowman, with one X person even claiming he altered his identification on four occasions.
One other instance of the declare appeared in July 2024 (archived):
The above X put up included a meme displaying two images of Vance, certainly one of him when he was younger, whereas the opposite was newer. It learn:
WHO ARE YOU?
Undoubtedly not a “hillbilly”… that is literary fiction.
- Born as James Donald Bowman
- Grew up within the suburbs of Middleton, Ohio
- Not poor in any respect, went to Yale
- Modified center identify to David
- Modified identify once more to Jimmy Hamel
- Modified identify to JD Vance 10 years in the past when he married his spouse.
A number of Snopes readers inquired in regards to the meme and others that intently resembled it, together with the next.
Nevertheless, the declare contained a mix of true and false parts.
Vance was certainly born James Donald Bowman, after his organic father Donald Ray Bowman. Nevertheless, his dad and mom separated when he was younger. Later, his mom Beverly Carol (née Vance) remarried. Her new husband, Robert Hamel, adopted him and, within the adoption papers, his identify turned James David Hamel — representing his first official identify change.
“When Bob turned my authorized father, Mother modified my identify from James Donald Bowman to James David Hamel,” Vance wrote in his e-book, “Hillbilly Elegy.” Right here is the audiobook version of that passage, at three minutes and 14 seconds of the fifth chapter.
(JD Vance, “Hillbilly Elegy”)
Snopes can subsequently verify that his start identify was James Donald Bowman and that his mom modified his center identify to David on the similar time his stepfather adopted him, giving him the identify James David Hamel.
Vance then graduated Middletown Excessive College as J.D. Hamel. This was additionally the identify he served underneath within the U.S. Marine Corps, the place he was often known as Cpl. James D. Hamel. He even blogged underneath that identify from 2005 to 2010.
However by his final yr at Yale Legislation College, he adopted Vance as his final identify, which matched that of his beloved grandmother, Bonnie Blanton Vance. His mom and stepfather had divorced and Vance by no means noticed his stepfather once more. Vance selected this final identify to honor his grandmother and in addition as a result of he now not felt a connection to Hamel.
“J.D. Vance” appeared as an editor within the October 2012 issue of the Yale Legislation Journal, however his second identify change didn’t turn into official till April 2013, his spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk told The Associated Press. By then he was about to graduate — opposite to the concept he adopted his second new identify when he married his spouse, Usha (an thought he himself allowed to unfold along with his e-book, “Hillbilly Elegy”).
(JD Vance, “Hillbilly Elegy”)
In response to this historical past, Vance solely formally modified his identify twice. There was a 3rd modification, nonetheless, that was solely aesthetic, when Vance selected to take away the intervals between his initials, going from J.D. Vance to JD Vance. Nevertheless, his official identify stays James David Vance.
Subsequently, the Republican vice presidential candidate has had three official names: James Donald Bowman, James David Hamel and James David Vance. Nevertheless, he has solely formally modified his identify twice, however he has unofficially modified his identify by switching from J.D. Vance to JD Vance.
We contacted Vance’s marketing campaign spokesman, Luke Schroeder, for affirmation of this chronology, and can replace this story if we obtain a response.
