Vice President JD Vance Announces Birth of Son Alec Neel Vance

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance have announced the birth of their son, Alec Neel Vance. The couple shared the news on social media platforms Instagram and X. Vance wrote, “We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother.”

The Vances expressed gratitude to military doctors and staff at Walter Reed Medical Center, along with the White House Medical Unit. The official White House X page also shared their post, adding congratulations to the couple on the arrival of their fourth child.

Alec’s birth marks a unique moment in modern American political history. He is the first child born to a sitting vice president in over 150 years. The last occurrence was in 1870 when Schuyler Colfax’s son was born. The Vances had announced in January that they were expecting another son. Alec joins his siblings, Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.

Usha Vance, at age 40, is part of the fastest-growing group of mothers in the U.S. Births among women aged 40 and older have increased significantly, while overall birth rates have decreased.

The name Alec, while once popular, has seen a decline over the years. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), Alec ranked 109th in 1994, with 3,322 babies named Alec that year. Its popularity decreased over the years, falling to 977th place by 2025, with only 234 babies receiving the name Alec last year.

The name initially ranked 650th in 1900 and experienced fluctuations, only reaching its peak in 1994. Afterward, it declined consistently, with a brief rise from 467th in 2014 to 456th in 2015, then continuing downward.

This decline contrasts with current popular baby names. According to SSA’s latest rankings, Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, and Henry are the top names for boys in 2025, while Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, and Sophia lead for girls.

The decline of Alec reflects changing naming trends in America. A 2025 Nameberry survey found that more than three-quarters of parents prefer not to choose top 10 baby names, opting for more distinctive names. The Vances’ older children—Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel—have names that do not appear in the current top 1,000 baby names. Alec fits well among these distinct choices, adding to the family’s trend of selecting unique names.

For more information, contact Newsweek editors Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang.