Baby boy names inspired by American war heroes

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History boasts the names of countless Americans who served our country in times of war. Pay tribute to their unselfish service with a baby name in their honor.

Choose a traditional name, such as George (Washington, Patton, Custer). Use a famous surname, such as (William) Sherman or Dean. Or opt for a strikingly uncommon name, such as Audie (Murphy) or Colin (Powell).

BabyHold is here to help with dozens of names of some of the greatest war heroes in American history.

Revolutionary War

Gen. George Washington: Commander in Chief of the American and French forces in the American Revolution. Also led Virginia troops during the French and Indian War. Unanimously elected as the First President of the United States.

Gen. Nathanael Greene: George Washington’s trusted friend and right-hand man. Played pivotal role in the Siege of Boston before defending the South from the British.

Mexican-American War

Capt. Philip Kearny: Lost an arm at the Battle of Churubusco. Promoted to major after the war. Killed during the Civil War’s Battle of Chantilly.

Civil War

Capt. George A Custer: Union Army Cavalry hero in the Civil War, killed at age 36 during the Battle of Little Big Horn in the Plains Indian War.

Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard: Confederate Army general led the troops at Fort Sumter, the First Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Shiloh. Defended Petersburg and Richmond against the Union.

Gen. Robert E. Lee: Rose to military prominence in the Mexican-American War. Served as the Confederate General in the Civil War.

Gen. Ulysses S. Grant: The leading Union General in the Civil War. Accepted General Robert E. Lee’s surrender in 1865. Served as the 18^th President of the United States.

Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman: Succeeded Gen. Grant as Commanding General of the Army. Led troops to capture Atlanta and accepted the surrender of Confederate armies in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas in 1865.

World War I

Col. Harry Truman: Served in WWI combat in France as battery commander for Battery D, 129^th Field Artillery 60^th Brigade, 35^th Infantry Division. 33^rd President of the United States.

Gen. John Pershing: Led the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI. Holds the first U.S. officer service number (O-1). Regarded as a mentor to WWII generals including Marshall, Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton.

World War II

Maj. Audie Murphy: During WWII, became the most decorated soldier in U.S. military history. Received 37 medals, including the prestigious Medal of Honor. Later became a Hollywood actor and died at age 46 in a civilian airplane crash.

Adm. Chester Nimitz: Five-star fleet admiral of the U.S. Navy. Held dual command of Commander in Chief for both U.S. naval forces and U.S. and Allied air, land and sea forces during WWII. Leading U.S. Navy authority on submarines. Chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Navigation. Chief of Naval Operations.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur: Led the Allied Forces in the South Pacific in WWII. Oversaw the Japanese surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri to end the war. Directed the occupation forces in postwar Japan. Was the U.N. Commander during the first few months of the Korean War. Appointed to five-star general in 1944.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Led the Allied Forces to defeat Hitler’s Germany during WWII. Ranked five-star general in 1944. Elected the 34^th President of the United States.

Gen. George Marshall: U.S. Army Chief of Staff during WWII and as chief military adviser to President Franklin Roosevelt. Served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan in 1953. Ranked five-star General in 1944.

Gen. George S. Patton: Nicknamed “Old Blood and Guts.” Bold leader of U.S. forces during WWII. Led troops in the Battle of the Bulge. Nicknamed “Old Blood and Guts” by Americans and called “that crazy cowboy general” by Hitler. Also served in World War I.

Gen. Henry Arnold: One of the first military pilots in the world. Commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII. The only Air Force general to hold a five-star rank, and the only person to hold a five-star ran in two U.S. military services.

Gen. Jon Wainwright: Nicknamed “Skinny.” Career American army officer and commander of the Allied Forces in the Philippines during WWII. Recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Gen. Mark Clark: American general during WWII and the Korean War. Best-known for Operation Torch and the successful U.S. entry into Rome in 1944. Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.

Gen. Matthew Ridgway: Commanded the Airborne during Operation Overlord in WWII. Instrumental planner of the Army’s first combat airborne drop into Italy as well as the airborne jumps on D-Day. Appointed Army Chief of Staff by President Eisenhower.

Gen. Maxwell Taylor: U.S. Army four-star general. Commanded the 101^st Airborne Division in WWII. Played crucial roles in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army.

Gen. Omar Bradley: Senior field commander in North Africa and Europe during WWII. Had command of all U.S. ground forces invading Germany from the west. Commanded 43 divisions and 1.3 million soldiers. Ranked five-star general in 1950.

Korean War

Gen. Alexander Haig: Served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Was Secretary of State under President Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Nixon and Ford. Four-star general.

Maj. Gen. William Dean: Commanded the 24^th Infantry Division during the Korean War. Received a Medal of Honor for leadership during the Battle of Taejon. Captured by North Koreans and remained prisoner until war ended.

Col. Young-Oak Kim: Highly decorated Army combat soldier in WWII and the Korean War. Was awarded 19 medals. First Asian-American to command a combat battalion in the U.S. military.

Vietnam War

Capt. John McCain: Decorated pilot, captured by the North Vietnamese and held a prisoner of war from 1967 until 1973. Senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Republican Presidential nominee in the 2008 election.

Gen. William Westmoreland: Commanded U.S. military operations in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. Served as U.S. Army Chief of Staff from 1968 – 1972.

Gulf War

Gen. Colin Powell: Professional soldier for 35 years; retired a four-star general. Served in both the Vietnam and Korean Wars. National Security Advisor for President Reagan. Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command in 1989. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War. Served as Secretary of State under President Bush.

Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf: Commander in chief of U.S. forces during Operation Desert Storm. Forced Iraqis surrender.