The White House was officially given its name by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901.

Quick Scoop

  • The building had several earlier names, including Executive Mansion, President’s House, and President’s Palace.
  • People had informally called it “the White House” throughout the 1800s because of its white-painted exterior.
  • On October 1901, Theodore Roosevelt ordered that official documents and stationery use the term “White House,” making the name formal and permanent.

A Tiny Bit of Story

For decades, newspapers and citizens casually spoke of visiting “the White House,” even while official government letterhead still read “Executive Mansion.” Then Roosevelt, with his characteristic energy for clear, direct symbolism, had the presidential stationery engraved with “The White House – Washington,” locking in the name that matched how the public already saw the building.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.