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Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has had as many names as chapters in his life. Born James Donald Bowman, the Ohio senator first introduced himself to America as J.D. Vance in his bestselling 2016 memoir, *Hillbilly Elegy*. The book explained not only his turbulent upbringing but also the evolution of his name — which, like his life story, includes multiple plot twists. As Vance hits the national stage alongside Donald Trump, voters are asking: Who exactly is JD Vance? And why did the dots disappear from J.D.?
The Bowman Beginning Of JD Vnace
He entered the world in Middletown, Ohio, on August 2, 1984, as James Donald Bowman. His biological father, Donald Bowman, separated from his mother, Beverly, when he was still a toddler. At age six, Beverly married Robert Hamel, who adopted the boy and changed his name to James David Hamel. The state of Ohio replaced his original birth certificate with one listing him as James David Hamel.
“Any old D name would have done, so long as it wasn’t Donald,” Vance wrote, noting his mother’s aversion to his birth father’s name. She preserved the initials J.D., a moniker he used throughout school, military service, and law school.
From Hamel to Hillbilly
JD graduated from high school, served in Iraq as Cpl. James D. Hamel, and later earned degrees from Ohio State and Yale Law. But after his mother and stepfather divorced, his surname began to feel hollow.
“I shared a name with no one I really cared about,” Vance wrote in *Hillbilly Elegy*. “Of all the things that I hated about my childhood, nothing compared to the revolving door of father figures.”
In April 2013, just before graduating Yale, he legally adopted the surname Vance — a tribute to his grandmother, Bonnie Blanton Vance, who raised him.
“Throughout his tumultuous childhood, Mamaw… was always his north star,” campaign spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk stated. “It only felt right to him to take Vance as his last name.”
Dotting The ‘I’ but Dropping The Dots
By the time he launched his political career in 2021, JD Vance also dropped the periods from “J.D.” entirely, opting for the streamlined “JD.” His campaign said it was a stylistic choice.
Today, the senator’s legal name is James David Vance. His Senate website, campaign materials, and official documents now all read: JD Vance — no dots, no turning back.
Also Read: JD Vance In India Live: PM Modi To Receive the Vance Family At 10 AM
