The Strange Story Behind How Donald & Melania Trump Chose Barron's Name

Barron Trump's name has an air of prestige and affluence. It's derived from the term "baron," a title given to European nobles. However, if Donald Trump and Melania Trump's intention was to gift their son with a moniker associated with sovereignty and stature, they could have chosen the higher ranking of duke.

There's something about the former first son that has the MAGA-verse convinced that he's destined to possess even more power than his father. Maybe it's Barron's impressive height and his regal name that have them comparing him to Roman emperors. Speaking to Slate about this weird fixation on Barron, conspiracy theory expert Mike Rothschild said, "[Donald's] fans are obsessed with physical strength and traditional good looks. Barron is tall, has a really defined chin, and never speaks — he's perfect as their silent avenger."

Donald couldn't have known that Barron would grow into his moniker, but he did think about what the future might hold for his kids when naming them. In her memoir "Raising Trump," his first wife, Ivana Trump, recalls Donald's reaction to her suggestion that they name their oldest child after him: "What if he's a loser?" Donald reportedly thinks Donald Trump Jr. has a future in politics, so perhaps he doesn't mind sharing monikers with him now. In a way, he also shares his name with Barron — or at least, one of his alter egos does. Donald's history with the name may explain why he was hesitant to bestow it upon his youngest.

Donald Trump and Melania Trump introduced Gayle King to their infant son in 2006. When the family appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Donald revealed that Melania was pregnant with Barron Trump when he suggested the name to her. "It was a name I always loved, but I never had the courage to use," Donald said. So, in some alternate reality where Donald mustered up that bravery sooner, perhaps Donald Trump Jr. or Eric Trump would bear the name Barron instead.

According to Donald, he started having second thoughts about his moniker proposal, but Melania put her foot down and said no takesies-backsies. Donald recalled Melania telling him, "I've been calling him Barron while he's been in my stomach." If Donald had only had more time to think about baby names, perhaps he never would have submitted the moniker for Melania's approval in the first place. In a 2006 interview with People, Donald revealed that he didn't anticipate Melania getting pregnant so soon after their 2005 wedding. "I expected we were going to have children, so I wasn't totally surprised," he said. "But I was surprised by the speed of it. It happened very quickly."

As for where Donald got the name Barron, author Michael D'Antonio believes it could be inspired by hotelier Barron Hilton, according to Vice. Donald apparently liked the Hilton hotel heir's moniker so much that he adopted it himself on occasion.

Donald Trump had some business dealings with Barron Hilton in the '80s. In his book "The Art of the Deal," Donald recounts his fight to purchase the Atlantic City Hilton Hotel. The Hilton corporation filed a lawsuit against him at one point, which left Donald with a negative impression of the hotelier. The ex-president also writes, "Barron is a member of what I call the Lucky Sperm Club. He was born wealthy and bred to be an aristocrat, and he is one of those guys who never had to prove anything to anyone." While the two men didn't become pals after meeting each other through their work, Barron Hilton's granddaughter Paris Hilton did befriend Ivanka Trump.

When The New York Times reported on the Atlantic City Hilton Hotel deal in 1985, the publication revealed that its source of information was Trump Organization vice president John Baron. The Washington Post would later report that Baron (whose surname was sometimes spelled "Barron"), was actually Donald using an alias. He confessed to doing so in a 1990 lawsuit.

When Donald was having an affair with Marla Maples, he reportedly disguised his identity by calling himself "the Baron" when leaving her messages. He had even once hoped to use the name Barron for the lead character in a television series inspired by his life. With such a strange history behind the name, you can see why he was reluctant to burden Barron Trump with it.