'Hidden meaning' behind JD Vance's and wife Usha's newborn's name explained

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, recently announced the arrival of their fourth child, and now his very special name has been explained.

The Vice President took to social media to announce the news that he and the Second Lady had officially welcomed their fourth child and third son after revealing the pregnancy some seven months ago.

In a joint statement, the pair revealed not only the birth of their newborn, but also his name – that an expert shares has a 'hidden meaning'.

"We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning,” the couple wrote. “Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother.”

“The incredible military doctors and staff members of Walter Reed Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit have been a blessing,” they added. “We are deeply thankful for all they have done for our family.”

The couple, have been married since 2014 and already share together sons Ewan and Vivek, and daughter Mirabel, naming them with names that nod to both Usha's Indian heritage and their Western roots.

They named their newborn Alex Neel Vance, and this name is something that etiquette expert Jo Hayes said shared the same sentiment.

“Alec Neel is a beautiful reflection of various parts of the couple’s background and life values,” explained Hayes to The Sun.

“Alec is a diminutive of ‘Alexander’ – a strong, traditional name, meaning ‘defender’ or ‘protector,'” she said, sharing that it's 'a very Catholic name.'

Recently, Vance released a book which detailed his religious journey, titled Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.

Hayes shared the name is pointed to in the Bible, as she explained: “With the Vice President’s faith journey to Catholicism well documented, it’s unsurprising the couple would choose a strong Catholic boy’s name for their son.”

But according to Hayes, his middle name 'Neel' is a 'beautiful nod to Usha’s Indian heritage' which is of 'Sanskrit origin' that translates to 'blue.’

She called Alec's particular name indicative of a trend that is seeing the 'US veering back towards traditional names, and traditional spellings' as well as people choosing less 'unique' names.

“Alec is traditional, but with enough of a unique spin on the traditional Alexander, or Alex, to peak the interest of Gen Z/early millennial parents," she claimed.

According to Vance, this welcome birth was one that took years to come to fruition, as he claimed in his book he had asked his wife for another child, but she wasn't ready.

JD writes, in an excerpt of his book: "For years, I'd asked Usha to have another baby, and for years, she told me she was done, especially now that public service had elevated us into the national spotlight.

"But something changed for Usha, and not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy."

The pair revealed on CBS Sunday Morning where Usha confirmed: "I think it really heightened JD's sense that he'd been talking about this for a while, this sense that there was this possibility of having another kid whom he could love as much as the three that we had."

Now, the pair have made their dream a reality.