10 Most Embarrassing Presidential Nicknames In History

2. "His Rotundity" - John Adams

Another gag at the expense of someone's weight, this time it was the second President of the United States (1797-1801) and Founding Father John Adams who had to endure this abuse. Also the nation's first Vice-President under George Washington, Adams was just 5ft 6ins and had a bit of excess puppy fat, leading to his nickname of "His Rotundity" - although this was more light-hearted than some other weight-related epithets, if still embarrassing. At the time Adams was around, 35% of all males in the USA were called "John" - meaning that nicknames did become necessary in order to distinguish between one another. However, some of his more positive nicknames included "Atlas of Independence", "The Duke of Braintree" and "Bonny Jonny".