Best Nicknames

Maine was the 23rd state to enter the Union. That happened on March 15, 1820, and there have been over 70 governers since then. The most common name among Maine governors has been John (7) and William (6). The least common names (ones that we probably won’t be able to make a page for) are Llewellyn, Oakley and Sumner

Other notes: Gov. Fernald’s given name was Albert. Gov. Fernald went by Bert to the extent that we really had to do some digging to find out that it was short for Albert. Sheldon is the closest sound-alike for Gov. Selden Connor. We did find instances where he is referred to as “Lt. Col. J. Selden Connor” but there’s no trace of what the “J” stood for. His daughter confirmed that Selden (not Seldon) is the correct spelling.

John: 7 ME Governors
John Fairfield (1797-1847) Terms: 1839-41, 1842-43
John Winchester Dana (1808-67) Terms: 1844, 1847-50
John Hubbard (1794-1869) Term: 1850-53
John Fremont Hill (1855-1912) Term: 1901-05
John Hathaway Reed (1921-2012) Term: 1959-67
John Rettie “Jock” McKernan, Jr. (b. 1948) Term: 1987-95
John Elias Baldacci (b. 1955) Term: 2003-11

William: 6 ME Governors
William King (1768-1852) Term: 1820-1821
William Durkee Williamson (1779-1846) Term: 1821
William George Crosby (1805-81) Term: 1853-55
William Titcomb Cobb (1857-1937) Term: 1905-09
William Thomas Haines (1854-1919) Term: 1913-15
William Tudor Gardiner (1892-1953) Term: 1929-33

Frederick: 4 ME Governors
Frederick Robie (1822-1912) Term: 1883-87
Frederick William Plaisted (1865-1943) Term: 1911-13
Frederick Hale Parkhurst (1864-1921) Term: 1921
Frederick George Payne (1904-78) Term: 1949-53

Joseph: 3 ME Governors
Joseph Hartwell Williams (1814-96) Term: 1857-58
Joseph Robinson Bodwell (1818-87) Term: 1887-87
Joseph Edward Brennan (b. 1934) Term: 1979-87

Samuel: 2 ME Governors
Samuel Cony (1811-70) Term: 1864-67
Samuel Emerson Smith (1788-1860) Term: 1831-34
Samuel Wells (1801-68) Term: 1856-57

Daniel: 2 ME Governors
Daniel Franklin Davis (1843-97) Term: 1880-81
Daniel Rose (1772-1833) Term: 1822

Edward: 2 ME Governors
Edward Kavanagh (1795-1844) Term: 1843-44
Edward Kent (1802-77) Terms: 1838-39, 1841-42

Joshua: 2 ME Governors
Joshua Hall (1768-1862) Term: 1830-30
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1914) Term: 1867-71
(born Lawrence Joshua Chamberlain)

Robert: 2 ME Governors
Robert Pinckney Dunlap (1794-1859) Term: 1834-38
Robert N. Haskell (1903-87) Term: 1959

Only one Maine governor was named:
Abner Coburn (1803-85) Term: 1863-64
Albert “Bert” Manfred Fernald (1858-1926) Term: 1909-11
Albion Keith Parris (1788-1857) Term: 1822-27
Alonzo Garcelon (1813-1906) Term: 1879-80
Angus Stanley King, Jr. (b. 1944) Term: 1995-2003
Anson Peaslee Morrill (1803-87) Term: 1855-56
Benjamin Ames (1778-1835) Term: 1821-22
Burton Melvin Cross (1902-98) Term: 1953-55
Carl Elias Milliken (1877-1961) Term: 1917-21
Clinton Amos Clauson (1895-1959) Term: 1959
David Dunn (1811-94) Term: 1844-44
Edmund Sixtus “Ed” Muskie (1914–96) Term: 1955-59
Edwin Chick Burleigh (1843-1916) Term: 1889-93
Enoch Lincoln (1788-1829) Term: 1827-29
Hannibal Hamlin (1809-1891) Term: 1857
Harris Merrill Plaisted (1843-97) Term: 1881-83
Henry Bradstreet Cleaves (1840-1912) Term: 1893-97
Horace Augustus Hildreth (1902-88) Term: 1945-49
Hugh Johnston Anderson (1801-81) Term: 1844-47
Israel Washburn, Jr. (1813-83) Term: 1861-63
James Bernard Longley (1924-80) Term: 1975-79
Jonathan Glidden Hunton (1781-1851) Term: 1830-31
Kenneth Merwin Curtis (b. 1931) Term: 1967-75
Lewis Orin Barrows (1893-1967) Term: 1937-41
Llewellyn Powers (1836-1908) Term: 1897-01
Lot Myrick Morrill (1813-83) Term: 1858-61
Louis Jefferson Brann (1876-1948) Term: 1933-37
Nathan Cutler (1775-1861) Term: 1829-30
Nelson Dingley, Jr. (1832-99) Term: 1874-76
Oakley Chester Curtis (1865-1924) Term: 1915-17
Paul Richard LePage (b. 1948) Term: 2001-present
Percival Proctor Baxter (1876-1969) Term: 1921-25
Ralph Owen Brewster (1888-1961) Term: 1925-29
Richard Hampton Vose (1803-64) Term: 1841-41
Sebastian Streeter Marble (1817-1902) Term: 1887-89
Selden Connor (1839-1917) Term: 1876-79
Sidney Perham (1819-1907) Term: 1871-74
Sumner Sewall (1897-1965) Term: 1941-45