Only one president had a child born in the White House.

Esther Cleveland portrait, undated
Credit: © Vintage collection 216/Alamy
Author Bess Lovejoy
September 17, 2026

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The White House has been home to the children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of plenty of U.S. presidents, but to date, only one child of a sitting president entered the world at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. On September 9, 1893, First Lady Frances Cleveland gave birth to Esther Cleveland in the family’s bedroom on the northwest side of the second floor of the residence.

Esther was the second daughter of President Grover Cleveland and Frances, whose relationship had already produced another White House first. Cleveland entered office as a bachelor, then married Frances in a small wedding in the Blue Room in 1886. He remains the only sitting president to marry inside the executive mansion. 

The couple’s first daughter, Ruth, was born in New York City after Cleveland lost his bid for reelection. In 1892, however, voters returned Cleveland to office, making him the first U.S. president to win two nonconsecutive terms. Frances returned to Washington with Ruth and soon became pregnant with Esther. Esther’s unusual birthplace earned her the nickname of “White House baby,” but she was far from the only child born there: At least 18 other kids, born to presidential relatives or members of staff, could list “White House, Washington, D.C.” as their place of birth.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Several babies were born in the White House before Esther.

Esther Cleveland was the only president’s child born in the White House, but childbirth was hardly unprecedented within its walls. The first known baby born there was Asnet Hughes, whose mother, Ursula Granger Hughes, was an enslaved teenager brought from Monticello to train in the presidential kitchen during Thomas Jefferson’s administration. Asnet was born in 1802 and was followed by several children born to two other enslaved White House workers, Edith Fossett and Frances Hern. Presidential relatives were born in the White House as well: Jefferson’s grandson James Madison Randolph was born in the mansion, as were several later presidential descendants.

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