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Latest comment: 3 days ago by Tvoz in topic Structure of her name in the lead
Good articleMichelle Obama has been listed as one of the Social sciences and society good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.
On this day... Article milestones
DateProcessResult
February 14, 2008Good article nomineeListed
April 11, 2009Featured article candidateNot promoted
April 9, 2010Featured article candidateNot promoted
September 25, 2014Featured article candidateNot promoted
On this day... Facts from this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "On this day..." column on January 17, 2024, and January 17, 2025.
Current status: Good article

Portrait

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What happened with the picture? NicholasGian25 (talk) 20:22, 7 September 2026 (UTC)Reply

It was changed without discussion by a drive-by editor, who didn't take the time to correct the caption. I restored the 2013 official portrait. – Muboshgu (talk) 21:30, 7 September 2026 (UTC)Reply

Structure of her name in the lead

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I am curious regarding her full name. The First Lady's website list every first lady with the "given name (first and middle if applicable), maiden name, and married surname. I highly doubt the legal name of every first lady is this format however, sources are limited on alternative names. I feel like it would make more sense to use Michelle LaVaughn Obama (née Robinson) instead of Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (née Robinson). The latter just sounds redundant but I also can't be certain whether Robinson is included with her legal name as that again, all of the first ladies include there maiden name on the website such as Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, Melania Knauss Trump, and Laura Lane Welch Bush. Any thoughts? Synth Legend (talk) 04:31, 1 November 2026 (UTC)Reply

Totally agree. HiLo48 (talk) 05:13, 1 November 2026 (UTC)Reply
While I agree it's redundant with the née, I have a problem with changing this because it's not at all clear that she has ever used Michelle LaVaughn Obama as her name - in my observation women who take their husband's surname tend to drop their given middle names so Michelle Robinson Obama might be more accurate - but that is wrong too so I'd go with how we have it. I'm not convinced that the redundant née should be included as it is shown but I see the problem with removing it, so I'd leave it as Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (née Robinson; born January 17, 1964). This is one of the reasons I didn't change my name 51 years ago. Tvoz/talk 19:46, 2 November 2026 (UTC)Reply
Also, Jackie Kennedy's article lists her name as Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis not Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis that the first ladies website says. Synth Legend (talk) 04:33, 1 November 2026 (UTC)Reply