Vance officially changes his last name from Hamel to Vance.

In April 2013, J.D. Vance officially changed his last name from Hamel to Vance. This decision was deeply personal for him, as it reflected his strong connection to his maternal grandparents, particularly his grandmother, whom he affectionately called "Mamaw." His grandparents, Bonnie "Mamaw" Vance and James "Papaw" Vance, played a pivotal role in his upbringing, offering him stability and guidance during a turbulent childhood marked by his mother's struggles with addiction and family instability. Vance's choice to adopt their surname was a tribute to the significant influence his grandparents had on his life. In his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, Vance describes how his grandparents, despite their own imperfections, provided him with the structure and encouragement that allowed him to break free from the cycles of poverty and dysfunction that characterized much of his family’s history. Mamaw, in particular, was a tough, no-nonsense figure who instilled in him the values of hard work, education, and resilience. By changing his name to Vance, J.D. honored their legacy and the impact they had on his success, symbolizing his personal journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming a Yale Law graduate, best-selling author, and later, a U.S. Senator. #JDVance #NameChange #HillbillyElegy #FamilyLegacy #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife