A First Lady or a First Gentleman is the title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state. It can be an official title, like in Asian, African, European and Middle Eastern cultures or an unofficial title like in the United States of America . Collectively, the head of state and their spouse are known as the First Couple. If they have a family, this is usually referred to as the First Family. Since a Prime Minister is head of government and not head of state, it is not normally used to refer to his or her spouse or partner.

The term 'lady' originates in England. The title "First Lady" originated in the United States^{[citation needed]} in 1849, when United States President Zachary Taylor called Dolley Madison "First Lady" at her state funeral while reciting a eulogy written by himself.

In the early days of the United States, there was no generally accepted title for the wife of the President. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady," "Mrs. President," "Mrs. Presidentress" (in the case of Julia Tyler) and "Queen of the White House."^{[citation needed]}

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago and to work at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. Subsequently, she worked as part of the staff of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Throughout 2007 and 2008, she helped campaign for her husband's presidential bid and delivered a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is the mother of two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University. As the wife of a Senator, and later the First Lady, she has become a fashion icon and role model for women, and an advocate for poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating.

Margaret Wambui Kenyatta (born 1928) is a Kenyan politician. She is the daughter of former Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta and his wife Grace Wahu. She served as the mayor of Nairobi from 1970-1976 and Kenya's ambassador to the United Nations from 1976-1986.^{[citation needed]}