Get To Know All 5 Of Jessa Duggar's Kids
Jessa Duggar Seewald grew up with 18 siblings in the well-known Duggar family, leaving nobody surprised when she became a mom of five in just eight years. The Duggars gained fame through their reality show, "19 Kids and Counting." The hit TLC series wrapped in 2015, with its spin-off show, "Counting On," kicking off the same year, where the older Duggar kids continued to share their lives until its cancellation in 2021.
Before she married her now-husband, Ben Seewald, Jessa gushed to People about the couple's shared desire for a large family — and not just a biological one either. "We are talking about our goals and the future with [our] family. We have both talked about adoption and want to adopt, too," she revealed. Although they haven't adopted yet, Jessa and Ben welcomed five children together; Spurgeon Elliot, Henry Wilberforce, Ivy Jane, Fern Elliana, and George Augustine Seewald.
When discussing her approach to parenting with Us Weekly, Jessa clarified that she doesn't intend to raise her children exactly as her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, did. "There will be variations with little things here and there, but I know that our foundational goals remain the same — to raise our kids to love God and be a blessing to others," Jessa emphasized. Here's everything we know about how it's going so far.
Spurgeon Elliot Seewald
Ben and Jessa Duggar Seewald became parents for the first time in 2015 after welcoming their son, Spurgeon Elliot Seewald. When speaking to People about the birthing experience, Jessa candidly acknowledged, "It was very intense, very long. Everything was different than I expected." The boy's peculiar name caught everyone's attention, but Jessa and Ben explained the sweet meaning behind it in a YouTube video posted to their family channel, "Duggar Family." The Seewalds chose the name Spurgeon to honor Charles Spurgeon, a 19th-century British preacher.
"He had a big impact on our lives," Ben confirmed, while the boy's middle name, Elliot, pays tribute to Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, Christian missionaries. The Seewalds often share snaps of their home life on their respective Instagram accounts, revealing meaningful details about their five children. Spurgeon grew up before our eyes and, according to his mom's Instagram, seems to enjoy learning and spending time with his younger siblings. In a post on the Duggar family's blog, Spurgeon is described as kind, inventive, and curious. He also loves regular kid activities like coloring and having fun with Play-Doh.
In 2022, Jessa's Instagram Stories sparked controversy when she shared a sequence of photos depicting Spurgeon in the hospital without any accompanying explanation, as reported by The U.S. Sun. The "19 Kids and Counting" alum was promoting the advantages of Christian Healthcare Ministries but ultimately didn't provide any specifics regarding Spurgeon's medical history, which may have led to his hospitalization.
Henry Wilberforce Seewald
In 2017, just a little over a year after the arrival of their first child, Jessa Duggar Seewald gave birth to her second, another boy named Henry Wilberforce Seewald. Unlike Jessa's first delivery experience, Henry's birth was smoother and more serene, as the reality star informed People, noting, "Ben [Seewald] and I were surprised [at] how fast it went." Notably, Henry was also named after an influential historical figure, William Wilberforce, a British politician who advocated for the abolition of the slave trade in the 18th century.
On the Duggars blog, Jessa described Henry as a lively boy with a passion for music and an unexpected penchant for waking up early in the morning. In an Instagram post celebrating his 6th birthday, Jessa revealed, "[Henry's] the first one up in the morning, grabbing a book and sitting next to me on the couch as I have my quiet time." The proud mom added, "He's both tender and bold, loving and full of laughter."
In 2020, Jessa opened up about Henry's developmental delay on TLC's "Counting On." During the episode, Jessa divulged that Henry, then two years old, experienced speech delays compared to his older brother and peers. However, shortly after, Jessa proudly told Us Weekly that Henry was making progress, confessing, "[It's a] huge encouragement for us as parents because we were nervous for quite a while."
Ivy Jane Seewald
Ivy Jane Seewald, the first girl and third child of the Seewalds, was born in 2019. In a conversation with People, Jessa Duggar Seewald asserted that she delivered Ivy in under four hours total, describing the experience as quick. She also noted that the overwhelming emotions upon seeing Ivy for the first time outweighed everything else. Ben Seewald disclosed that they opted for the name Ivy due to its compatibility with Jane, which they had initially picked. The latter was inspired by Lady Jane Grey, Ben explained, who is best known for her 16th-century nine-day stint as the queen of England.
Based on Jessa's Instagram page, it seems Ivy has a penchant for kitchen activities, particularly making cookies, and is often pictured delighting in her role as the oldest sister. While Ivy undoubtedly adores spending time with her brothers, she seems to have a special bond with her younger sister, Fern Elliana Seewald. In an Instagram video celebrating Ivy's first two-and-a-half years, when asked what she likes to eat, Ivy named her favorite fruits and playfully highlighted her affection for Fern.
Jessa often points out that people are captivated by Ivy's strikingly large, blue eyes upon meeting her, but the Duggars' introductory blog post highlighted her impressive vocabulary as the most interesting aspect of her. As Jessa said of Ivy, "There is so much personality in such a tiny human."
Fern Elliana Seewald
Born in 2021, Fern Elliana Seewald was the first baby Jessa Duggar Seewald delivered at the hospital, as the reality star discussed in a YouTube video on her channel. "I've had three home births, three great home births, good experiences, no complications with the birth itself, but I have had postpartum hemorrhage two times," Jessa explained of her reasoning.
In the first part of the YouTube series documenting her birth journey with Fern, Jessa revealed that the family opted not to know the baby's gender before delivery, which greatly affected the process of choosing Fern's name. "It's harder than it seems," Jessa said, explaining, "I feel like the more kids you have, the more you've used up, you know, the favorites." Jessa and Ben Seewald eventually opted for Fern Elliana, but they didn't share the inspiration behind the moniker. According to Mama Natural, the name Fern means "the wing of comfort," while Elliana stands for "my God has answered in Hebrew."
Fern was a very happy baby, according to the Duggar family's blog, and mostly smiled when she was smaller. Jessa often posts sweet snaps of Fern and her dad on her Instagram account, affectionately calling Fern "a daddy's girl." In addition to her doting dad, Fern also evidently shares a close bond with all of her siblings, particularly her older sister.
George Augustine Seewald
Baby number five for Jessa Duggar Seewald and her husband, Ben Seewald, came at the very end of 2023, with the proud mom calling him the "best Christmas present ever" in an Instagram post announcing his arrival. George Augustine Seewald was born a few days shy of Christmas, with Jessa sharing his birth journey on her YouTube channel. In the first video of the series, Jessa predicted that George would be a bigger baby, and indeed, he weighed an impressive 9 pounds and 14 ounces at birth.
Again, the Seewalds decided to keep the baby's gender a surprise, adding an element of suspense to their already buzzing family dynamic. In the second part of Jessa's YouTube birth series, George's four siblings visited the hospital to meet their newest family member. Despite not displaying excessive excitement, the children expressed their love by sharing drawings with Jessa and bringing her flowers. "Just when you think your heart can't be any more full as a parent, you see your bigger kids loving on the newborn baby, and your heart just swells with emotion," Jessa gushed in the video.
While his name has a royal ring to it, the inspiration behind George's moniker remains undisclosed. However, both George and Augustine carry significant meanings in Christianity. The name George could be inspired by Saint George, who was believed to be one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Augustine also holds great importance in the religion, with Saint Augustine acknowledged as one of the doctors of Roman Catholicism.