Duggar Baby Names: What Will The Duggars Name Baby #20?
Michelle Duggar, surrounded by her family, announced this morning that she and her husband Jim Bob are expecting another baby. This will make an even twenty.
Here's what we're sure of: the baby's name will start with a J. (View a list of the Duggars' childrens' names.) However, within the rigid adherence to a single initial, the Duggars have actually employed a number of strategies, giving them a bit of room to play around.
Take a look at the most recent choices. Jennifer Danielle, born in 2007, could easily have been born in any community in the US circa 1980. A more classic girl's name combination is hard to come by, but for a contemporary baby, it has the tinge of faded popularity.
But Jennifer's next-oldest sister, born 22 months earlier in 2005, was named Johannah Faith -- an edgy name by contemporary standards. Johannah, which last made the charts, just barely, in the 1880s, has a bit of a foreign edge, which is rare for the Duggars. It's a middle-Latin derived name meaning "God is gracious," with popular versions in Greek, Autsrian, Polish, Scottish and Welsh. It's also a mere two letters' difference from her sister's name, Joy-Anna.
And Jennifer Danielle's younger sister, born 15 months later? She was christened Jordyn-Grace Makiya. Jordyn, a trendy, girlish version of Jordan, has been leaping up in recent years till it's poised to break the top-100. Mikiya, among other things, is a Japanese inn.
In December 2009, the Duggars welcomed #19, Josie Brooklyn, a name we like.
In a general way, we suggest that the Duggars' boy names tend more toward the classic. Justin, Jackson, James, Jason and Joshua are powerhouse names, even today. The girls' names flit more between styles, betraying a bit of naming playfulness around the edges of the unchanging initial "J." What is reality tv's most famous super-huge family having this time? According to today's announcement, they'll find out around Christmas.
Take a gander at the different "name strategies" the Duggars have used, then read our ideas about each. Then in the comments, tell us your own ideas for fabulous "J" names undiscovered.
The Duggars have used:
- Classic J Names: Joshua, Justin, Joseph, James, Jennifer, Jill
- Biblical: Jeremiah, Jedediah (also in the middle names: Levi, Samuel)
- Double-Barreled J Names: John-David, Jordyn-Grace, Joy-Anna
- Alternately Spelled Names: Jinger
- Trendy Names: Jordyn-Grace, Jackson, Jessa (also in the recent middle names -- Makiya, Brooklyn)
For #20, Perhaps:
- Classic J Names: Jude, Joel. For girls, the glaring gap is a name in the Julia family. Perhaps Julia, or if they're feeling frisky, Juliet?
- Biblical: Judah, Jezebel (unlikely, but wouldn't it be awesome?), or Junia (like Zac Hanson's stylish biblical baby)
- Double-Barrelled J Names: Jean-Pierre, Jean-Louise (the real name of To Kill a Mockingbird's "Scout" Finch. Another recent name inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird: Harper Seven Beckham.)
- Alternately Spelled Names: Jenavieve
- Trendy Names: Jade or Jaden, Jessamy (like one of our favorite mom blog sibsets; the Duggars do have a precedent for using similar names), Jericho, Julissa
What would you name the 20th J-baby, if you had to?
--L.R.
Comments
In a family where there are so many male biblical names, I've always wondered why there isn't a Jacob, Joel, Jared or Jonah. For girls I could see something sweet like Julia, Joelle or Jemma.
Hooray for mentioning Hanson two posts in a row! They are my favorite band ever and are so much more than "MmmmBop" though of course we still love them for that! To make it name related here are some of the girls names they've used in songs:
Lucy
Madeline
Penny
Georgia
Now that that's out of the way, though I don't lean towards J names that often, I think that one of my favorite J names is Joy. But with Joy-Anna it wouldn't be a good choice for the Duggars. My choices from the list for them would be Junia or Jenevieve.
As much as I love the name Jenevieve, I don't think that would be such a great fit since they already have a Jennifer. The Jen, Jenna, Jenny nickname is already being used. I would say go with Julie, Julia or Juliet, they could even combine names or hyphenate, such as, Julie-ann, Juliann, Julianna, Julie-anna...that name holds a LOT of variations. Also JimBob mentioned he liked the name Julie in the episode when they were deciding on a name for Jordyn. I'll also throw out Jewel, just for trendy flair. For a boy, I am in love with the name Judah. They don't have a name with the long u sound yet and it's such a strong Biblical name, along with similar sounding Jude. I love Duggar baby announcements! I get so excited about all the naming possibilities!
I remember reading awhile back that if they hit baby #20, they might name it Jubilee.
Oooh, I love Jubilee. It seems right for #20. Joel and Judah would be great boy names.
Jezebel would be an aweful choice. She was a murder and down right evil. Even in today's standards.
Jane would be lovely. I can't wait to decide what they choose!
I mean hear. I wish I could choose.
I'd love to see them use Jemima! It so terribly needs visibility to shed its Aunt Jemima connotations in the U.S. Plus it's a lovely sounding, Biblical J name.
I love the name Jayne.. so if the baby is a girl, that's a name! :)
I'd love to see Jane or June.
Jubilee would be fun too. I actually met a Jubilee once. A makeup artist in Denver.
Janae, Jacquelyn, Jonah, Jules, Jonna, Jerrica
Julia Juliette or Julianna are adorable for girls
I think Jubilee would work for either a boy or girl.
Jessica, Adrianna, Abigayle.
ambien
How about Joan?
In my family, we have a Joan and a June.... another suggestion could Janice.
Or for a boy - Jim Bob (jnr)???
I wish she would stop having children. Fertility awareness works. After the last problematic pregnancy and another emergency c-section it is becoming dangerous to mom and baby to carry another child.
what about the name Jackie for a Girl or for a boy Joel i love jacie becous it is my aunts name and joel becous it is a quit name for a boy.
No one has mentioned Janelle (or variations Jenelle or J'nelle). It ends the same as mama Michelle.
I'll bet they'd go with Jayden for a boy because it's trendy like Jackson. I too have always wondered why they didin't use Jacob, with their penchant for biblical names.
I think it will be another girl.
For girls, I'd love to hear Jacqueline, Jocelyn, Julia or Jane, but I bet it would be more along the lines of Jewel or Janelle. For boys, I'd love Jonah or Judah but I think it will be more like Jacob or Jayden.
And I'd always (rather cynically) thought that the Duggars would keep having babies until one was born dangerously premature or with a birth defect or developmental disability, and then they would say that the Lord had blessed them enough. I kinda respect them for sticking to their plan (or lack thereof).
I love the Duggar's! I don't know about having 20 kids myself but it sure would be a dream to get to name as many!
I, too, have always wondered why they skipped over some of the classic "J" boys names from the Bible. Personally, I love Judah, Jonah, & Joel. For a girl I think Juliet or Julia would be perfectly sweet. Not Julie, only because Josie is the last one and I feel like they just sound too similar. I love the name Jenevieve but I agree with the person before that said the nn possibilities are limited and could become confusing since they already have a Jennifer.
Please no Jenavieve! I love the name but that spelling is awful. I guess not Jinger awful, but still.
Girls:
Juliet
Jolina
Jenevieve
Jocelyn
Jacqueline
Boys:
James
Jeb
Jayden
Jacob
For boys Jared, Joel, Jesse, Jye, Jeremy, Jett. For girls Jessica, Julia/Juliette/Julie/Juliana, Jemma, Jenna, Jorja, Jeena, Jacqueline , Jade.
Jemma, Jasmine, Jorj, Japhy...
Maybe Juniper? Jolene? Jeremie might be a bit cute- and it looks French because of the 'ie'. Jenna? Jemima.... Jocelyn maybe...
JANIE, JOCELYN, JENEVIEVE, JACK, JAKE, 0R JEREMY
i think Jayne or Julianna for a girl and Jack, Jonah, Jamie, or Jude for a boy
BOYS:
JEFFREY, JAMESON, JACOB, JUDE
GIRLS:
JASMINE, JADE, JENEVA, JAMIE, JULIAAC
For a boy, they should name him Jasper or Jacob (kind of surprised they haven't used Jacob yet!!).
For a girl, they should name her Juniper/Junia, or Juliet (love that!), or possibly Jeneva (alternate spelling of Geneva). :)
Jasmine, Julia, Jade, Juliette and Jemma are all good female choices. Boys could be any of the ones mentioned previously (except Jim-Bob, that is an awful name and I hate Jr's myself). Judah, Jayden, Jareth, Jacob...there are many possibilities left for the Duggars.
I saw on a handwritten list on one of the episodes the name Jubilee, among other options. I think it was when they were naming Jordyn.
I'd say the safe bet would be Julie, the wild card would be Jupilee, and my personal favorite is Jocelyn.
*Jubilee not Jupilee
My son (born 2010) is named Judah, and my husband would prefer NOT to have a Duggar share his name (he's not a fan!). However Judah, Jude, or Jonah would all be good choices for them. Julie, Julia, and Jane would be on the top of my list for a girl.
Girls:
-Jenevieve
-Julia
-Jamie
-Jillian
-Jenna
Boys:
-Jack
-Jake
-Joel
-Jasper
-Jace
Girls:
Julia/Juliana/Juliet(if I remember right JimBob wanted to name Jordyn(Julia)but was out voted!)
Jocelyn
Jolie
Joelle
Jasmine
Jemma
Jacey
Jade
Janine
Jaclyn/Jackie
Jayne
Jewel
Jorja
Janelle
Jolene
Jayla
Boys:
Jacob
Jared
Jonah
Jarrell
Jarrett
Jeffrey
Joel
Jonathan
Julian
Judson
Jude
Jerald
Jarvis
Jorge
I think for this (potentially) final one they should break with tradition and finally name a child starting with the mother's initial. She endured all those pregnancies after all. Doesn't she feel a bit left out that she's the only one without a J name? She could use some company. How about Mary or Martha or Michael or Martin. Tons of great M names.
Girls: Jael Jasmine Jessie Justice BOYS:: Judah Joaquin Jeffrey
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