Michelle has not emailed me to ask, but I thought we might help the Duggars name their 19th child. Here’s what they’ve used so far, divided into a Girl List and a Boy List:
Jana
Jill
Jessa
Jinger
Joy
Johanna
Jennifer
Jordyn-Grace
Joshua
John-David
Joseph
Josiah
Jedidiah
Jeremiah
Jason
James
Justin
Jackson
Jana and Johanna are very close, as are Joseph and Josiah, and Jinger is stretch, but it was when they finally used Jennifer I knew they were out of ideas. But there are still plenty of nice J names yet, even if we assume names like January and Juniper and Jaden don’t fit with their style:
Jacqueline
Jane (probably too close to Jana)
Jean
Jemma
Jennica (probably too close to Jennifer)
Jezebel (KIDDING, kidding)
Jocasta
Jocelyn
Joella
Josephine
Julia
Julianna
Julissa
June
Jacob
Japheth (JAY-feth) (probably too close to Joseph)
Jared
Jaron (probably too close to Jason)
Jasper
Jeffery
Joel
Jonas
I like an “oo” sound for their next girl, since they don’t have that yet—maybe June or Julia. For their next boy, I think Jeffery.
What would be your pick for next girl and next boy?
I believe Joy is actually Joy-Anna or something similar, which is itself very close to Johanna. With this many kids whose names all start with the same letter, similar sounds is likely inevitable. I’m sure they get called the wrong names all the time anyway. I did, and I have only one sibling.
For a girl I like Julianna myself. And I think it’s about time they used Jacob.
But my final vote? I’d like to see a Zachary or an Elizabeth. But that’s just me. :)
I don’t think I can even pick. It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.
Ok, fine, Jocelyn.
But don’t you think Jennifer is just a wensy bit better of a pick than Jinger or Jordyn-Grace? I do. But I am biased.
Another naming comment on the Duggars: do you think a couple who has been have babies for 20+ years will struggle to change styles with the changing times? For example, the name Jennifer. This name was on the down slope when they had their first kids. Now, it’s a total mom’s name. Similar things could be said about some of the other names. I see a dichotomy here between trying to fit the new children’s names in with their siblings and with trying to fit them with their same-age peers outside the family. When a sibling age range spans so many years, there will inevitably be such a problem. Any comments on that?
I think Jennifer is better than Jinger. But as a Jennifer, I’m biased. And I know that.
I like the name Juliet
I think some of the youngest kids have had name input from older siblings. For example, Jordyn-Grace was the result of a family vote…Dad wanted Julie.
My suggestions:
Girls:
Jodi
Jorja (Hey if it worked for Jinger…)
Jaima
Jaimette
Julianne
Julie
Boys:
Jonathan
Judah
Jonah
Jared
Jen and Miss Grace- Ha ha! I totally agree. But they went so long before using what seemed like an obvious choice, it seemed like they MUST be avoiding it!
Diane- Totally agree with this, too. My mom and I talk a lot about babies and baby names, and she’s wondered what she would have done if she’d had more children a decade or two after my brother and I were born—if she would have tried to coordinate the style or not (she thinks not). My own kids have an 8-year spread, and even that was enough for styles to change pretty significantly.
Back when they were expecting Jackson, they were discussing Judah Benjamin – in fact, it sounded like that was the name they planned on after they learned it was a boy at the ultrasound.
So Judah gets my vote … Not sure about a girl!
I like Jacinda and Julian.
I like Jonah for a boy and Julia for a girl.
I read somewhere that Jim Bob IS asking for suggestions! I don’t know where, though. The TLC website?
I was really hoping they’d go for Julie last time. Maybe this round?
Jonah and Jaclyn
Jim Bob asked for naming help from People.com. One of their top suggestions? Jay-Z. I wish I was kidding.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20301727,00.html
I watch the show some and Johanna is actually nicknamed “Hannie”. How sweet and refreshing is that in a house of J names? I would love to see them do that again… name the baby a J name with a nn that doesn’t start with a J. Josephine/ nn Fina maybe?? Or Julissa/ nn Lissa? My bet is they’ll go with some form of Julie/Julianna/Julia if its a girl and Jim Bob has his way…but if its the kids voting again then it may be something along the lines of Jordyn…kind of 90s trendy like Jasmine.
I like Judah for a boy!! I tend to think there must be a reason they haven’t used Jacob. How do you name 10 boys J names (most of them Biblical to boot) without using Jacob??
Jonah or Judah for a boy
Jemma for a girl
Wow! This is incredible timing. I had lunch with a dear friend of mine today and she said, “can you help me think of J names?” for the baby she is adopting in two months. She’s not sure whether it will be a boy or a girl so this will be a good post to share with her. Awesome! Thanks for the ideas. :)
Junia for a girl! It’s different, has that oo sound and is Biblical, which I think they’d be into.
girl- Jimmie-Mae (after dad and mom)
boy- Jethro-Mikey (after mom)
Joellie Mae or Jethro Bob
I have to say, Jinger is my favorite Duggar. She seems to have a wee bit of sass, and I love her for it.
I also can’t believe they’ve avoided Jacob! Which is such a lovely, classic name…I like the Jake option. I hope they’ll use Judah, so beautiful. Or Josephine, which is lovely, too! But I’ll bet Jim Bob wins out and gets his Julie/Julia!
For a girl Jerusha or Jorja
my jhead is jspinning! I like Julia and Jacob, but I have to say I find the whole thing a bit ridiculous.
Is it jeffery or jeffrey? just wondering if jeffery is how others would spell this name?
julia and jaclyn for the next two girls
and joel and jacob for the next two boys.
let’s face it….there will be more!
I also LOVED the jorja comment….it did work for jinger after all!
Joel would fit nicely with the boys’ names. I know a Joelle – they might like that for a girl.
I had also thought of Jared and Jonah or Jonas. Jacob seems obvious except that they don’t seem to go for currently “top 10” names. Maybe just Jake or Jay?
I don’t see any other “French” names; so, Jaclyn is probably more their style than Jacqueline. I like Juliet but Julie or Julia seems more likely. Since they have a Joseph, I’d avoid Josephine but I think Josie would be fine.
My favorite J names are Jane and Judith, but I don’t see either as something the Duggars would likely choose.
The new grandbaby is supposed to be named some variation of Mackenzie. Time to start brainstorming M names!
What a fun idea Swistle! I could see a Julie, Julissa or a Jacinda in their family for girls and for boys I like Judah or Joel. Btw, my husband is a Jeffrey and it drives him crazy when people spell his name Jeffery. LOL!
I wonder if the son who is having the baby soon will name all of his future children “M” names.
It has been reported that the first grandchild will be named Mackynzie Renee, the Dugger father Joshua indicating that he wanted an M name after his mother.
While not a fan of the Duggars or their need to reproduce themselves beyond reasonable numbers, I like their naming style — mostly classic names (standard classic or new classic), correctly spelled.
For #19: Julie or Jonathan. (They already have a John-David, but since they went with two “Joe” names — Joseph and Josiah, why not Jonathan.)
I say Jacob, Joel or Jericho, Jemima or Julia.
I can’t believe they’re having another baby!!! I guess that Josh & Anna are going for M names (they had said at one point they were going to go with the letter theme also.
Anon- The author Jeffery Deaver is Jeffery, and I used to work with a Jeffery who said that Jeffery was the “good” way to spell it, and that the Jeffrey spelling was the, um, uneducated variation. HOWEVER: I looked in my Oxford dictionary of names and find NO EVIDENCE to support his claims. Looks like both versions are legitimate spellings.
I’m going to stay away from the general topic and comment only on the name Jacob.
As Christians, like myself, they might be taking into account the Jacob of the Bible. His very name means supplanter or deceiver.
My in-laws wanted to call my husband Jake but did not want to give him the name Jacob, so they gave him a different formal name. Kind of ridiculous, perhaps, but there it is!
I figure they must really hate Jul- names since they haven’t used them yet. That would be my preference, though.
Jinger looks like Jingle to me. Can’t get past it.
I like Julia, can’t believe they haven’t used it yet.
For a boy, Jonah or Judah would get my vote.
I’ve got it! They should name a baby girl January. That is when she’s due..
Lara Jane, interesting about your in-laws having a problem with Jacob’s meaning and using “Jake” as a nn for another name. Years ago friends named their son Jason and called him Jake. I’ve wondered about that, but I doubt that it had anything to do with religious concerns.
Another obvious classic name would be Joan, though I doubt it’s their style. Joanie is a cute nn, though.
Jaclyn would be great, but the nn Jackie crosses gender lines which seems to be a no-no in their world. Too bad, it’s my fav.
Well I am biased of course, but I vote for Julia! (Or Jewelia, har har).
Does this mean they’re going to write another book? Because I’m NOT reading it! (except that I probably will….)
James and Jacob are the “same” name, so maybe that’s why there’s no Jacob? If they don’t have a problem with James, Jacob shouldn’t be a problem either.
I LOVE Julia. It was my No. 1 girl choice but was vetoed by my husband. What about Julian for a boy?
Is Jocasta a joke too? Oedipus’ mother/wife who later kills herself …
Anon- The Duggars are Christians, so I assume they would be familiar with (and want to avoid) Jezebel. But I think Jocasta is far less familiar to the general public (I know about her but I took a whole class on mythology), and that the Duggars wouldn’t much care about someone else’s mythology.
As someone who likes names, I cannot understand why someone with that many kids would limit themselves to a theme. Then again maybe some people like the challenge. I think like other people who gave their kids all the same initial, they kept thinking each kid would be their last and didn’t want 1 kid without a J name to feel left out. Thus so many parents paint themselves in a corner. Still you would think after like 7 or 8 kids they would know there would be more since they weren’t avoiding more kids.
Ok – I was very disappointed they didn’t go with Julie last time and I think they should go with Julie this time. I don’t think the kids should have a vote. The kids can name their own kids when they grow up. That’s how they ended up with some of the more ridiculous choices.
What about Joette? I have a friend named Joette. I think it is a Polish name and not weird or uncommon in my hometown.
Juliette, Jean, Joan, Jolie – ?
I’m thinking maybe Judus or Jeorge for a boy.
I’m liking Jemma and maybe Jemima for a girl.
So, I just saw that they had the baby in December (@ 25 weeks – scary-early) and named her Josie. Amazing to me that they have a Joseph, a Josiah, a Johanna, and now a Josie! That’s a whole lotta “Jo” right there! Also rather amazingly, they only have one kiddo with a “Ju” name – Justin. Josie is cute, but I definitely would have used Julie/Julia/Juliana/Juliet/Julianne here just to avoid confusion with any of the other kids’ names!