How Many Kids Do The Duggars Really Have?

They are the stuff of pop culture legend. After getting married in 1984 and walking away from birth control on the advice of a Christian medical doctor, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have gone on to become the co-heads of one of America's biggest families (via The Duggar Family website). The brood, who most of us know by name — if we can remember them all — is made up of 10 boys and nine girls, eight of whom are married and having children of their own. In order of oldest to youngest, the clan is made up of Joshua, twins Jana and John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace, and Josie.

Given that the Duggars are known for their strict religious beliefs including courtship instead of dating and no physical contact (except for one-arm side hugs) until the wedding day (when all bets are off), we can expect that the Duggar kids probably won't be adopting the use of any birth control, either. So far, our guess on that score seems to be right on the money. This family has a lot of kids.

With 19 kids, Michelle and Jim Bob can expect to become grandparents many times over; and their children have so far managed to deliver (via Us Weekly).

Josh and Anna Duggar, who were married in 2008 and experienced a very public bad patch (thanks to Josh and the scandal that tore his family apart), currently have five children (Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus, Meredith, and Mason). The couple announced on Instagram in April that they're expecting baby number six, a girl, who is due in November.

John David and Abbie Grace are seen as the "rebels" of the Duggar clan, since Abbie may break with tradition and return to work after the birth of her baby. The pair married in 2018 and though they don't have any kids yet, they're expecting a baby girl in January 2020. As excited as they are, it's been reported that Abbie is experiencing a rough first pregnancy. 

Next up is Jill Duggar, who connected with Derick Dillard thanks to dad Jim Bob. The Duggar patriarch served as Derek's prayer partner while Derek was in Nepal doing humanitarian work. Jill and Derick married in 2014 and have two sons, Israel and Samuel (via US Weekly).

Romper reports that Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald met when Ben's family visited the Duggars' church in Tontitown, Arkansas, and were invited back to their home. Michelle Duggar explains, "Jim Bob was the initiator. I don't know if Jim Bob even knew that Ben was really interested in her, but he had already spotted Jessa. They started texting and talking about these scriptures and things just took off." Cheat Sheet also says Jessa had spotted Ben at church but was reluctant to make the first move as she was older, but once the Duggar family opted to invite the Seewalds back to their house, the rest is history. Jessa and Ben married in 2014 and have two boys and a girl (Spurgeon, Henry, and Ivy Jane).

Jim Bob may have played a role in his elder daughters' relationships and eventual marriages, but it was Seewald who paved the way for Jinger to meet Jeremy Vuolo. Romper reports that Ben and Jeremy met at a fellowship and hit it off. Jeremy then asked Jim Bob for permission to court Jinger during a missionary trip. Jinger and Jeremy married in 2016, and they currently have one daughter (Felicity). 

Joseph Duggar explains on his blog that he met Kendra Caldwell through family friends when he visited the Lighthouse Baptist Church in 2012 where his friend Austin Forsyth (you know — Joy-Anna's husband!) also worshipped. Joe says he became friends with Kendra's dad before he noticed her, and it was some time before he asked to court her. Joseph and Kendra married in 2017 and now have two kids (Garrett and Addison Renee). 

Josiah Duggar may have married Lauren in 2018 but they knew each other for much longer than that. Romper reports that Josiah and Lauren were childhood friends but didn't really connect until a trip to Australia and New Zealand brought them together. They have one girl (Bella Milagro, whose name means "beautiful miracle").

Like Josiah and Lauren, Romper says Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth had known each other for 15 years before they began their courtship and married in 2017. The couple has one son (Gideon), and were expecting a second little one before Joy-Anna suffered a miscarriage in July.

With 19 kids, 15 grandkids (plus a few more on the way), and still 11 more children to marry off, we can only wonder how (if?) Michelle and Jim Bob can keep track of them all.