Though it doesn't begin with a "J," Jessa Seewald (formerly "Duggar") and her husband Ben Seewald have picked a distinctive name for her new baby. So why did Jessa Duggar name her son Henry Wilberforce, exactly? Henry was named after two different historical figures, both of whom carry strong religious messages.
In a video online, Ben explains why "Wilberforce" was their choice for a middle name:
William Wilberforce was a British politician in the 1700s and he was very instrumental in abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire as well as doing a lot of other great things, and he's a real hero of ours, someone that really walked with God and his closeness with Christ and his joy that he had in the Lord really fueled his life and all that he did. And that's why he was so relentless, even after facing defeat so many times, he persevered and he lived to see the day when the slave trade was made illegal throughout the British Empire.
Henry, Ben explains, also has some important ties to the family's values:
Jessa really liked the name Henry and we just thought it was cute, but also there was another great man of God named Matthew Henry, who lived before Wilberforce, and he wrote a lot of great commentaries — he actually has a commentary series on the whole Bible.
Jessa directed fans to the post in the Instagram video below, which she captioned: "Click the link in my bio to see how we chose the name for #BabySeewald2!"
Henry joins his big brother, 15-month-old Spurgeon, in the Seewald offshoot of the Duggar clan. The Duggar family is known for their Christian, specifically Baptist, values, as portrayed in their TLC series 19 Kids and Counting, so the fact that Jessa factors this into her choice of baby name makes total sense. The meaning of Spurgeon's name also stems from a similar place. Another YouTube video reveals that their firstborn was named for "Charles Spurgeon, a British preacher from the mid to late 1800s," ABC News reported in 2015. Ben affirmed: "He had a big impact on our lives. ... His writings and his sermons and books are still around today. They just continue to impact many, many people."
There will likely be plenty more opportunities for new Duggar babies and super personal baby names, as both Jessa and Ben have voiced their desire for a big family. As for just how big, though? Fans and friends will just have to wait and see.
