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Jessa Seewald and Ben Seewald have welcomed their fifth child together. The newest addition, a baby boy, arrived just a couple of days before Jessa’s due date and weighed in at 9lbs, 14 ounces. Jessa and Ben, who opted to keep the gender of their baby a secret from the world, also kept his name a secret until after his birth. Upon sharing the news, Duggar family followers took to social media to question how the couple had landed on four perfectly normal and functional baby names after their first, highly controversial pick. 

Baby Seewald has a classic, regal name 

Jessa and Ben Seewald’s fifth baby arrived just days before Christmas. The baby boy was born a few days ahead of his intended due date, and while Jessa and Ben didn’t tell the world his gender, they already knew. Apparently, they still needed to pick out a name, though. 

Jessa Seewald is seen at 'Extra' studios in New York in 2014
Jessa Seewald | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra

While the couple hadn’t picked out a name before the baby’s birth, they settled on one before heading home from the hospital. In a YouTube video, Jessa explained that it generally takes her a bit to pick out a name for each of her children, but she felt under a bit more pressure because her newest arrival was born in a hospital. Despite taking a bit to pick the name, they had George earmarked as a potential first name ahead of the birth, revealed Jessa. They finally settled on George Augustine with the help of the Duggar family. 

Duggar family followers largely approve of the pick, noting that George is a rather regal name. It also fits in with the style of three of the other four names Jessa and Ben have opted to use. Jessa and Ben’s second son is named Henry, while their two daughters are Ivy and Fern. All three names are classic, easily recognizable, and have an old-fashioned vibe. Their first son’s name, however, was a bit of a wild card. 

Duggar family followers don’t understand how the couple landed on Spurgeon for their first child 

When Jessa and Ben welcomed their first child, they opted for an incredibly unusual name coupled with a more classic middle name choice. Spurgeon Elliot Seewald was born in 2015, just one year after Jessa and Ben said, “I Do.” Like their other kids, they kept their son’s name under wraps until he arrived. 

While Jessa and Ben have explained their reasoning for the name multiple times, Duggar family followers still argue it’s not fitting for a child born in the 21st century. Most of the United States agrees. The name Spurgeon has only cracked the top 1000 baby names seven times in the last 120 years and has never been more popular than in 1901, when it was the 774th most popular name, according to the Social Security Administration. It has not cracked the top 1000 since 1914, when it last appeared as the 997th most popular name. According to the naming data, just 32 babies were named Spurgeon that year. 

Ben and Jessa Seewald sit for an interview during an episode of '19 Kids and Counting.' They are now expecting their fifth child.
Ben and Jessa Seewald | YouTube/TLC
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Reddit users took to the forum to discuss the newest Seewald’s name, but most of the talk focused on poor Spurgeon, who appears completely out of place with his incredibly unusual name. Several critics argue that Ben Seewald was allowed to name the couple’s first baby and messed it up so epically that Jessa has yet to let him weigh in on any further names. The theory seems sound.