Jed & Katey Duggar Already Outpacing Michelle & Jim Bob—And They’re Not Slowing Down
It seems like the next generation of Duggars is wasting no time in expanding their ever-growing family tree.
Jedidiah “Jed” Duggar and his wife, Katey Nakatsu Duggar, are proving that they may just be on track to surpass Jed’s famously prolific parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, stars of 19 Kids and Counting. With four children under the age of four—and still expressing a desire for more—the young couple is building their own version of the Duggar legacy at record pace.
On June 18, the couple joined Jed’s sister, Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo, and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, on their podcast, The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast. The conversation ranged from faith to marriage, but one topic caught everyone’s attention: family size.
The couple recently welcomed twin daughters, Emma and Elsie, in January. These twin arrivals joined their older siblings—son Truett, now 3, and daughter Nora, 2. For several months earlier this year, Jed and Katey were parents to four children all aged two and under—an intense and exhausting parenting feat by any standard.
In fact, even Jed’s own parents, Michelle and Jim Bob—who famously had 19 biological children—didn’t hit that milestone quite as early. When their fourth child, Jill Duggar, was born, their twin toddlers Jana and John-David were just 1, and eldest son Josh was already 3. So, while they were busy, they didn’t have four kids under age 3 like Jed and Katey managed.
“We’ve known each other for five years,” Katey shared during the podcast, reflecting on the couple’s whirlwind journey. “So when we look at it like that, we’re like, ‘Wow, this has been crazy.’”
Jinger couldn’t help but react with shock: “That’s insane,” she said with a laugh, clearly in awe of her brother and sister-in-law’s parenting hustle.
Still, it’s important to note that Michelle and Jim Bob did eventually have a stretch where they had four children all under age 3—but that didn’t happen until much later. In December 1998, when their youngest twins at the time—Jedidiah (yes, the same Jed!) and his twin brother Jeremiah—were born, they joined older siblings Josiah, who was just 2, and Joy-Anna, then 1. That was a crowded household—but even that came later in the Duggar timeline, not within the first four years of marriage.
For Jed and Katey, however, this rapid expansion seems to be just the beginning. While they didn’t give an exact number of children they hope to have, they’ve been open about their love of parenting and their openness to whatever size family God gives them.
With a blend of humility and good humor, the young couple are embracing the chaos—and diapers—that come with such a large brood at a young age.
Only time will tell if they’ll go on to rival or even surpass the 19-child legacy of Jed’s parents, but for now, they’re certainly making headlines—and memories—at breakneck speed.
Later, Jeremy asked Katey and Jed if they planned on adding more kids to their brood and to that, Jed shared, “We’re just praying about that.”
“We would love to just enjoy the kids we have right now for a good minute,” Katey stressed. “It’s an insanely busy season, the little years, especially because we have two infants right now. It’s just all hands on deck at all times 24/7.”
The couple also revealed they want “five or six kids” in total—but time will tell what number they ultimately reach as they continue “counting on.”
(And for those wondering—no, they didn’t name their oldest child, Truett, after the Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy.)
Meanwhile, Jed’s older sister, Jessa Duggar, is pregnant and due with her sixth baby in July.
If you are looking for more Duggar family news, come back to our page for all your updates.
