Earlier this week, Jill Duggar welcomed a baby boy.
Jill and husband Derick Dillard’s deeply-held religious beliefs are well known, so it didn’t come as a much of a surprise that they named their baby Israel David Dillard.
Both names have Biblical significance, and many fundamentalist sects (the Duggars’ included) believe that Israel will be the sight of the second coming of Jesus.
So Jill and Derick named their baby after the first stop on JC’s comeback tour, right? Not necessarily.
E! News and other outlets are reporting that the Dillards may have chosen the name as a tribute to the early days of their relationship.
You may recall that when Jill first started dating Derick he was abroad doing missionary work.
“Our story is so very unique,” Jill said in an interview last year. “The first time we talked, he was in Japan, we met in Nepal, he spent time in India and Israel and then came back to Arkansas where he met my family.
"We have a very international story even though we live so close.”
The couple courted throughout Derick’s travels, and it seems he made a special purchase during his time in Jerusalem.
"Jill really likes Israel and I’ve always wanted to go to the holy land," Derick once told ABC News. "When I was there, I had it in my head that I wanted to get an engagement ring."
So maybe the name was inspired by their beliefs, maybe it’s an homage to their own relationship, or maybe it’s both!
Whatever the case, surely we can all agree that "Izzy" is a solid nickname.
Watch 19 Kids and Counting online to relive the early days of Jill and Derick’s relationship.