Josh and Anna Duggar Share the Reason for Naming New Baby Meredith Grace

Josh and Anna Duggar
Josh and Anna Duggar with their fourth child, Meredith Grace |

After welcoming their new addition to the family, Josh and Anna Duggar decided to give their fourth child the name Meredith Grace.

According to the Duggar Family Blog, the parents-of-four once told former Today Show' host Meredith Vieira that they could name one of their future children after her. With the Duggars regularly gracing "Today' with their presence, Josh and Anna appeared on the show six years ago to know the gender of their first-born, Mackynzie, by slicing into a cake that could either be pink (for a female) or blue (for a male) inside.

After unveiling the pink cake underneath all the frosting, Josh told Vieira that he and and his wife were thinking about giving all their kids "M" names. "We've talked about M's, so we're down the right road for Meredith," Josh joked.

Vieira responded by telling the former "19 Kids and Counting' star that she would be pleased if the pair did name their first child after her. "Don't pull my leg here! You know I've been your biggest fan," she said.

The talk show host told the first-time parents that she would be a "very happy person" if they remembered and kept their promise to consider her name in the future. Unfortunately, Josh and Anna's next two children were boys, Michael and Marcus, hence the need to wait for a few more years to keep their promise to Vieira. Nonetheless, with the recent birth of a girl as announced on their social media pages, the Duggar couple remembered to name their baby girl Meredith.

The family announced the arrival of their fourth child on their official Facebook page by posting a number of photos of her and her parents. "She's here! Meredith Grace Duggar: 7lbs 14ozs, 20-1/2" long. Anna and baby Meredith are resting and doing well"”thanks for all of your prayers! We will try to post more photos as soon as possible!" the family said.

Josh's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, also shared a video about Meredith's arrival. Mackynzie, the eldest of Josh and Anna's children, is said to be greatly thrilled about the arrival of her little sister. "Mackynzie made a recording saying, 'Hi, little sister, it is so great to meet you, you are already my best friend,' " Anna said in an interview with PEOPLE in March following the announcement of their child's gender. A baby cousin will be arriving soon as well as Josh's sister, Jessa Duggar-Seewald, is also expecting her first child with husband Ben.