‘Counting On’: Which Duggar Was the Youngest When They Got Married?

Jana Duggar might not be in a rush to head down the aisle, but several of her siblings were. While her lack of a romantic partner has been a source of consternation for fans in recent years, the now 30-year-old still hasn’t found her perfect match. Jana, however, is an outlier in the Duggar family. She is, to date, the eldest Duggar who has yet to marry, and several of her much younger siblings are already settled into married life. So, which Duggar was the youngest when they got married? The answer might actually surprise you.

Joy-Anna Duggar was only 19 when she married Austin Forsyth

Joy-Anna Duggar rushed down the aisle at 19-years-old to marry her longtime friend, Austin Forsyth. The Duggar family and the Forsyth family ran in the same circles for years, but Joy and Austin’s friendship apparently didn’t bloom until about a year before they began courting. The couple explained in a YouTube video that they had known each other since they were children, but that they never really paid much attention to one another until Joy was about 18.

Austin and Joy courted for just four months before announcing their engagement, according to Romper. They were married within a year of courtship, and welcomed their first son, Gideon Martyn, almost exactly nine months later. In fact, the pregnancy announcement had many fans questioning whether the couple was intimate before tying the knot. Joy, to date, is the youngest Duggar to marry.

Several Duggar boys married younger women

Joseph Duggar and his younger brother, Josiah Duggar, were both in their 20s when they finally married, but their wives were not. Joseph was 23 when he married 19-year-old Kendra Caldwell in 2017. The pair already have two children. Garrett Duggar, who just turned 2, was joined by Addison Duggar in November 2019.

Lauren Swanson, who married Josiah in 2018, was just 19-years-old at the time, too. Josiah, who had a previously failed courtship, is three years her senior. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Bella Milagro, in November 2019.

While that may seem incredibly young to marry in some circles, it’s pretty standard in the Duggar family’s ultra-conservative Christian community. The rest of the Duggar ladies were not much older when they found their partners. Jessa Duggar was 21 when she married Ben Seewald, and Jinger Duggar was only 22 when she embarked on her life with Jeremy Vuolo. Jill Duggar was 23 when she married her husband, Derick Dillard.

John-David was a later bloomer, too

Jana may have more in common with her twin brother than fans initially thought. Just like Jana, John-David Duggar was in no rush to get married. He didn’t announce his courtship until 2018, and the ripe old age of 28. Once John decided to start courting, he didn’t hold back, though. He and his bride, Abbie Burnett, announced their engagement after just 28 days of courtship. They married on Nov. 3, 2018.

Abbie and John may have been older than most of the Duggars when they finally decided to settle down, but they aren’t wasting time now. They welcomed their first daughter, Grace Annette in January 2020, and apparently work pretty hard to keep their relationship flirtatious. John is apparently a doting husband when he’s not messing up relief efforts in the Bahamas.