Duggar Family: How Old Was Each of the Duggars When They Got Married?
The Duggar family has been off of TLC for more than a year now. Before TLC pulled the plug on the family’s reality TV series, family followers watched several of the Duggar kids get married. A few more have married since TLC stopped filming the family. Do you know how old each Duggar was when they tied the knot? We’ve collected all of the information for you.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were exceptionally young when they tied the knot
While the Duggar kids seem to marry young, none have been quite as young as Michelle Duggar was when she married Jim Bob Duggar. When they wed, the high school sweethearts were just 17 and 19 years old. A couple of their children did opt to marry while they were still teens, though.
Unlike several of their children, Jim Bob and Michelle didn’t begin having children immediately after their wedding. The couple welcomed their first child in 1988, four years after their wedding.
Joy-Anna Forsyth and Justin Duggar were still teens when they married their spouses
Joy-Anna Forsyth was just 19 years old when she married Austin Forsyth. Joy and Austin had known each other for years as family friends before things turned romantic. Austin wasn’t a teenage groom, though. He is four years Joy’s senior. He was 23 when he said, “I do.”
Justin is by far the youngest of the Duggars to wed. He was just 17 years old when he announced his courtship with Claire Spivey. He proposed days after his 18th birthday, and the pair married just a few months later. Claire was 19 on her wedding day.
Josh Duggar was the first Duggar family member to marry
Josh Duggar, the family’s eldest child, was the first to marry. He was newly 20 when he proposed to his wife, Anna Duggar, on her 20th birthday. The couple alleges that they courted for two years before becoming engaged. Duggar family critics find the story suspicious, especially after Michelle stated, on camera, that Anna had promised her father that she would not court until she turned 20.
While the couple remains married, their union has been anything but smooth sailing. They share seven children but have weathered three scandals. Most recently, Josh Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography. The troubled used car salesman will not be eligible for release from prison until 2032.
Seven Duggar family members married when they were between the ages of 21 and 23
The Duggar family doesn’t seem interested in getting particularly far into their 20s before they tie the knot. The majority of Duggars married when they were between the ages of 21 and 23. Jill Dillard, Joseph Duggar, and Jeremiah Duggar were all 23 when they married their partners. Jill Dillard married Derick Dillard in 2014, and Joseph Duggar married Kendra Caldwell a few years later. Jeremiah Duggar is the most recent Duggar to tie the knot. He married Hannah Wissmann, 26, in 2022.
Jinger Vuolo was 22 when she married Jeremy Vuolo in 2016. Jeremy is six years older than Jinger. He was 28 when they tied the knot after a short courtship. Jedidiah Duggar, Jeremiah’s twin, was 22 when he married Katey Nakatsu in 2021. The couple did not formally announce a courtship, and the Duggars only acknowledged their relationship after the wedding.
Josiah Duggar and Jessa Seewald were both 21 when they had their respective weddings. Jessa married Ben Seewald in 2014 after a year-long courtship. The couple has four children. After a failed romance, Josiah found his bride in Lauren Swanson. Since Josh Duggar’s arrest, Lauren and Josiah have opted to stay out of the spotlight.
John David Duggar waited the longest to wed, so far
John David Duggar was substantially older than his siblings when he decided to get married. John spent several years on 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, making jokes about his marital status. He eventually found a partner, though.
John David married Abbie Burnett in 2018. John was 28 on his wedding day. Abbie was 26. They welcomed their first child together in 2020. They are expecting their second child this summer.
Nine Duggars are still unmarried
While more than half of the Duggar kids have already married, eight biological children are still left at home. Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar are also legal guardians to their great-nephew, Tyler. Josie Duggar, Jordyn Duggar, Jennifer Duggar, Johannah Duggar, Jackson Duggar, James Duggar, Jason Duggar, Jana Duggar, and Tyler Hutchins are all unmarried, with several of them still far too young to date.
Josie, the family’s youngest child, turned 12 in December. Jordyn and Jennifer Duggar are 13 and 15 years old, respectively. Tyler is 14, and Johannah Duggar is 16.
Jackson, Jason, James, and Jana are the four eldest Duggars who have yet to find partners. Jackson turned 18 in May. Jason and James are 22 and 21, respectively. Jana is 32. Jason and James were both rumored to be dating Lauren Caldwell at different points. Neither appears to be in an active courtship with Lauren. Lauren’s sister, Kendra Caldwell, is married to Joseph Duggar.
