One Big Brood! See 10 Fun Facts You Probably Don't Know About Chip and Joanna Gaines' 5 Kids
Published on July 3, 2019
Throughout their nearly five-year run on HGTV, fans all around the world fell in love with Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines. As viewers got a glimpse into the lives of the Fixer Upper stars, they also became familiar with the couple's five children — Drake, 14, Ella, 12, Duke, 10, Emmie, 8, and Crew, 8 months.
Since saying goodbye to their beloved TV show in 2017, the lives of Chip, 44, and Jo, 40, have changed tremendously. Not only have they expanded their brood by one after welcoming baby Crew last June, but the brunette beauty and her hysterical hubby have also been growing their empire. Chip and Jo are currently working on launching a TV network, opening a coffee shop and working on a children's book — just to name a few projects they've got in the works.
No matter how successful their Magnolia empire is, though, nothing beats being a mama to her five sweet children. "Motherhood means everything to me," the lifestyle guru gushed to Jenna Bush Hager for Southern LivingOpens a New Window. in February. "Everything else in my life can go away, but that's my thing. That's what wakes me up. It's my heart — these kids."
Scroll through the gallery below to learn 10 fun facts you probably don't know about Chip and Joanna's five kids!
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Each Child Has Their Own Personality
"Duke is adventurous. Drake loves anything athletic. Emmie is like her dad, she keeps us laughing with how big her humor is for age 6. Ella is my little intellectual. My reader," Joanna once wrote in a blog post from 2016Opens a New Window..
The Boys Have "D" Names and the Girls Have "E" Names
Chip and Jo got the names for their sons — Drake and Duke — after they chose single-syllable names starting with the letter "D." As for Emmie Kay and Ella Rose, the couple opted for two-syllable names starting with the letter "E." After welcoming baby Crew last year, Chip revealed that he and Jo were looking to keep the name tradition, but decided to go with a "C" name instead.
They Don't Understand How Famous Their Parents Really Are
Besides acting like they aren't that big of a deal, Chip and Jo revealed that the kids don't realize how popular their parents are — probably because they don't have a TV in their home. "So they don't really understand that we have a show," Joanna once told People."They don't get it." Ha!
Chip and Jo Try to Shield Them From the Spotlight as Much as They Can
Even though their parents are TV superstars, Chip and Jo are trying to raise their kids in as normal of an atmosphere as possible. "They're so young and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood," Joanna told PeopleOpens a New Window. in 2017.
They Were Often Spotted on Set of 'Fixer Upper'
Even though Chip and Jo want to keep them out of the limelight as much as possible, the Gaines kids have made brief appearances on Fixer Upper throughout the years. Jo also dished that, even if you don't see one of the kiddos in the shot, they most likely aren't far at all. Although their show has since concluded, at the time of filming Chip and Jo would only shoot within a 40-mile radius of their home in Waco, Texas — allowing them to be close to home at all times.
They Won't Be Getting Cell Phones Until College
Chip and Jo are very adamant about time outside and on their farm. Therefore, the Gaines children shouldn't expect a cell phone until they graduate high school. "It's funny, I'm a little more laid back than I thought I'd be," Joanna once told PeopleOpens a New Window.. "[There are] certain things that I really care about, but I think the funny part, with Chip, is just the video games, the TV. That's where he kinda gets a little strict. It's, 'You go play outside.'"
All of the Kids Are Baylor University Bears Sports Fans
Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie and now Crew have taken after their parents by being a fan of the Baylor University sports teams, the Bears. Chip and Jo are both alumni of the private Christian university but didn't meet while they were in school. Chip graduated from Baylor in 1998 while his wife graduated in 2001.
Their First Child Drake Is Named After the Drake Hotel in NYC
Drake, the couple's first-born, got his name for a special reason. Chip and Jo once revealed that their oldest child was named after the historic New York City hotel — The Drake Hotel — where his parents honeymooned. Sadly, it looks like Chip and Jo won't be going back again considering it's since been closed and demolished.
They Are Torn Over Having More Kids
Although they just welcomed their fifth child last June, Jo and Chip opened up about the possibility of expanding their brood even more. "I think we have to have another one because I'm particular about the only child thing," Chip told PeopleOpens a New Window. last November. "Crew needs a sister to manage this whole thing out. Don't be surprised if No. 6 is in the cards!" Wow!
Their Kids Were a Huge Reason Why 'Fixer Upper' Ended
Since bidding their final farewell to Fixer Upper, Chip and Jo have been spending well-deserved time at home with the kids. Their costar and close friend, Jimmy Don Holmes from JDH Iron DesignsOpens a New Window., even revealed to Closer Weekly that the "amazing parents" have been staying out of the spotlight. "They're laying low [and] staying low-key. They tend to stop by the Magnolia Headquarters occasionally and deal with their businesses in town in Waco," he dished in early January. "They don't visit the headquarters too much because they spend the majority of their time tending to family matters and spending more time at home." Aww!