Heavy/YouTube "Bachelor in Paradise" star Thomas Jacobs detailed his decision process for Baby Benny's name.
“Bachelor in Paradise” stars Becca Kufrin and Thomas Jacobs welcomed their first baby in September, and the pair have shared several updates since then.
Quite a few fans were curious about how the couple decided on their son’s name, given the fact he has both Kufrin and Jacobs as part of his name. Recently, Jacobs took to social media to break down how the decision was made.
Here’s what you need to know:
Becca Kufrin Let Thomas Jacobs Choose Baby’s Last Name
On September 25, the “Bachelor in Paradise” stars shared the details of their son’s arrival via Instagram. They named their son Benson Lee Jacobs Kufrin, nickname “Benny,” and he arrived on September 21.
Kufrin previously told “Bachelor in Paradise” fans the baby’s name would contain both her last name as well as Jacobs’. At the time, she noted the couple had not decided the order they would use.
As the couple announced the details after Benny’s birth, they revealed the baby would be Jacobs Kufrin. In now-expired Instagram Stories, Jacobs explained how the decision was made.
“Becca let me choose how we were going to do the last names,” Jacobs shared. He detailed that initially, Kufrin asked if he would be open to having her surname last. She explained that this way, the legacy of the name could continue.
“That was something that was important to both of us,” he noted. Jacobs admitted it wasn’t something he would have thought of on his own. “So I did some research and I went back on my own experiences from when I lived in Mexico. It was always the father’s name and then the mother’s last name.”
Jacobs also revealed the decision was solidified as the couple binge-watched the show “Suits.” He explained the law firm at the center of the show “Was Pearson Hardman, and if I was going to share the last name, which I was more than willing to, I wanted to be the Pearson.”
The ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Stars Honored Both Their Fathers With the Baby’s Name Too
The baby’s first and middle names were chosen with careful consideration and meaning too. Kufrin explained that the first name, Benson, was chosen because it was the name of the town where her father grew up.
As “The Bachelorette” fans may remember, Kufrin’s father died on September 20, 2009. Over the years, Kufrin has honored her father frequently in posts on her Instagram page. As Bachelor Nation detailed, Kufrin was just 17 years old when her father died. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer three years prior to his death.
The “Bachelor in Paradise” star grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota, noted Minnesota Monthly, and her mother still lives there. Prior Lake is located slightly southwest of Minneapolis and St. Paul, while Benson is a small town in the western part of the state, about 130 miles from the Twin Cities.
The couple’s middle name, Lee, was chosen to honor Jacobs’ father.
Thomas & Kufrin Decided Some Time Ago They’d All Have Both Last Names
Utilizing both of last names was a topic of conversation soon after the “Bachelor in Paradise” stars got engaged, too. During the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast, in June 2022, the pair revealed, “We’re going to hyphenate… we’ll have our kids hyphenate too.”
Kufrin mentioned that they weren’t sure if they would go with “Kufrin Jacobs” or “Jacobs Kufrin.” While they had not settled on the order at that point, they seemed on the same page about what they wanted and why.
Jacobs mentioned the death of Kufrin’s father and pointed out it was just her and her sister in their family. “I just don’t want to see any scenario where there’s not a Kufrin going around in the world.” He added, “I think that’s a special thing to have.”
In announcing their son’s name, the “Bachelor in Paradise” stars did not incorporate a hyphen between their two last names. However, it seems they did settle on the order that keeps the Kufrin name going strong.