Thomas Rhett (born Thomas Rhett Akins in Valdosta, Ga.) and his wife Lauren Akins had a sweet family story before they became parents. They met as children, became hometown sweethearts and ultimately married and settled down in Tennessee. In recent years, their goal of having multiple children has fulfilled itself through four daughters between the ages of 11 months and 7 years old.
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Like other influencer couples in country music, the Akins family's journey as parents to four young daughters has captured the hearts of fans. In addition, Rhett has found creative sparks as a father, with his daughters inspiring "To the Guys That Date My Girls" and other notable co-writes.
Read on to meet Thomas and Lauren's four children.
Willa Gray Akins, Age 7
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While Rhett's supposed to be the main attraction, his family typically steals the show on red carpets. Oldest daughter Willa Gray, whom the family adopted in 2017 from Uganda, is a seasoned pro now at grabbing attention at industry events in Nashville and beyond, with her sisters proving to be no less photogenic.
Rhett has opened up recently about when and how he'll tell Willa Gray that she's adopted.
"Adoption is one of the most beautiful things in the world and I don't think at the beginning of it you go, 'Oh, in like six years, I'm gonna have to start answering some really intense questions,'" he told Hoda Kotb on her Making Space podcast. "It's kinda like you go, what age is the right age? Because the world is moving so fast to have a conversation with a 6 year old about that. Maybe I'm too old school to think that way, but I go, 'Maybe we need to wait until she's 10'."
Ada James Akins, Age 5
Ada James' Aug. 12, 2017 birth gave the new parents two children close in age.
"Ada is walking. Willa Gray is having full-on conversations with me," Rhett told People in 2018. "She's smarter than I am. It's only going to continue to get worse, but it's been such a life-changing experience in all the best ways possible."
Rhett's two oldest children co-star in one of the most memorable music videos of his career, 2018's "Life Changes."
Lennon Love Akins, Age 2
Lennon Love was born on Feb. 10, 2020, with the proximity to Valentine's Day inspiring her middle name.
"Lennon came from John Lennon, from The Beatles," Rhett told his record label, Big Machine. "I knew I wanted some sort of musical name for our third child, and me and Lauren both loved the name Lennon."
Lillie Caroline Akins, 11 Months Old
On Nov. 15, 2021, the couple welcomed its fourth child, Lillie Carolina Akins.
"Lillie Carolina Akins 😍 born November 15th. 7.5 pounds of pure joy🙌 @laur_akins you are my hero," the proud papa wrote on social media. "Watching a child being born is legit a miracle."
The country singer-songwriter revealed on May 9, 2021 that his family was expecting a fourth daughter with a surprise post on social media.
"Well... we are pregnant again! Tonight when I was on stage in Fort Worth about to play 'to the guys that date my girls' my wife talked to me in my (ear monitors) and said 'you can tell them if you want' so anyways, now you know," the "Die a Happy Man" singer wrote on Instagram. "We are pumped to be having our 4th girl🙌🙌🙌 feel free to buy all the merch you want, knowing that all the proceeds are going straight to all these weddings I'll be paying for one day! Love you so much @laur_akins we always wanted a big thanksgiving table😭"
Akins also shared the news on her Instagram feed.
"SURPRISE!!" she wrote. "he just couldn't wait any longer, so @thomasrhettakins told our newest little secret onstage at @billybobstexas in Ft. Worth (my mama's hometown 🥰) just in time for Mother's Day 💕: Akins family expanding in November 2021 with our FOURTH baby girl 💗💗💗💗"
Instagram/@laur_akins
In a Sept. 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Thomas revealed his ideal name for a fifth daughter: the same name as his home state.
"Georgia is my first choice, I love the name Georgia for a girl," Rhett said.
Though the couple chose an equally adorable name for their newest bundle of joy, Rhett has said they may have more children. So, it's possible we could still see a baby Georgia some day.
"I thought that adding three to the mix would be a lot harder but it really just tacks on a little bit to the chaos. I think when you have more than two kids, you could have five, six, seven. I mean, it does get harder but I think that as they kind of become into that 1 and a half year old to 2 year range it starts to get little bit easier," the "Slow Down Summer" singer told Big Machine. "I would say the infant stage is definitely the hardest. But I think once Lennon starts to get six months to a year, I think it's gonna be just fine."
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This story first ran on May 9, 2021. It was updated on Nov. 9, 2022.
