Hoda Kotb Reveals the Meaning behind Her Recently Adopted Second Daughter Hope Catherine's Name

On Tuesday, co-anchor Hoda Kotb called into the “Today” show to announce that she’d adopted a second child. She revealed to her colleagues and audience that the baby girl was named Hope Catherine.

However, the chosen names have more meaning than what could be imagined.

Hoda Kotb, 54, and boyfriend Joel Schiffman are now a family of four with their second daughter Hope Catherine Kotb, 2-months-old. The little girl is now the younger sister of, Haley Joy Kotb, 2, who joined the family just over two years ago.

Before Kotb announced her latest addition, she took to Instagram and posted a cloudy image written: "Choose Hope." That was her way of revealing the name she and her boyfriend had chosen for their bundle of joy.

"'Hope' is in my journal about 10 million times."

The co-anchor called in again on the fourth hour of the “Today Show with Hoda and Jenna” to speak to Jenna Hager Bush and Savannah Guthrie to explain the significant meanings behind Hope Catherine’s names. The name “Hope” came from Kotb's hope for a second child.

The second name honored the co-host’s best friend, news anchor Karen Swensen's, daughter. Kotb explained: "The name came because I think there are a lot of women out there who are hoping their day is coming too, you know?"

She continued: "... I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time and I feel like sometimes if it's meant to happen, it will. They told me, at the adoption agency, to wait wisely. They said, 'Don't count the days, don't wonder.'"

Kotb emotionally explained further:

"... We had already thought of a name, Joel and I had, and 'hope' is in my journal about 10 million times when I was writing for her. Catherine is my best friend's daughter's name."

She continued:

"It just so happens this weekend when [Hope] was born, it was also John's birthday, my best friend's husband who passed, and they said that they promised him that they would come to New York and go to Yankee Stadium to a baseball game for him on his birthday in heaven.”

The co-anchor concluded:

“And so it was a very emotional time for all of us and I said to Catherine, 'You're the strongest kid I know.' So I wanted to name her after Catherine."

Kotb is so close to both Karen and Catherine that she even brought them along to an event for “The Hollywood Reporter” earlier this month. Swensen took to social media and gushed over the experience calling it "super fun."

Guthrie expanded on what the name meant for Kotb saying:

"It speaks to everything that Hoda is and everything that she has been working for. And this day has been in her heart for such a long time and now it's here. She's got her little baby girl. Her family of four is complete."

During her first call to the “Today” show, Kotb shared with her colleagues how Haley was adjusting to having a younger sister. The co-host shared: "This morning at breakfast, [Haley] was trying to feed [Hope] her raspberries, and I was like, 'Not yet, babe.'''

She also shared how the older child "was literally marching around saying, 'I'm a big sister!''' Little Haley even slept under Hope's bassinet at one point.