--- title: Today Show Anchor Hoda Kotb Adopts Baby Girl description: See pictures of Today Show anchor Hoda Kotb's new adopted daughter and find out the inspiration behind her name. canonical: https://time.com/4677353/hoda-kotb-adopts-baby-girl/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-21T17:50:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:17:47.502Z og:title: 'Today' Anchor Hoda Kotb Adopted a Baby Girl og:description: 'She is the love of my life' og:url: https://time.com/4677353/hoda-kotb-adopts-baby-girl/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1ba923a9ef98b52/6988bb31bc6cfcaecc3e03c5/hoda-kotb-baby.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2777 og:image:height: 1562 og:image:alt: 14th Annual Woman's Day Red Dress Awards og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'Today' Anchor Hoda Kotb Adopted a Baby Girl twitter:description: 'She is the love of my life' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd1ba923a9ef98b52/6988bb31bc6cfcaecc3e03c5/hoda-kotb-baby.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # _Today_ Anchor Hoda Kotb Adopted a Baby Girl > Sponsored content. 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Worth Your Time is TIME's culture recommendation newsletter, edited by culture editor Eliza Berman. Each week it surfaces the books, shows, films and ideas TIME's editors think are worth your attention, and explains why. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Does TIME have a culture newsletter? Yes. Worth Your Time is TIME's culture newsletter, published weekly. #### Who writes TIME's culture recommendations? Culture editor Eliza Berman writes Worth Your Time, drawing on TIME's critics and culture desk. #### Is Worth Your Time free? Yes. It is a free newsletter available at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-worth-2026q3/newsletters?i=7b6efd38-1399-4189-9203-e4fafc99e501&cr=time-nl-worth-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Surprise! Hoda Kotb Reveals She’s Adopted Daughter Haley Joy: ‘She Is the Love of My Life’ [Watch (HLS stream): Surprise! Hoda Kotb Reveals She’s Adopted Daughter Haley Joy: ‘She Is the Love of My Life’](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9hT0p9MF.m3u8) (0:47)  _Published 2017-02-21. The "Today" anchor revealed she has adopted daughter Haley Joy Kotb born on Tuesday, Feb. 14_ by [Dave Quinn / People](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Dave Quinn / People Contributor Feb 21, 2017 5:50 PM UTC by [Dave Quinn / People](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Dave Quinn / People Contributor Feb 21, 2017 5:50 PM UTC Hoda Kotb surprised Today audiences on Tuesday when she announced she had welcomed a daughter — Haley Joy — through adoption. “She’s a Valentine’s baby,” Kotb, 52, said, calling in to the NBC morning show to discuss the big news. “She is the love of my life.” Calling back into the show’s fourth hour, which she normally co-hosts, Kotb explained the inspiration behind her daughter’s name — all while feeding Haley Joy! “Haley is because of Halley’s Comet,” Kotb told a tearful [**Kathie Lee Gifford**](http://people.com/tag/kathie-lee-gifford) and [**Jenna Bush Hager**](http://people.com/tag/jenna-bush-hager), referencing the famous short-period comet — which is visible to the naked eye from Earth every 75 years. “It was one of those things where I just picture her sailing through the sky.” _Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs?_[_Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter_](https://pages.email.people.com/moms-babies/?%20Thanks%20source=in-article)_._ The name was something Kotb discussed with her sister, **Hala**. “My sister and I were talking on the phone and she was saying, ‘You know, I’m Hala, you’re Hoda, our niece is Hana — what about Haley?’ ” As for Haley’s middle name, Joy, that one is pretty self-explanatory. “Joy just because she brings us joy,” Kotb said. “She’s got a beautiful way about her.” > [](https://twitter.com/hodakotb/status/834043173735428096) Kotb — who [moved in with her boyfriend](http://people.com/tv/hoda-kotb-announces-shes-moving-in-with-boyfriend-joel-schiffman/), **Joel Schiffman**, last year — was previously married to former University of New Orleans tennis coach **Burzis Kanga**. The couple divorced in 2007 after two years of marriage and had no children. But Kotb said she always wanted to be a mother. “You know how many times I walked down the street and one of the questions people always ask me is, ‘Oh do you have kids?’ ” Kotb remembered. “And I always say, ‘No, I don’t.’ And it’s one of those things where it’s kind of always a little bit of an ouch and an ache.” That won’t happen anymore — though Kotb admitted it did happen just this week. “The other day I was walking down the street to get some cream for her, and someone asks, ‘Are you a mom?’ I couldn’t say it out loud for her, but in my head I was like, ‘I am a mom! I am!’ ” she joked. > [](https://twitter.com/KathieLGifford/status/834030787364319232) > [](https://twitter.com/JennaBushHager/status/834031760711245825) “Can you believe I have a daughter?” she asked. “I didn’t know that my heart can feel like this. With all the love I’ve ever had in my life — I’ve had the love of a wonderful mom, a wonderful man, the best siblings — I never ever imagined that I could feel this kind of … it’s like a warm hand on my heart. She’s learning up against me and I’m over the moon.” “This is a moment in my life I never thought would happen,” Kotb continued. “And here it is happening to me. Wow.” _This_ [_article_](http://people.com/babies/hoda-kotb-daughter-haley-joy-name-meaning/) _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://people.com) ## Transcript Today Show host Hoda Kotb, she's adopted a baby, Hoda has adopted a baby girl and her name is Haley Joy Kotb. The Today Show announced the news this morning and posted this adorable tweet with a pic of Hoda holding little Haley saying, it's a girl. Hoda Kotb announces she's adopted a baby. Well, we know that Hoda loves tweeting inspirational quotes and minutes after her adoption news went public she tweeted a photo with a quote saying, and then my soul saw you and it kind of went, there you are I've been looking for you. Well, Today's show co- host are very happy for Hoda. Kathie Lee Gifford tweets, so thrilled for Hoda and her precious daughter, Haley Joy. She will be the best mommy ever. We love you, Hoda, enjoy every moment. And Savannah Guthrie congratulated Hoda as well saying, overjoyed for Hoda and her little comet, Haley. A brilliant flash of light for our world. 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