# What couple holds the record for most children? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503 "2005-10-16T21:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/1 "2005-10-16T21:05:38Z")
The story of the Duggars with 16 kids got me wondering if anyone else has surpassed them. Their ability to procreate is impressive, but they probably aren’t the record holders. What family has borne the most children? I’m talking about a “one man one woman” couple here and not about a king with a harem (but that might be interesting to learn about as well). ---
**Author:** ![Raging\_Catfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Raging\_Catfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raging_Catfish)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/2 "2005-10-16T21:45:34Z")
Assuming this is accurate… [General History: 18th century](http://experts.about.com/q/674/3361913.htm) > [@](#): > > According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Feodor Vassilyev and his wife of Shuya, Russia fathered 69 children including sixteen pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. Sixty-seven of these children survived infancy. His wife’s name was not recorded. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/3 "2005-10-16T21:49:44Z")
Dunno about the all-time record, but the Duggars can be eliminated in the first round of the competition: [Don Raymundo Olivas and his wife, Dona Teodora](http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Dixie/9959/OlivasAdobeHistoricParkCenter.html), nineteenth-century residents of San Buenaventura, Ventura, California, had twenty-one children. [In preview: Pah. And the **Catfish** knocks out Don and Donna Olivas in the second round.] ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/4 "2005-10-16T22:12:52Z")
> [@Raging Catfish](#): > > Assuming this is accurate… > > [General History: 18th century](http://experts.about.com/q/674/3361913.htm) Well, if we don’t even know the mother’s name then the authenticity seems doubtfull to me. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/5 "2005-10-16T23:35:57Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Well, if we don’t even know the mother’s name then the authenticity seems doubtfull to me. The mothers name was Getthefuckawayfromme Vassilyev. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/6 "2005-10-17T12:55:12Z")
The Russian family seem suspect…in 27 pregnancies she had no singletons. Her name must have been Ovulyana. ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/7 "2005-10-18T11:34:40Z")
I used to work with a guy who had 9 kids and a 10th on the way. He was late 30’s, early 40’s and a piss-poor worker. I know there was no money in the family. They weren’t Mormon, just stupid. Bought a **brand new** house in the boonies and then guy got fired for being stupid. That’s when he found out about the 10th. And HE was the only one with a job since all the kids were like 10 or under. Probably got 12 by now since it was two years ago. Dumshit. People should only be allowed to have as many children as they can comfortably provide for. I’d hate to be that 12th kid getting hand-me-downs six times removed. Okay, okay, pile on now if you must. I’ll mention though that this is GQ and not pit, so be gentle! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jeanine\_Stevens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jeanine\_Stevens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeanine_Stevens)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/8 "2005-10-18T18:45:08Z")
Hello everybody: I read this with interest because I had a friend in California who gave birth to 27 children. It is not official, but I met all 24 surviving kids. Three died in infancy. Her last came along after she reached 50 years of age. He was 8 years old. All were single children, no multiple births. How’s that for record! Jeanine Stevens 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/9 "2005-10-18T19:11:58Z")
> [@Raging Catfish](#): > > Assuming this is accurate… > > [General History: 18th century](http://experts.about.com/q/674/3361913.htm) Kinda curious that there weren’t any single births. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/10 "2005-10-18T19:45:14Z")
> [@Jeanine Stevens](#): > > Her last came along after she reached 50 years of age. He was 8 years old. Sorry, that looked like she gave birth to an 8-year old when she was 50…that’d certainly be some kind of record for gestation… ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/11 "2005-10-18T22:16:53Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > Sorry, that looked like she gave birth to an 8-year old when she was 50…that’d certainly be some kind of record for gestation… I don’t understand what she meant. ---
**Author:** ![Jeanine\_Stevens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f08c70/32.png) [@Jeanine\_Stevens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeanine_Stevens)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/12 "2005-10-19T00:05:26Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > Sorry, that looked like she gave birth to an 8-year old when she was 50…that’d certainly be some kind of record for gestation… Sorry, I meant I met the child when he was eight. His mother was about 60. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-couple-holds-the-record-for-most-children/326503/13 "2005-10-19T00:40:31Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > Kinda curious that there weren’t any single births. Yeah. Russian men used to change their ages a lot to avoid military service. How many of those boys were “born” 5’8" and 150 lbs, with full beards?