Jimmy Fallon is a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh, but the fictional teddy bear did not inspire his new daughter's name.
"It's not Winnie-the-Pooh at all, even though I do love Winnie-the-Pooh," the 38-year-old "Late Night" host said on the "Today" show Tuesday. "Nancy, my wife, and I got engaged in New Hampshire at this lake house that her family's had forever. It's on Lake Winnipesaukee. We went there every summer as we were dating and [since] we got married. And I got engaged on the dock."
That special summer place for the couple inspired the name of their first child, who was born by surrogate on July 23. Winnipesaukee was a mouthful, so they decided on the short and sweet Winnie.
It didn’t hurt that one of the most famous Winnies in pop culture ― Winnie Cooper from "The Wonder Years" ― "is the coolest girl in any TV show ever," added the new dad. However, on a more sentimental note, he said the name was also special because "She's a big 'win' for us."
During the interview, Fallon detailed exactly why his daughter was a triumph ― and that's because her arrival capped off a five-year fertility struggle. The typically upbeat comedian revealed that he and 46-year-old Nancy Juvonen Fallon, whom he married in 2007, "tried a bunch of things" to get pregnant and faced many disappointments. "It's just awful," he said.
So when the couple learned the good news that a surrogate was carrying their child, they decided not to tell anyone until the baby arrived so as not to go through more public heartbreak.
"We tried before, we told people, and then it didn't happen," Fallon shared. "And it's just really depressing. It's really hard on everybody."
Now he hopes their happy ending can be inspirational for others hoping to start a family.
"I know people have tried much longer [than we did to have a baby], but if there's anyone out there who is trying and they're just losing hope … just hang in there," Fallon said. "Try every avenue. Try anything you can do, 'cause you'll get there. You'll end up with a family, and it's so worth it. It is the most 'worth it' thing."
Winnie Fallon sounds like one lucky girl.
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