This is a list of multiple births, consisting of notable higher order (4+) multiple births and pregnancies. Twins and triplets are sufficiently common to have their own separate articles. With the use of reproductive technology such as fertility drugs and in vitro fertilization (IVF) such births have become increasingly common. This list contains only multiple births which have some claim to notability, such as being the first recorded in a country, the first to survive to adulthood in a country, the heaviest, lightest or longest lived (globally), or having had substantial media coverage.
Cases by number
Twins (2)
Triplets (3)
Quadruplets (4)
The Smith quadruplets, born 1750 in Kinsale, Ireland, to a fisherman's wife. The Fisk quadruplets (born 26 August 1783), in Killingly, Connecticut, United States. Two boys (Ephraim and Joseph) and two girls (Keziah and Mary) all survived to adulthood. Dominica, 1790: According to The Times, a Dr. Giuseppe of Dominica reported that an unnamed Afro-Dominican woman (enslaved servant) living on the estate of Thomas Jemmitt gave birth to four girls, three of them almost eighteen hours after the first was born. All survived birth. The Rigby quadruplets (born 15 August 1817 in Norwich, Norfolk). The babies were named Primus John, Secundus Charles Henry, Tertius Robert Palgrave and Quarta Caroline Susan. All died in infancy, Secundus on 2 September 1817,< Tertius on 12 October 1817, Primus on 3 November 1817, and Quarta on 5 November 1817. On 24 December 1817, the Court of Aldermen presented their parents, Dr Edward Rigby and Mrs Anne Rigby (nee Palgrave), with a silver bread basket with the children's names engraved on it. The Gehri quadruplets (born 26 September 1880, in Switzerland) were the first recorded to have survived to adulthood. There were two boys (Oskar and Arthur) and two girls (Bertha and Rosa). The Page quadruplets (born 8 January 1890, in Redwater, Texas, US) were the first recorded quadruplets born in the United States. The Keys quadruplets (born 4 June 1915, in Hollis, Oklahoma, US) were the first same-sex quadruplets known to survive to adulthood. They attended Baylor University on scholarships and graduated in 1937. Roberta Keys Torn, the last surviving sister, died at 96 years in August 2011. The Mahaney quadruplets (born 25 December 1923, in Saint John, New Brunswick) were the first quadruplets born in Canada known to survive to adulthood.An article in the Saint John Telegraph Journal dated 28 December 1923 quoting a response from Dr. H. S. Beland, Canadian Minister of Health. The Morlok quadruplets (born 1930 in Lansing, Michigan). The girls were the first known surviving set of identical quads and were later anonymised as the Genain quadruplets in psychiatric studies of genetic links to schizophrenia. The Johnson quadruplets (born in 1935 in Dunedin, New Zealand) were the first surviving set of quadruplets in Australasia. The Miles quadruplets (born on 28 November 1935 in St Neots, United Kingdom) are the oldest living quadruplets in the world; they became known as the St Neots Quads. All were still alive past their 85th birthday. The Badgett quadruplets (born 1 February 1939, in Galveston, Texas, US) were the second surviving set of quadruplets in the United States. The four girls, Geraldine, Joan, Jeanette, and Joyce, were minor celebrities in the 1940s and 1950s. The Fultz quadruplets (born 23 May 1946, in Rockingham County, North Carolina) were the first identical African-American quadruplets on record. The Sara quadruplets (born 17 August 1950, in Bellingen, New South Wales) were the first surviving quadruplets in Australia. There were two boys, Mark and Philip, and two girls, Alison and Judith. The Alexander quadruplets (born 2 September 1967, in Auckland, New Zealand) were the first set of identical quadruplets born in New Zealand.Harrison, Anna (4 October 2007). "". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 October 2007. The Steeves quadruplets (Carrie Dawn, Jennie Lee, Mary Beth, and Patty Ann, born 17 December 1982, in Calgary, Alberta) were the first identical set of quadruplets to be born in Canada. The Durst quadruplets (Calli, Kendra, Megan, and Sarah) are identical quadruplets born 10 February 1993, in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, US. They appeared on the reality television series Four of a Kind. The Brino quadruplets (born 21 September 1998, in Woodland Hills, California, US) played the twins Sam and David Camden on the television series 7th Heaven. When they all started to look different, the only girl, Myrinda, stopped appearing on the show. Only Nikolas and Lorenzo starred on the show until the series ended in 2007. The Aberdeen/Edwards quadruplets (born 7 November 2006, in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago) are four girls, born to Lystra Aberdeen (aged 27 and mother to a 10-year-old girl, an 8-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old boy) and her common-law husband Anderson Edwards (aged 33). This was the first confirmed case in Trinidad. Aditi, Aakriti, Akshiti and Aapti are quadruplets born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. They appeared in the Tamil film Enna Satham Indha Neram (2014).
Quintuplets (5) The Lyon quintuplets (born 29 April 1896) were the first American quintuplets who were all born alive. The last one survived until May 1896, all having starved to death.
The Dionne quintuplets (born 28 May 1934, near Corbeil, Ontario, Canada) were the first quintuplets known to survive infancy. The five girls (Yvonne, Annette, Cecile, Emilie and Marie) were also the only set of identical quintuplets known to live into adulthood. The Diligenti quintuplets were born to Franco (or Jaime) and Ana Diligenti on 15 July 1943, in Argentina and were the second quintuplets to survive infancy and the first ever in South America. They included three girls, Maria Esther, Maria Fernanda, and Maria Cristina, and two boys, Carlos and Franco.Father's name was referred to as Franco Diligenti in this article: Diligenti Quintuples in Argentina in Life on 10 April 1944. On the father's passing in 1974 he was referred to as Jaime Diligenti: Jaime Diligenti, 75, Father Of Argentine Quintuplets in New York Times on 3 September 1974. The Prieto quintuplets, all boys, were born 7 September 1963, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to Ines and Efren Prieto. The Fischer quintuplets (born 14 September 1963, in Aberdeen, South Dakota, US) were the first known surviving set of American quintuplets. They consisted of one boy and four girls. 3 of the 4 girls are identical: Magdalene, Margaret, and Catherine. The Lawson quintuplets (born 27 July 1965, in Auckland, New Zealand) were the first set of surviving quintuplets conceived through the use of fertility medication and are the only known New Zealand quintuplets: They were one boy (Samuel) and four girls (Deborah, Lisa, Shirlene and Selina). Shirlene (later Colcord), was the first of the quintuplets to marry. She was also the first to die, on 18 June 2019, aged 53. The Braham quintuplets (born 31 December 1967) were the first quintuplets to be born in Australia. They were conceived naturally and born to Pat and Roger Braham of Tenterfield, New South Wales. In birth order, they were Annabel Dorothy, Richard Gibson, Faith Elizabeth, Caroline, and Geoffrey Raymond. Geoffrey died at 4 days old; the others are still living. The Hanson quintuplets (born 13 November 1969, in London) were the first set to survive in the United Kingdom, as well as the second surviving set of all-girl quintuplets after the Dionne quintuplets."1969: They were born at London hospital." (n.d.). On This Day. Retrieved 13 November 2007. The Kienast quintuplets (born 24 February 1970, in Liberty Corners, New Jersey) were the first surviving set of American quintuplets conceived through fertility medication.Dowd, Maureen. (5 March 1984). "Quintuplets' Father Lost Struggle in the Limelight." The New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2007. The Rychert quintuplets (born 15 May 1971, in Gdańsk) were the first surviving set born in Poland. The Brunner quintuplets (born 9 June 1978, in Nancy) were the first surviving set born in France. Marc, Luc, Gilles, Maud, and Anne were nicknamed "Paris Match quintuplets" and clothed by designer Pierre Cardin, in 17 articles written from 1978 to 1984. For each article, they were clothed by the couturier Pierre Cardin. The Granata quintuplets (born 1 June 1981, in Toledo, Ohio, US) were three boys and two girls conceived through the use of fertility medication and born at 28 weeks to Janice and George Granata. They were named (in birth order) Britton, Nathan, Amanda, Heather, and Eric. Britton died of lung failure on June 3, 1981. In 1983, the surviving four appeared with Oprah Winfrey on her show, People are Talking, along with their mother and their older sister Jenny."Granata Quints with Oprah on YouTube" At age 15, the four appeared on The Jenny Jones Show. The Gaither quintuplets (born 3 August 1983, in Indianapolis, Indiana, US) were the first surviving African-American quintuplets and were one of only three naturally-conceived American sets in 1983. The Al-Ghamdi quintuplets (born 2 February 1988, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) were the first set to be born in Saudi Arabia. The 5 boys were born to Salha and Saeed Al-Ghamdi. The Chapman-Burgess quintuplets (born 13 May 1992 in Brisbane, Australia) are the only known set of Indigenous Australian quintuplets. Born to Adele and Ian Chapman-Burgess, they grew up in the regional town of Glen Innes, New South Wales. They consist of 2 boys and 3 girls (Jack, Louis, Erika, India and Georgia). The Nur Adlan quintuplets were born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 20 May 1996. The three girls and two boys were the first set of Malaysian quintuplets to survive infancy. The Chin quintuplets were born in Singapore on 1 April 1997. The two boys and three girls (Adriel, Alicia, Amanda, Annabelle and Andre) were the first quintuplets to be born in Singapore. The Cassidy quintuplets were born in Dublin, Ireland, on 16 August 2001, to Veronica and Kevin Cassidy of Wexford. The three boys (Conor James, Cian Richard, and Rory Kevin) and two girls (Amy Dorothy and Dearbhail Mary) were the first quintuplets to be born in Ireland. The Gonzalez-Moreno quintuplets were born in Phoenix, Arizona, on 26 April 2005, to Luisa Gonzalez and Enrique Moreno via surrogate mother, Teresa Anderson. The five boys are the first set of quintuplets born via surrogate. The boys, in order of birth, are Enrique, Jorge, Gabriel, Javier, and Victor and weighed between 3 lb 7oz and 3 lb 15oz. The Artamkin quintuplets were born in Oxford, England, on 10 November 2007, to Dimitri and Varvara Artamkin via Cesarean section. They were the first set of quintuplets born to Russian parents. The Kroščen quintuplets were born in Prague, Czech Republic, on 2 June 2013, to Alexandra Kiňová and Antonín Kroščen of Milovice. The four boys (Michael, Deniel, Martin, and Alex) and one girl (Tereza) were the first recorded quintuplets to be born in the Czech Republic. They have one older brother, Antonio. The Busby quintuplets were born on 8 April 2015, in Houston, Texas, to Adam and Danielle Busby. The five girls (Ava Lane, Olivia Marie, Hazel Grace, Riley Paige, and Parker Kate) are the first set of all female quintuplets born in the United States. Ava and Olivia are identical twins, and the quintuplets have an older sister, Blayke. The Busby quintuplets and their family are featured on the TLC reality series OutDaughtered, which premiered on 10 May 2016.
Sextuplets (6)
The Bushnell sextuplets (born 8 September 1866 in Chicago, Illinois, US) were born to Winnie and James Bushnell. They are the first documented sextuplets born in the USA. Two died within a year, but the other four survived into adulthood.