Hoda Kotb is revealing the special meaning behind her youngest daughter's name.
During a TODAY segment that aired March 5, Hoda said she chose the name Hope for her daughter, 4, as she was in the midst of planning for a second child.
"I dreamt about her and I prayed for her and I hoped for her. I could feel her like she was almost palpable before she was there," Hoda said.
“The name Hope was a layup. Prayers, wishes and hopes are things that are meant to be. I was like, that's her name and she's lived up to that name," she continued.
Hoda adopted Hope in 2019, making her other daughter Haley, whom she adopted in 2017, an older sister.
Hoda noted that Hope was the inspiration behind her new book, “Hope Is a Rainbow," out March 5, which teaches kids about the importance of optimism.
"Hope delights in rainbows and whenever I say, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' 'A rainbow!' It's the beautiful colors, it appears before you, it's magical, and that is the image that personifies her," Hoda explained, which led her to her new book, "Hope Is a Rainbow."
In August, Hoda talked about her children's book with TODAY.com and said she loves how "inspiring" her daughter can be.
“She’s a little child, but with a real kind of old spirit, an old soul. There’s something about her in how she sees magic in everything," Hoda said.
In February 2023, Hoda took a brief hiatus from TODAY when Hope was hospitalized due to an illness. Upon returning to the show the next month, the mom of two told viewers that her daughter was getting better.
"I’m just so happy," she said on TODAY at the time.
From the frightening experience, Hoda said she learned a lot from her daughter.
“She’s taught me that resilience comes in all kinds of packages and that kids are incredibly strong," she told TODAY.com in August. "She’s also taught me to find wonder in the smallest things.”