How Granger, Pregnant Amber Smith's 4th Baby's Name Will Honor Late Son

Granger Smith and Amber Smith’s son River died in June 2019 at age 3 — read for more details on their upcoming arrival

A touching tribute. Granger Smith and pregnant Amber Smith’s upcoming arrival will be named in honor of their late son, River.

The couple explained their decision to name their baby boy Maverick Beckham in a Tuesday, May 11, YouTube video. “I really wanted Riv to be in the name, whatever name we picked, I wanted Riv to be a part of that name. We went back and forth. Should we do middle name Kelly? Or should we do middle name River?” Amber, 39, said, noting that she wanted the little one “to have his own identity.”

How Granger Smith and Pregnant Amber Smith’s 4th Baby’s Name Will Honor Their Late Son River — Amber and Granger Smith attend the 52nd annual CMA Awards in Nashville on November 14, 2018. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

The actress added at the time: “I didn’t want him to be so tied to River. But I did want him to have a little piece of his brother in his name. And Beckham, his middle name, essentially means ‘home by the river.’ So Maverick Beckham Smith is the newest Smith, coming with a vengeance, kicking like crazy!”

She and the country singer, 41, lost River in June 2019 after a drowning accident. The pair, who are also the parents of London, 9, and Lincoln, 7, announced nearly two years later that they have a baby boy on the way.

“We’re pregnant,” the “City Boy Stuck” singer wrote via Instagram in March. “I don’t have many words for this video. Life isn’t perfect. Sometimes it’s beat up and broken but it’s NEVER hopeless. God promises that. Our story isn’t finished yet, and neither is yours! Through our suffering and joy, God’s glory radiates through it all! A new Smith boy is due in August.”

In his wife’s pregnancy announcement on her own account, Amber penned a sweet shoutout to her late toddler. “Sweet Riv, because of the beautiful life you lived, we are forever changed, and we will continue honoring your big, little legacy until we come home to you,” she wrote. “To God we give all the glory, and we can’t wait to meet our new little boy August 2021.”

The mom-to-be shared ultrasound shots at the time, giving a glimpse of her baby bump the following month. “Graduated to maternity shorts,” she wrote via Instagram in April.

While celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 9, the pregnant star gushed about feeling “grateful and humbled” for her role. “So many kisses, so many sticky messes, so many nights of no sleep, over 15,000 diapers, so many cuddles, probably 8,000 times backs were tickled at night (and counting), hundreds of kitchen dance parties, so much exploring, so many stories, so many tantrums and tears, so much joy and so much heartbreak,” Amber wrote. “I would do it all again and again for these precious babies.”