Bindi Irwin welcomes baby girl and honors her late dad with name

Bindi Irwin and her husband, Chandler Powell, have welcomed their first child together, the wildlife expert announced on Instagram Friday. Irwin revealed her daughter’s name, saying the middle name honors her later father, Steve Irwin.

“March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter,” the 22-year-old wrote on Instagram, sharing a shot with her husband and newborn. 

“Grace Warrior Irwin Powell,” she continued. “Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light.” Irwin explained Grace was her great-grandmother’s name, as well as the name of her husband’s relatives, dating back to the 1700s. “Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior,” Irwin posted.

Steve Irwin, an Australian television personality and conservationist known as the “Crocodile Hunter,” was killed in 2006 by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.

His wife, Terri, and kids, Bindi and Robert, carried on his legacy by running the Australia Zoo. 

Bindi Irwin and her family also help run the Zoo’s nonprofit, Wildlife Warriors, which the late Irwin started in 2002. When she announced she was pregnant last August, Irwin called her baby a “Wildlife Warrior.” 

She also recently announced a new line of “Baby Wildlife Warrior” apparel ahead of her due date, the proceeds of which will help support the conservation efforts of Wildlife Warriors Worldwide.

In a post on his own Instagram account, Irwin’s husband wrote a message to his newborn daughter. “You have a big life ahead of you and no matter what, you will be surrounded by a whole lot of love,” he wrote. “Thank you for gracing your beautiful mother and me on our wedding anniversary, so excited to have you home.”