Cemeteries might not be the first place you’d think to look for baby name inspiration, but for some parents-to-be, they’re proving to be just that.
In a TikTok video that quickly went viral, Haley Hodge, currently expecting her fourth child, ventures into a graveyard dating back to 1792 in search of the perfect name for her upcoming daughter.
Hodge, 30, along with her husband Rivers, already has three children: Finley, aged 10, Crew, aged 3, and Banks, aged 16 months.
“Though it might strike some as eerie, my mother had a passion for history. Growing up, she’d often take us on outings to cemeteries,” explains Hodge, who works as a physical therapist. “These places hold a wealth of cultural insights from the past.”
She reveals that her own sister, Cooper, derived her name from a tombstone.
Hodge’s visit to the Smithville Burying Ground in Southport, North Carolina, proved fruitful. She’s now contemplating names like Galloway and Salem for her unborn daughter. In her video, she also showcases other options including Vienna, Ella, Bunny, James, Julian, Winnie, and Olympus.
“I’m what you might call a ‘gravestone baby’ (my mom adores exploring epitaphs), and I always enjoy the shocked reactions when people compliment my name and I tell them it’s from a gravestone,” one TikTok user commented.
Another added, “This is fantastic! It’s no different from consulting a book of names or finding inspiration from a movie or show. Plus, it’s a great way to revive older generation names!”
While some on TikTok highlighted superstitions regarding visiting graveyards during pregnancy, others pointed out that Salem and Galloway are names of places: Salem, Massachusetts, and Galloway, Scotland.
Laura Wattenberg, the mind behind Namerology, suggests that cemeteries offer a treasure trove of historical names, making them a clever source of inspiration.
“You’ll encounter plenty of traditional names like John, Mary, William, and Ann,” says Wattenberg. “But you’ll also stumble upon fascinating names that have fallen out of favor.”
