There are a million and one ways to find a baby name . Some parents might glean their own family line, scour through beloved books or pop culture references, or even hire a professional to conjure up some creative ideas.
But as we dive into the spooky season, you could opt for the more macabre route. That is what Haley Hodge did for her fourth child.
In a video that quickly went viral on TikTok back in May, Hodge filmed herself in a flowy pink dress traipsing around the Smithville Burying Ground in Southport, North Carolina, on a quest to find her soon-to-be-daughter’s name.
As she does, her onscreen text offers this fun fact “did you know families usd to come to cemeteries to have a picnic with their loved ones?” (sounds like a very Victorian pastime).
Hodge’s other kids lend a helping hand in the name hunt, her son getting particularly excited to find a gravestone with the name Salem. Bunny, Winnie, Vienna, and Olympus were some other good ones.
In an interview with TODAY, Hodge shared that she came by this idea rather honestly, as her mom was a history buff who loved to go epitaphing—i.e., visit cemeteries—and would often bring her and her sister along. In fact, her sister’s name came from someone’s grave.