The first job I ever had was looking after a cemetery near my hometown with a friend of mine. I loved that job because it was a very peaceful place with lots of history, plus one always wants to keep the cemetery in immaculate shape for visiting relatives of the deceased. It’s a comforting feeling for families to know that their loved ones are resting in a place that’s cared for and well maintained.

A new mother in North Carolina has raised eyebrows with the way she’s finding a name for her third child. Haley Hodge took to social media to record herself strolling through cemeteries with her husband and two other children on a quest to find a name for her yet-to-be-born daughter. She’s been looking at headstones in various graveyards to find a name that is not only unique, but a way to honour a child or an adult who has passed on. She says she wants to give her child an interesting story about the origin of her name.

Photo by Mike Bird

What’s reaction like? Overall not too bad. Many viewers on TikTok have praised her for her creativity while others weren’t overly thrilled with the idea. Some people are very superstitious and many viewers warned her that a pregnant woman shouldn’t be walking around in a cemetery. Some cultures feel that expecting women should avoid contact with the dead because it may affect the baby in a negative way. Certain customs dictate that women should be focusing on new life rather than the end of life. Regardless of these beliefs, comments on her TikTok video have been generally supportive.

One mother claimed Hodge’s video gave her a name for her newborn and another viewer stated this was a great way to keep the deceased alive by saying their names. No word yet on whether or not Hodge has settled on a name yet.