Pregnant Mother To Name Child After Late Stranger Buried In Cemetery

North Carolina native Haley Hodge has big plans for her unborn daughter's future, starting with the origin of her name.

According to People, the expecting mother-of-three chose her soon-to-be fourth child's name during a visit to the Old Smithville Burying Ground in Southport. She and husband Rivers were searching for name ideas among the headstones and one really stood out to them.

The pair perused the cemetery and stopped at the gravesite of a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who fought in World War II named Salem. After a family vote (between Salem and Sailor), the pair decided they would name their next child Salem, under one condition: they needed to relate the name back to "water."

"Everyone in my direct family has some type of water-related name. We have a Rivers, Rains, Brooks and Banks already. It's a bit of a stretch but I was able to find a little tie between Salem and water," Hodge relayed in reference to the Salem River. In a video shared to TikTok, Hodge explained that the name means "peaceful, safe" and "complete."

The expecting mother is also extremely pleased to give new life to the original Salem's name, sharing a bit of his story with People.

"Our lives missed overlapping by about 8 months. He was married and did not have any children of his own. But hopefully he will be okay with being an honorary grandpa to our baby girl. Thank you, Salem, for inspiring us to bring new life to your name."

Hodge posted her unconventional baby naming strategy to TikTok, garnering nearly 3 million views and thousands of mixed emotions, some regarding the process as unique, and others who were not a fan.

The couple have yet to decide on the child's middle name, but are thinking something more "water-related" like "Harbor."