September 18, 2025

[Cindy Blanco, Ph.D.](https://blog.duolingo.com/author/cindy/)

# The sweetest, silliest, and most surprising pet names in English

Show them how much you care by choosing an English pet name for your *sweetheart*!

If you're looking for a new way to show the people in your life that you love them _and_ that you love learning English, try using an English pet name! Whether it's an old classic or something with a modern twist, maybe English is the love language you've been looking for.

## The most common pet names in English

Here are some of the most common pet names in English. You'll see that many of the most classic pet names in English are based on words for sweet things!

| English pet names |
| --- |
| honey |
| sweetheart |
| sweetie |
| dear |
| darling |
| my love |
| baby |
| babe |

These names can be used with people of any gender—for example, _honey_ works equally well for a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or a partner of any gender.

Pet names are not just for romantic partners though! Parents, grandparents and other caretakers also often use words like _honey_, _sweetheart_ and _dear_ with children. And don’t be surprised if a friendly older person uses one of these terms of endearment with you in the grocery store when asking for help!

## Creative pet names in English

Besides the classic English pet names, there are also many more creative (and surprising!) pet names you can use with your special _sweetheart._ These can also be used for any gender!

| Creative English pet names |
| --- |
| cutie |
| sugar |
| sweetie pie |
| pumpkin |
| snuggle bug |
| love bug |
| cuddle bug |
| cuddle bunny |
| sweet pea |
| honey bunny |
| angel |
| buttercup |

Warning: Many of these creative pet names are unbearably cutesy… and you might get some eye rolls if you use them!

💡

Ever hear the famous song [_Build Me Up Buttercup_](https://www.iheart.com/artist/the-foundations-3138/songs/build-me-up-buttercup-41877026/?autoplay=true&ref=blog.duolingo.com) by the Foundations? As the title indicates, the lyrics in this hit song feature the pet name _buttercup_! Try singing along for some extra practice with your pet names!

## The newest pet names in English

If you're uncomfortable calling the person you love most in the world a snuggly insect, you might prefer some of these more modern pet names:

**_Bae_**(or **_bay_**) and _**bb**_ are new-ish shortened forms of the pet name _baby_, and they are the quickest ways to text your _sweetie pie._

There are lots of stories about how _bae_ got started—it likely started as a short form of the very popular pet name _baby_, but you'll also see people say it stands for _before anyone else_.

_Bae_ got its start in African American English, as did **_boo_**, and they're now used by English speakers from many countries and ethnicities.

Other words new to the pet name scene are _**bubba, bubs, shawty**_(from the word _shorty,_ itself a diminutive of the word _short_) _, **sugarplum**, **mother**_ (yes, surprisingly!), and **_papi_**, borrowed from Spanish through Latin American influence in the U.S.

There are some newer gendered pet names, too, including _**wifey**_(a diminutive of _wife_) and _**hubby**_(a diminutive of _husband_).

And there's lots more where those have come from—for example, have you learned **_pookie_**(a meaningless, but very cute, diminutive) [from TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@goatedkaito/video/7304931082535849221?ref=blog.duolingo.com)?

## Show your love through language!

Want to keep the spark alive with your _cuddle bug_, _pookie_, or good old-fashioned _darling_? Try out a new English pet name today!