Food nicknames for babies

800+ Cute Nicknames Or Pet Names For Baby Boys And Girls

Image: Shutterstock

We give nicknames for babies to call them cute and sweet names. They reflect our love and affection for them. You may pick any name that sounds best to you. If you wish to give a lovely name, then keep reading our post as we bring you a collection of beautiful baby nicknames for your little one.

Funny Baby Nicknames

Bab
Babushka
Baby face
Babykins
Bitsy
Bitsy-Boo
Boop
Bubba-diddle
Bubby-doo
Bud, as in Baby Undetermined
Bug
Bump
Chickie
China Doll
Cowboy
Cubster
Cupie-doll
Cutiekins
Cutie-patootie
Cutie-pie
Dearie
Diddle-doo
Diddles
Doodlekins
Doodles
Doozer
Dot
Dynamo
Giggles
Half-pint
Hobbit
Huggy-buggy
Itsy-bitsy
Jazzy
Jocko
Juggernaut
Kiddo
Kiki
Laddie
Lagniappe
Lass
Lassie
Lil’ Bit
Lil’ Boss
Lil’ Guy
Lil’ Man
Mr Man
Muddles
Munchkin
Munchy
Nanners
Ninja
Popper
Poppet
Puddin’
Punkin’
Punkin-wunkin
Punky
Racer
Rollie-pollie
Roo
Rookie
Scooby
Scooby-Doo
Scout
Scrappy
Scrappy-doo
Shortcake
Shortie
Short-stuff
Silly-willy
Slugger
Smiley
Smoochie
Sprinkle
Squirt
Squishy
Star-bright
Sweetcakes
Sweetiekins
Sweets
Sweet-tater
Sweet-treat
Sweetums
Tabby
Tater
Taterkins
Teddykins
Tilly
Tink
Tinker-doodle
Tiny
Toodles
Tootsie
Tootsie-pop
Tootsie-wootsie
Turbo
Turbo-man
Twinkie
Twinkles
Tyke
Waddles
Whiz-kid
Widdle-waddle
Wiggle-bum

Related: 231 Baby Names Meaning Unique

Animal Inspired Nickname

106. Bambino
107. Bearie
108. Birdie
109. Boo-boo-bear
110. Bubba Bear
111. Buck
112. Bugabear
113. Bugaloo
114. Catfish
115. Chipmunk
116. Chunky Monkey
117. Crickey
118. Cubbie-Bear
119. Cuddle Bunny
120. Doodle-bear
121. Doodle-bug
122. Duckling
123. Ducky
124. Fisk
125. Funny Bunny
126. Fuzzy Bear
127. Fuzzy Bunny
128. Giggle-bear
129. Giggle-bunny
130. Goosie-goose
131. Huggy-bunny
132. Kitty
133. Little Monkey

Image: Shutterstock

134. Love-bug
135. Lovie-dovie
136. Monkey-doodle
137. Monkey-doodle
138. Moogie-bear
139. Mouse
140. Panda
141. Poodles
142. Pooh
143. Pup
144. Scooby-doo
145. Silly-bear
146. Silly-goose
147. Snow Bunny
148. Snugabug
149. Snugabunny
150. Snuggle-bunny
151. Squirrel
152. Stinker-bear
153. Tadpole
154. Teddy
155. Teddybear
156. Thumbkin
157. Tiger
158. Tigger
159. Toodle-bear
160. Tootsie-bear
161. Turtle
162. Tweety
163. Wiggle-worm
164. Wookie-bear

Related: 50 Amazing Animal Inspired Baby Names For Girls And Boys

Common Indian Baby Nicknames

The common nicknames in Indian households are mostly based on how healthy the baby is, or it’s a mash-up of the parents’ names’ syllables. Here is a list.

165. Ashu
166. Babai
167. Babbu
168. Babli
169. Bablu
170. Babu
171. Billu
172. Bittoo
173. Bubbly
174. Chiki
175. Chikoo
176. Chiku
177. Chinnu
178. Chintu
179. Choti
180. Chotu
181. Chutki
182. Chuttu
183. Diya
184. Gabdu
185. Gilli
186. Golu
187. Goplu
188. Gopu
189. Gubli
190. Gudda
191. Guddi
192. Guddu
193. Gudiya
194. Heena
195. Hiran
196. Kaddu
197. Kesu
198. Kimi
199. Lichi
200. Meera
201. Mimi
202. Mini
203. Molu
204. Monu
205. Munna
206. Nanha
207. Nanhi
208. Nanmun
209. Nikki
210. Nila
211. Nonni
212. Nonu
213. Paglu
214. Pappu
215. Papunu
216. Pihu
217. Piku
218. Pillu
219. Pinky
220. Piya
221. Piyali
222. Pulu
223. Raja
224. Rani
225. Romy
226. Rosy
227. Shibbu
228. Shomu
229. Shona
230. Silky
231. Softy
232. Sona
233. Sonu
234. Sweetu
235. Titu
236. Toasty
237. Trishu
238. Tukku
239. Tukur
240. Vava
241. Vishu

A Combination Of Parentsâ€™ Names

A combination of parents’ names can be used for the nickname, like:

242. Aaron and Eryn- Aerin
243. Abbey And Lina- Abelia
244. Ace and Kira- Akira
245. Adele and Addison- Addie
246. Ali and Liza- Aliza
247. Amelia and Michael- Millie
248. Brianna and Brian- Brea
249. Christian and Katherine- Kristy
250. Christiano and Belle-Chrisbell
251. Derek and Marie- Derry
252. Dorothy and Boris- Doris
253. Emmanuelle and Elizabeth- Ella
254. Evan and Angel- Angela
255. Harold and Henrietta- Harry
256. Jacob and Marian- Jarian
257. James and Amy- Jamie
258. Jane and Allen- Jalen
259. Jay and Leah- Jalea
260. Jeremy and Eric- Jerica
261. Jeston and Lisa- Jelisa
262. Jonathan and Genelia– Jenny
263. Keifer and Antonisha– Keisha
264. Kian and Anna- Kiana
265. Nevan and Madison- Neon
266. Philips and Margaret- Peggy
267. Sherri and Dan- Sheridan
268. Violet and Nichola– Viola

Food Or Character Based Nicknames

Naming your kid after a food is very cute. Most are based on the food you were probably eating when you received the test results. It’s a lovely reminder of how the little one got its life.

269. Almond
270. Apple
271. Baby Bean
272. Beanie
273. Berrie
274. Blueberry
275. Buttercup
276. Butternuts
277. Caramel
278. Cherry
279. Chickpea
280. Cinnamon
281. Clove
282. Coco
283. Coffee
284. Cookie
285. Cornbread
286. Cupcake
287. Donut
288. Dumpling
289. Ginger
290. Gummybear
291. Hash
292. Hazel
293. Honey
294. Honeybunch
295. Jelly
296. Jellybean
297. Kale
298. Lillipop (like lollypop)
299. Maple
300. Marshmallow
301. Muffin
302. Nugget
303. Nutter-butter
304. Oats
305. Olive
306. Oreo
307. Peaches
308. Peachy-pie
309. Peanut
310. Pepper
311. Peppermint
312. Pinkie-pie
313. Potato
314. Puddin’
315. Puddin-pie
316. Puff (with a combination like Sugar Puff or Coco Puff and the like)
317. Pumpkin
318. Radish
319. Rosemary
320. Salsa
321. Shortcake
322. Silly-pickle
323. Snickerdoodle
324. Sprout
325. Sugar
326. Sugarplum
327. Sweetpea
328. Taco
329. Thyme

Nicknames Based On Book Or Movie Characters

For book and movie buffs, there is no limit on baby nicknames. You can select one from your favorite book or movie.

330. Alice
331. Charlotte
332. Cullen
333. Daisy

Image: Shutterstock

334. Dylan
335. Emma
336. Esme
337. Harry (Potter)
338. Jane
339. Julianna
340. June
341. Kent
342. Mark
343. Maya
344. Poe
345. Renee
346. Vida
347. Will
348. Zane

Nicknames After Colors

If you would rather nick name your baby or pet with colors, you can do that too, as the options are wide.

349. Aqua
350. Auburn
351. Beige
352. Burgandy
353. Cerise
354. Citron
355. Crimson
356. Ivory
357. Jade
358. Lily
359. Mahogany
360. Mauve
361. Orange
362. Poppy
363. Scarlett
364. Tawny
365. Topaz
366. Umber
367. Violet

Related: 50 Creative And Lifelike Color Baby Names For Boys And Girls

Weather Based Nicknames

Weather also makes a good choice for your precious one’s nickname.

368. Aurora
369. Autumn
370. Cloud
371. Snow
372. Sunny

Nicknames Inspired By Drinks

Now, there is another set of very unusual and cute nicknames for girls and boys. So, if you are a little witty and want to have fun with your kid, you can give it names of this sort.

373. Beer (Small Beer)
374. Brandy
375. Chardonnay
376. Cristal
377. Gin
378. Margarita
379. Martini
380. Mojito
381. Perry
382. Plum (Wine)
383. Rum
384. Scotch
385. Sherry
386. Tequila
387. Tiki
388. Vodka
389. Whiskey

Super Hero Or Idol Based Nicknames

Another trend that is always loved is nicknaming the kid after a legend or hero of a dynasty. These names are usually selected by parents, for they wish their kids to be as amazing as the person they are being named after.

390. Ajax
391. Akira
392. Alladin
393. Alpha
394. Android
395. Apollo
396. Astro
397. Atom
398. Banshee
399. Barney
400. Bass
401. Blitz
402. Blondie
403. Boxer
404. Bruno
405. Bubbles
406. Butters
407. Buttons
408. Cedric
409. Chasey
410. Choo-choo
411. Copper
412. Duke
413. Felix
414. Fetchie
415. Fifi
416. Fink
417. Firebug
418. Frisky
419. Good-doggie
420. Goofy
421. Halle
422. Handsome
423. Heartbreaker
424. Hector
425. Hope
426. Jerry
427. Jonty
428. King Kong
429. Kypto
430. Larry
431. Leo
432. Lulu
433. Marley
434. Max
435. Mighty
436. Noya
437. Pandora
438. Pebbles
439. Pepe
440. Pluto
441. Sass
442. Satin
443. Shelly
444. Silver
445. Simba
446. Sinatra
447. Sniffles
448. Snuggles
449. Sparky
450. Spartan
451. Spike
452. Stardust
453. Taro
454. Titan
455. Tornado
456. Trozan
457. Yoki
458. Zeus

Celebrity Nicknames

459. Alools (Alia Bhatt)

Image: iStock

460. Arshad (Kangna Ranaut)
461. Bebo (Kareena Kapoor)
462. Bonnie(Bipasha Basu)
463. Chi Chi (Govinda)
464. Chinky (Celina Jaitley)
465. Chirkoot (Shraddha Kapoor)
466. Duggu (Hritik Roshan)
467. Faffy (Aftab Shivdisani)
468. Giraffe (Sonam Kapoor)
469. Gullu (Aishwarya Rai)
470. J (Ajay Devgan)
471. Jay Z (Shawn Corey Carter)
472. K-Fed (Kevin Federline)
473. Koko (Konkona Sen Sharma)
474. Lolo (Karisma Kapoor)
475. Mads (Madhuri Dixit)
476. Manya (Shilpa Shetty)
477. Miley (Destiny Hope ‘Miley’ Cyrus)
478. Mimi (Priyanka Chopra)
479. Nushie (Anushka Sharma)
480. Puffy (Sean Combs)
481. Raymond (Ranbir Kapoor)
482. R-Patz (Robert Pattinson)
483. Sasha (Shahid Kapoor)
484. Snookie (Nicole Polizza)
485. Snoopy (Calvin Broadus aka Snoop Dogg)
486. Sush (Sushmita Sen)
487. The Boss (Bruce Springsteen)
488. The Wall (Keanu Reeves)
489. Tisha (Parineeti Chopra)
490. Wacko Jacko (Michael Jackson)
491. Whoopi (Caryn Elaine)
492. Xtina (Christina Aguilera)

Related: 85+ Unique And Interesting Indian Celebrity Baby Names

Palindromic Nicknames

493. Aba
494. Ada
495. Ailia
496. Aja
497. Alla
498. Alula
499. Anina
500. Anna
501. Ara
502. Asa
503. Ava
504. Aya
505. Azza
506. Bob
507. Ece
508. Ege
509. Elle
510. Eme
511. Eve
512. Isi
513. Ivi
514. Izzi
515. Lil
516. Nan
517. Nayan
518. Nen
519. Neven
520. Nirin
521. Nolon
522. Noon
523. Otto
524. Pip
525. Viv

Trending Nicknames For Boys

Here are some trending nicknames for baby boys from all over the world:

526. Abe
527. Addey
528. Al
529. Alfie
530. Archie
531. Arny
532. Arty
533. Ash
534. Bart
535. Beck
536. Ben
537. Benno
538. Bento
539. Bert
540. Bertie
541. Billy
542. Binky
543. Binny
544. Brad
545. Buzz
546. Cal
547. Cale
548. Carlito
549. Chap
550. Charlie
551. Chaz
552. Chencho
553. Chepito
554. Chet
555. Chill
556. Chuck
557. Clem
558. Cliff
559. Curt
560. Dash
561. Dave
562. Denn
563. Dex
564. Dezi
565. Dillon
566. Don
567. Dunc
568. Dunky
569. Enzo
570. Evan
571. Fletch
572. Frank
573. Fred, Freddie
574. Freddie
575. Fredo
576. Gabby
577. Gabe
578. Gene
579. Georgie
580. Gianni
581. Gibby
582. Gimi
583. Gio
584. Grange
585. Gus
586. Hal
587. Hamada
588. Hank
589. Herm
590. Hubie
591. Hugh
592. Hughie
593. Ian
594. Jake
595. Jam
596. Jeb
597. Jim, Jimmy
598. Joe, Joey
599. Johnny
600. Juancito
601. Jude
602. Kal
603. Kennie
604. Kev
605. Kit
606. Kris
607. Lando
608. Laurie
609. Lem
610. Leo
611. Les
612. Lev
613. Lex
614. Liam
615. Linc
616. Lipo
617. Litos
618. Louey
619. Louie
620. Mac
621. Matt
622. Max
623. Mick, Mickey
624. Mico
625. Milty
626. Mitch
627. Moe
628. Murphy
629. Naf
630. Nat
631. Nate
632. Ned
633. Newt
634. Nico
635. Nino
636. Olo
637. Ozzie
638. Paddy
639. Pat
640. Pete
641. Phil
642. Pini
643. Prince
644. Quillan
645. Quinn
646. Quinney
647. Rafe
648. Raffer
649. Raul
650. Ray
651. Rex
652. Rich
653. Rick, Ricky
654. Rob
655. Rode
656. Rodenka
657. Rodka
658. Rodya
659. Rog
660. Rudy
661. Rusty
662. Sam
663. Satch
664. Shane
665. Siggy
666. Sippy
667. Stan
668. Sully
669. Ted, Teddy

Image: Shutterstock

670. Temp
671. Theo
672. Tod
673. Tom
674. Topher
675. Topias
676. Truty
677. Ubu
678. Udi
679. Udo
680. Udu
681. Ugur
682. Ujan
683. Uli
684. Ulio
685. Ulrich
686. Uppu
687. Uri
688. Vavrik
689. Vin
690. Vitalik
691. Walt
692. Whit
693. Will
694. Woody
695. Xan
696. Yoni
697. Yore
698. Yurick
699. Zabdy
700. Zabi
701. Zach
702. Zeb
703. Zeph
704. Ziggy
705. Zu

Related: 45065 Baby Boy Names With Meanings

Trending And Cute Nicknames For Girls

706. Bea
707. Becca
708. Bella
709. Billie
710. Bree
711. Cammie
712. Carrie
713. Cassie
714. Cathy
715. Cindy
716. Cleo
717. Connie
718. Dee
719. Delia
720. Dixie
721. Dolly
722. Dora
723. Dot
724. Drea
725. Dree
726. Dru
727. Edie
728. Eliza
729. Ellie
730. Evie
731. Florrie
732. Francie
733. Frankie
734. Franny
735. Fritzie
736. Gigi
737. Gina
738. Ginny
739. Gracie
740. Greta
741. Gwen
742. Jaz
743. Johnnie
744. Josie
745. Jules
746. Kat
747. Kate
748. Kathy
749. Kay
750. Kiki
751. Lettie
752. Libby
753. Lil
754. Lilly
755. Liv
756. Livia
757. Lottie
758. Lou
759. Lulu
760. Maggie
761. Maisie
762. Mamie
763. Mandy
764. Millie
765. Minnie
766. Mitzi
767. Mo
768. Molly
769. Nell
770. Nellie
771. Nessa
772. Penny
773. Pippa
774. Polly
775. Poppy
776. Princess
777. Pru
778. Ricki
779. Sadie
780. Sally
781. Sam
782. Sandy
783. Sukey
784. Sunbeam
785. Sunny
786. Sunshine
787. Sweetheart

Image: Shutterstock

788. Sweetie
789. Tay
790. Teba
791. Tess
792. Tessa
793. Tessie
794. Tillie
795. Tina
796. Tori
797. Trina
798. Trixie
799. Trudy
800. Vickie, Vicky
801. Vinnie
802. Abby

Unisex Baby Nicknames

803. Alex
804. Andy
805. Bobbi, Bobbie, Bobby
806. Chris
807. Drew
808. Eddie
809. Gerry
810. Jamie
811. Jan
812. Kelly
813. Randy
814. Ronnie, Ronny
815. Steff
816. Toby
817. Tony, Toni

Tips For Selecting A Nickname

Finalizing on a nickname could be as difficult as choosing the main name. Here we give you a few tips to make the task easy:

1. Shorten The Official Name:

A nickname should be short and straightforward. You can pick the initial letters or last letters. If the name is very long, you can even take random letters from it.

2. Combination Is The Trick:

If you are looking for a distinct name altogether, then opt for combinations. You can combine the first and the middle names or the first and the last names.

3. Try Out Synonyms:

So when you are looking for a nickname for your child, find out the various meanings of his real name. This way, you’ll get a beautiful pet name without diluting the meaning of the original one. For example, if you named your child Angela, then any synonym like Angie can be a good option.

4. Hang On To Your First Idea:

If you are a believer in the saying that ‘the first impression is the last impression’ choose a name based on something that first came to your mind when you first saw your baby.

5. Appealing Fictitious Names:

You can use your favorite character as a nickname. It might be a popular cartoon character or a leading character in a movie or book.

6. Pass On The Legacy:

You can also pass on your nickname to your baby or make slight modifications to that name. For instance, if your parents nicknamed you Abby, then you can choose a similar or rhyming name for your child.

Important Criteria For Finalizing A Nick Name

In everyday life, it is the nickname by which you will call your baby. Thus, it is important that you pay attention to nicknaming for your wee one.

You should keep the following things in mind before you choose a nickname for your little darling:

1.

Acceptance:

In trying to make your baby’s name unique and different, don’t make it unacceptable for him. The name should be such that even when your baby grows up, he would like being called with that name.

2. No Further Twists:

Do not alter the nickname further into a different name as it will lose its relevance.

3. Simple And Sweet:

It is imperative that the nickname is easy to pronounce and sounds soothing to the ears.

4. Non-Abusive:

A nickname should not embarrass your child in public. Also, it should not give others scope to tease him.

5. Unique Or Popular:

It is up to you to decide as to which side of the continuum you should bend. Making it too unique might make it awkward and sometimes a familiar name might be boring.

Nicknames are lovable names that you call your child to show love and affection towards them. But choosing the right nickname might be a tedious task as there are many options. Thus, we have prepared this list of various cute baby nicknames for your little one. These names have been categorized under several subgroups to help you easily choose one based on your requirements and liking. You could also choose one that is a combination of your and your partner’s name or ones inspired by celebrities.

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Author

Arshi Ahmed did her graduation from Shri Shikshayatan College, Kolkata, and post graduation in English from Lovely Professional University. She specializes in writing baby names articles as she loves to help new parents find a name for their child. Arshi understands how important it is for a parent to find the right name because the name gives the baby an...
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200+ Cute Baby Nicknames For Your Little Munchkin (…Or Bug? …Or Half-Pint?)

Parenting

by Deirdre Kaye

Updated: March 30, 2021

Originally Published: Dec. 7, 2020

Chayene Rafaela/Unsplash

Picking just the right nickname for your baby might feel daunting. You want it to be just right… right? You probably still remember the nickname your paternal grandmother gave you that you absolutely hated. And yet, you also probably still love it when your mom or grandma calls you by the same pet names they’ve used with you since you were a tiny newborn. How do you compete with that? The truth is that you can’t. Those cute baby nicknames are special because they came from special people. And, honestly, they probably used those names because they’d heard them before — used by the people in their lives who were special.

For the most part, nicknames just happen naturally. Did you know that it’s rumored that Prince Harry’s nickname was “wombat” when he was a child? We don’t know enough about wombats to understand it. However, if the rumor is true, we’re certain it made sense to the royal family to call Prince Harry that. It happened naturally and lovingly. That’s what nicknames are all about.

That doesn’t mean you can’t eke them along, though. If for one reason or another your childhood was devoid of tender pet names, you might be at a loss for where to go. That’s not an uncommon occurrence! You don’t need to feel bad for not having that tradition to pass on. Think of it instead as an opportunity. You’ve been given a fresh chance to start your own loving nickname tradition with your precious baby girl or baby boy. Some baby nicknames are so cute that parents even use them as first names. Sure, sometimes they’re just shortened, one-syllable versions of their kids’ names. However, they’re often something sweeter and entirely unrelated to your child’s legal name.

Not sure where to start? Don’t stress, Mama; we’ve got a list just for you. These nicknames for your baby are as cute as a button. They’re often related to animals (because they’re cuddly) or food (because they’re sweet). And then there are some that are straight-up precious gibberish. So, try some of these on for size. Maybe one will stick — or maybe, in the nicknaming process, you’ll find one of your own.

Walt Disney Pictures/Buena Vista Pictures

Cute Baby Nicknames: Animals

Bear
Bug
Bunny
Doodlebug
Duckie
Funny Bunny
Lady Bug
Little Monkey
Love Bug
Monkey
Scoobie
Wiggle Worm
Bee
Chick
Chickadee
Chinchilla
Cub
Dove
Firefly
Guppy
Honey Badger
Kitten
Kitty
Lark
Newt
Pollywog
Raven
Swan
Wildcat
Wildebeest
Cubbie Bear
Doodle Bear
Duckling
Ducky
Fuzzy Bear
Fuzzy Bunny
Giggle Bear
Giggle Bunny
Goosie Goose
Huggy Bunny
Lovie Dovie
Monkey Doodle
Moogie Bear
Mouse
Mousey Poo
Poodles
Pooh Pup
Silly Bear
Silly Goose

Food-Related

Bean
Cookie/Cookie Monster
Cupcake
Dumplin
Honeybunch
Pumpkin/Punkin
Shortcake
Small Fry
Sprout
Sweet Pea
Sweetie Pops
Sweetums
Tater
Chicken Nugget
Nugget
Apple
Blueberry
Bun
Cheese Ball
Cocoa Puff
Cutie Pie
Honey
Honeybun
Jellybean
Lemon Drop
Lollipop Muffin
Lolipopsie
Lolipoopsie
Peachy
Peanut
Peanuthead
Peppermint

Miscellaneous

Babe
Babyface
Baby Girl/Baby Boy
Babykins
Bit
Boop
Bub
Bubba
Buddy
Bum Bum
Bump
Chubs
Chunk
Cowboy/Cowgirl
Cub
Cubby
Cutie Patootie
Darlin
Dear
Digger
Doodle
Dozer
Dude
Fisk
Gigglebutt
Giggly Girl
Half Pint
Itty Bitty
Kiddo
Little Bit
Little Guy
Mini Me
Munchkin
Poopie Butt
Poot
Pootie Poo
Poppet
Snugglebutt
Squirt
Stormageddon
Tiny
Toots
Chunky
Cricket
Pippin Plum
Pudding
Pudding Plum
Snickerdoodle Sugar
Sugarplum
Sweetie Pie
Waddles
Whiz Kid
Widdle Waddle
Wiggle Bum
Bambino
Bambi
Bearie
Boo Boo Bear
Bubba Bear
Snow Bunny
Snugabug
Snugabunny
Snuggle Bunny
Squirrel
Stinker Bear
Tadpole
Teddy
Teddybear
Thumbkin
Tiger
Tigger
Toodle Bear
Tootsie Bear
Turtle
Tweety
Babykins
Birdie
Bitsy
Bitsy Boo
Blue Eyes
Brown Eyes
Bud Captain
Cutie
Cuddle Bug
Cuddle Bunny
Panda
Pebbles
Piglet
Pony
Rainbow
Smiley
Smoochey
Smooches
Ankle Biter
Baby Cheeks
Blondie
Boop Boop
Boo Boo Bunny
Bubbles
Bab
Babushka
Babyface
Bubba Diddle
Bubby Doo
Bubby
Bud
Chickie
China Doll
Cowboy
Cubster
Cupie Doll
Cupie
Cutiekins
Dearie
Diddle Doo
Diddles
Doodlekins
Doodles
Doozer
Dot
Dynamo
Giggles
Half Pint
Hobbit
Huggy Buggy
Itsy Bitsy
Jazzy
Jocko
Juggernaut
Kiddo
Kiki
Laddie
Lagniappe
Lass
Lassie
Lil’ Bit
Scooby
Scooby-Doo
Scout
Scrappy
Scrappy-Doo
Shortie
Short Stuff
Silly Willy
Slugger
Smoochie
Sprinkle
Squishy Star Bright
Sweetcakes
Sweetiekins
Sweets
Sweet Tater
Sweet Treat
Buck
Buckaroo
Bucky
Bugabear
Bugaloo
Catfish
Chipmunk
Chunky Monkey
Crickey
Wiggly Butt
Wookie Bear
Wiggly Boo
Wookie Snookie

This article was originally published on Dec. 7, 2020

"You are my clubfoot." How cute home nicknames make children unhappy

Mela columnist, founder of the Just About the Important Club, author of the About the World and Gosha project Natalya Remish all her childhood heard seemingly cute and harmless words like “puffy” and “ bun". But in fact, there is nothing cute about them - and here are Natasha's arguments.

“My little plump,” I gently hug my daughter, grabbing the folds hanging over my jeans with my fingers. And then I myself shudder at the word that I promised never to use in relation to my children. Because nicknames at home are a risk that the child will allow other people to offend him. And that's why. nine0003

I had a friend who, with tenderness on his face, called me Puffy at every opportunity. So he addressed me personally, talked about me with others, and began SMS with this word. Over time, Pukhlik was shortened to Pukh, which finally finished me off.

In my own head, I finally became Winnie the Pooh, the least favorite hero of my childhood. By the way, it is quite possible that is why he is unloved. Neither at 5, nor at 10, nor at 35 years old did I want to be like Winnie the Pooh. Every time they called me Pooh, I seemed to shrink in volume, I wanted to become smaller, leave or hide behind a stole. But my inner voice immediately gave me learned advice:

- Pay no attention to fools;

- Be silent, let him think that you don't care;

- Don't show that you are offended;

- Well, isn't it true? You really are chubby. But it's so sweet;

- And I like women in the body. In general, many people like them. Look at Rubens.

I pretended that I didn't care, although I didn't want to be like Rubens' women. And I didn't care which of us was the "fool", and I certainly didn't want to resemble Winnie the Pooh. I just wanted him to stop talking like that. nine0003

“Well, you really are Pooh,” my friend repeated, folding his eyebrows like a house, when I tried to object to this nickname. “Look: the arms, the legs are plump. And in general, I'm kinder."

Most of all in such situations, the phrase "I'm kind" pissed me off. How many different "kind" nicknames in my direction have I heard in my life!

Bun, Plump, Strong, All So Soft and much more

An attempt to object ended with indignation: “Well, what are you offended by? They didn't say anything bad to you." nine0003

Really?

Let's look at it differently. Who determines the degree of resentment: the recipient or the sender of the words? Even if it seems to you that your words do not offend, but the person is still offended, perhaps this is what is called the word "offensive".

It turns out that we come up with various cute and kind, in our opinion, nicknames for our children and decide for ourselves whether they should be offended by this or not. But after all, how much a person is offended or not, only he can decide. A parent, using labels against a child, is guided by his intentions: he sincerely loves his daughter or son, regardless of his “flaws”. However, even with the best of intentions, it is possible to offend a person. And by taking away from him the ability to defend his borders, you can develop the habit of accepting insults as the norm. nine0003

We are used to living in a culture of repression. Children give up quickly enough when they receive devaluation of their feelings from their parents in an attempt to draw boundaries. Hearing unpleasant words, the child may try to defend himself, protest. But very often in response he hears a mockery or reproach.

“Oh, wow, how sweet you are,” says the mother of her daughter, who is upset because of the criticism of her new hairstyle.

“Well, why are you offended, I’m telling the truth. If you want to be strong, do more, but for now, you’re a weakling, ”papa draws his eyebrows and waves away his son, who is frowning in the corner of the sofa. nine0003

And here the word "bullying" comes into play, which I diligently avoid, because none of us wants to try it on ourselves, we immediately turn away in the other direction.

“Ah, this is about “wetting in the toilet”, not about our family.” But wait

Bullying characterizes the unequal distribution of power - when someone is stronger and someone is weaker. As well as the lack of role reversal - when one offends, and the second acts as the recipient of the message.

And in the triad "two parents - a child", of course, the parents turn out to be strong. nine0003

Even if we get away from the word “bullying”, which is so common and often used now, we still have to face the truth and hear the words “call names” and “tease” painfully familiar from childhood. Can? NO!

This is exactly what parents do when they come up with cute nicknames for children, emphasizing some features of the child, thereby simplifying his essence as a whole. When I heard Bun and Pukhlik in my direction, I got the feeling that these two words characterize me as a person. My external signs, which, albeit kindly, but were regularly ridiculed by those around me, came to the fore, eclipsing all the others. nine0003

Yes, if you get indignant or even burst into tears, you may be happy to list all the other traits that they think are important. But this is all later, after you have been hurt and offended, and will look like pity. And pity offends even more.

And what will happen next? Then we get used to being silent in order to avoid further humiliation and pain. We become adults who get used to laughing at ourselves. But this is not self-irony. It is a forced habit of not paying attention to one's feelings, closing one's eyes to the discomfort of other people's words, minimizing one's own feelings, being ashamed of them and seeing weakness in them. nine0003

Only psychologically stable people can have real self-irony

And it comes precisely from self-confidence, and not from the fact that you are hung with labels pasted by different people who met on your way.

We get used to laughing at ourselves and, entering into various unhealthy relationships, we begin to play along with our partners, or friends, or boss, even when we are not at all funny. Our borders are already so blurred that we do not consider it necessary and possible to defend them. Pukhlik, Slimy, Pissy, Cowardly and Clubfoot - all these "cute" nicknames that we were forced to accept as the norm in childhood become the foundation for unhealthy relationships in adulthood. For relationships in which we are systematically hurt, but we can’t even understand why. nine0003

We are accustomed to labeling hurtful situations as normal, considering them normal and ourselves as simply "too touchy". We used to suppress this rising feeling of pain in ourselves and tell ourselves that everything is fine and it just seems to me. I'm just thinking, it doesn't hurt me. At this point, it is important to remember that resentment is something that the recipient of the message, and not its sender, can appreciate.

I look at my daughter and understand that I will never call her Bun or Puffy again, because she is just my daughter, the most beautiful in the world! nine0003

Illustration: Shutterstock / Dobryi. meduz

Affectionate nicknames and their impact on children / Malyutka

Any parent considers their child special, which is completely normal. Sometimes, in order to further emphasize the uniqueness of the child, parents use affectionate abbreviations or home nicknames.

These can be unimaginable names, and sometimes even invented neologisms, the meaning of which can only be deciphered by the parents themselves. As a rule, this is a set of sounds or letters, and sometimes the name of the baby has been changed beyond recognition. Has anyone thought about the influence of nicknames on the life of the crumbs? nine0077 Quite often, mothers and fathers give their children such nicknames as "bunny", "sun" or "bear". The number and variety of such nicknames for a child, their uniqueness and meaning depend on the emotional and creative mood and potential of the parents.
And the truth is, the animals are so cute and pretty, just like the kids! It is impossible not to agree that when people look at the cubs of animals, the majority experience genuine joy and sincere delight, therefore such “plush” nicknames are very popular. But sometimes parents do not even think that calling a child an affectionate nickname only harms him. Meanwhile, each "nickname" carries a hidden connotation. nine0077 More often than usual, adults call children "kittens." If you think about it, a cat is not only an affectionate and gentle creature, but also a clawed and playful creature. In other words, subconsciously, the child may form a wrong idea about himself. The desire to fool around will be formed in the child unconsciously!
“Bear cub”, at first glance, is a very kind nickname, but at the same time it can disrupt the perception of the child and affect his self-esteem. So, complexes of sluggishness or own clumsiness may arise in a child, especially if the child is slightly overweight. nine0077 Calling the child "bunny" or "mouse", parents do not at all seek to make him appear cowardly. However, later the child may develop complexes of his own insignificance. Such nicknames are quite capable of making the baby perceive himself as a “little person”.