How do you feel about pet names for a romantic partner? A new survey asked more than 25-thousand Americans about what they think of terms of endearment and which ones they use most often for their significant other.
According to the YouGov poll:
- Half (50%) of respondents say they’ve regularly referred to their partner by a pet name.
- When asked how they’d feel about their S.O. calling them by an affectionate pet name, 29% love it, 24% like it and 27% are neutral.
- But not everyone is into it, as 6% dislike it and 4% flat out hate it.
The Most Popular Pet Names in 2025
- Babe - Used by 20% overall, but it’s more common for those ages 30 to 44 (28%) and it drops to 10% for people over 65.
- Honey - 13% call their partner this pet name, but using it could reveal your age. Nearly a quarter (22%) of seniors prefer this name, compared to just 6% of Gen Z.
- Baby - Used by 10% of all age groups, but most popular with Gen Z (15%).
- Sweetheart - Only 6% of all respondents call their partner this one, but that jumps to 11% for the 65+ set.
- Love - Also used by 6%.
- Nearly a third (29%) say they don’t use any of these pet names.
- Dear, Boo, Bae and Darling - Just 2% regularly use these terms of affection.
- Angel, Sugar or Pumpkin - Only 1% say they call their partner any of these.
Source: YouGov