I don’t care who you are or what kind of stone-cold, romantic stoic you fancy yourself, at a certain point in any relationship, you will confront the overwhelming urge to call your partner a cute nickname. There’s no use trying to fight it; it’s just human nature. Why? I don’t know, just reporting the facts here. Now, sometimes when that urge strikes, the perfect pet name simply springs to your lips in a moment of divine romantic inspiration. But most of the time it, uh, doesn’t. Yes, ideally, your nickname for your partner is personal to you, like an inside joke or something from a memorable shared experience. But you can’t always count on a serendipitous moment that’ll make the perfect nickname appear out of thin air. Enter: Our giant list of cute nicknames to call your boyfriend or partner. (All of these are gender neutral and work on everyone, BTW!)
Now, are some of these kind of cringe? Yes, yes they are. Is being in love, in and of itself, also kind of cringe? Why yes, ’tis indeed! But listen, unapologetically leaning into the cringe factor is all part of the joy of falling in love and flaunting that ish for the world to see. So don’t let anything or anyone hold you back from expressing how obsessed you are with your person—even if that expression comes in the form of a potentially eye-roll-inducing pet name that your friends will probably roast you for.
That said, not all nicknames for your beloved are inherently ick. There are plenty of relatively chill/neutral options we’ve included here for those of you who have a limited cringe tolerance level. And remember: You don’t need to be in a committed relationship to use a nickname. Hell, even if you’re just hooking up, you can still call them something hot while you’re getting it on. (In fact, it’s strongly encouraged.)
So without further ado, our master list of nicknames for your special someone. Whether you’re looking for something that says cute and casual, sweet and sexy, or a profound expression of your undying love, one of these terms of endearment is sure to strike the right tone.
Generally cute nicknames for your boyfriend
- Boo
- Booboo Bear
- Sweetheart
- Baby Boy
- Baby/Babe
- Baby Love
- Boo Thang
- Love Bug
- Good-Looking
- Sunshine
- Darling
- Hun
- Bub
- Cariño (Darling in Spanish)
- Amor (Love in Spanish)
- Mi Corazon (My Heart in Spanish)
- Sweet Thing
- Sweet Stuff
- Bear
- Bunny
- Honey Bear
- Baby Love
- Puffin
Romantic nicknames for your boyfriend
- My Sweet Love
- Love of My Life
- Heart’s Dearest
- Dear
- My Whole Heart
- Dreamboat
- Lover
- Lovely
- King
- Beau
Food-related nicknames for your boyfriend
- Sugarplum
- Sugar
- Peanut
- Jellybean
- Sweet Cheeks
- Sweetie
- Sweets
- Sweet Pea
- Cupcake
- Honey Bun
- Honey Pot
- My Honey
- Honey
- Honey Pie
- Cutie Pie
- Cherry Pie
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- [Literally any kind of pie]
- Cherry Bomb
- Hot Tamale
- Hot Sauce
- Pop Tart
- Muffin
- Pumpkin
- Dumpling
- Pudding
- Baby Cake
- Hot Cakes
- Cookie
- Nugget
- Tater Tot
- Big Mac
Pop culture nicknames for your boyfriend
- McDreamy
- McSteamy
- Prince Charming
- Hercules
- Romeo
- Pooh Bear
- Mr. Big
- Squishy
- Snoopy
- Mr. Darcy
- Don Juan
Nicknames for your friend-with-benefits
- Baby/Babe
- Sexy
- Hottie
- Doll
- Doll Face
- Big Guy
- Playboy
- Hunk
- Casanova
- Sneaky Link
- My Man
- Daddy
- Tiger
- Stallion
- McSwagger
- Hot Stuff
- Zaddy
Nicknames for your fiancé/husband
- Hubby
- Handsome
- Mister
- Bubba
- Love/ My Love
- Love Dove
- Goober
- Old Man
- Fella
- Cutie Patootie
- Mi Amor (My love in Spanish)
- Bebe (Baby in Spanish)
Nicknames for the guy you’re casual with
- Pal
- Cutie
- Lover Boy
- A shortening of their name. So if their name is Taylor, call them “Tay.”
- The first letter of their name. So if their name is Derrick, call them “D.”
- Their middle name.
- My dude/guy
Nicknames for the father of your child
- Baby Daddy
- Big Daddy
- Big Papa
- Papi
- Pops
- Papa Bear
- Partner
Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter.
Veronica Lopez is the sex and relationships editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers and edits stories about single life, dating, relationships, sex, identity, and more. Previously, she was the sex and dating editor at Elite Daily. Originally from Venezuela, she grew up in Miami and is now based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram here and on Twitter here.
Associate Sex & Relationships Editor