200+ Baby Nicknames That Are as Cute as Your New Baby

When you picked your baby's name, did you already have the perfect baby nicknames lined up? For many parents, part of the allure of a particular name is all the ways you can shorten it—like Maggie in lieu of Margaret, or Joe-Joe for a second-generation Joseph.

But when your baby is really little—or still hasn't arrived yet—you probably pick a nickname that has very little to do with their actual formal name. It may be a pet name you gave your unborn baby before knowing if they were a boy or girl (i.e. "The Peanut"), or simply something cute that stuck—like when Duchess Meghan Markle revealed her adorable nickname for baby Archie: Bubba.

If you're looking for a cute baby nickname for your growing bump (or your brand-new infant), give one of these options a road test.

• RELATED: Short (Yet Sweet) Baby Names for Boys and Girls

Illustration by Sarina Finkelstein; Getty Images (1)

Animal Nicknames for Babies

Some babies score animal-themed monikers for their formal names (think of Alicia Silverstone's Bear, or Cricket and Birdie, the two daughters of actress and talk show host Busy Philipps). But even if you aren't quite that daring, you can pick a baby nickname that's related to animals, like one of these adorable options.

• Bear

• Bee

• Birdie

• Bug

• Bunny

• Chick

• Chickadee

• Chinchilla

• Chunky Monkey

• Cricket

• Cub

• Dove

• Ducky

• Firefly

• Guppy

• Honey Badger

• Kitten

• Kitty

• Ladybug

• Lark

• Newt

• Pollywog

• Raven

• Swan

• Wiggleworm

• Wildcat

• Wildebeest

Food-Themed Baby Nicknames

These food-themed baby nicknames are reserved for only the absolutely sweetest babies. (And we know your kiddo's one of them!)

• Apple

• Blueberry

• Bun

• Cheese Ball

• Cocoa Puff

• Cookie

• Cupcake

• Cutie Pie

• Dumpling

• Honey

• Honeybun

• Jellybean

• Lemon Drop

• Lollipop

• Muffin

• Peachy

• Peanut

• Peppermint

• Pippin

• Plum

• Pudding

• Pumpkin

• Shortcake

• Snickerdoodle

• Sugar

• Sugarplum

• Sweet Pea

• Sweetie Pie

Friendly Baby Nicknames

This set of nicknames reflects your baby's sunny personality—and you may even want to use them ironically on those days when they may be more grumpy than happy.

• Amore

• Babylicious

• Bubba

• Bubbles

• Bud

• Buddy

• Cuddles

• Dear

• Dude

• Giggles

• Happy

• Pal

• Smiley

• Sunny

• Sunshine

Flower Baby Nicknames

Floral names have been red-hot for decades, whether you're going for timeless standards like Lily and Rose, or more exotic choices like Dahlia or Zinnia. (Just think of all those florally named characters in the Harry Potter series, from Lavender Brown to Fleur de la Coeur). But even if you don't want to give your daughter an official floral name, here's a bouquet worth of sweet baby girl nickname options.

• Blossom

• Bluebell

• Briar Rose

• Buttercup

• Daisy

• Leilani

• Petal

• Petunia

• Poppy

• Posy

• Rosie

• Tiger Lily

Bold Baby Nicknames

You don't have to stick with the typical "sunshine and roses" baby nicknames. If your infant is one tough cookie, consider these nickname options that have a bit of an edge to them. They work as baby boy nicknames and baby girl nicknames!

• Ace

• Badass

• Blaze

• Boss

• Bruiser

• Buzz

• Countess

• Cowboy/Cowgirl

• Daredevil

• Devil

• Diablo

• Dragon

• Duchess

• Duke

• Firebird

• Firecracker

• Gem

• Heartbreaker

• Hero

• His/Her Majesty

• King

• Moxie

• Mr. Man

• Ms. Fierce

• Queenie

• Rebel

• Rock Star

• Rogue

• Sassy

• Spike

• Superstar

• Tough Guy

Adorable Baby Nicknames

Whether you want to reflect on how incredibly cute your baby is—or just want a nonsense nickname that's sweet—these may be just the ticket.

• Angel

• Babbu

• Bella

• Bizzy

• Boo

• Bugaloo

• Chatterbox

• Chubster

• Coco

• Ellie-Belly

• Fairy

• Fifi

• Handsome

• Jazz

• Lady

• Lovey

• Lulu

• Nugget

• Pebbles

• Pookie

• Precious

• Sir

• Snuggle Bug

• Sweetheart

• Sweetie

• Sweets

• Tater

• Teddy Bear

• Twinkle

Pop Culture Baby Nicknames

Let's face it: Pop culture inspires an awful lot of baby names today (we're looking at you, parents who are picking Kylo and Khaleesi for your kids). And your pop culture favorites may just inspire a clever nickname for your baby, too. Here are a few creative nickname picks inspired by popular culture.

• Arya

• Baloo

• Bambi

• Ewok

• Goofy

• Grumpy

• He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Changed

• Jack-Jack

• Khaleesi

• Pooh Bear

• Prince Charming

• Scooby Doo

• Sir Cries-a-lot

• Sleepy

• Snow White

• The Chosen One

• Tigger

• Tinkerbell

• Titan

• Voldypants

• Ziggy Stardust

Colorful Baby Nicknames

Pick your favorite color from the rainbow, and let it inspire cute nicknames for baby girls or baby boys.

• Aqua

• Blue

• Ginger

• Goldie

• Jade

• Jet

• Hazel

• Olive

• Pinky

• Rainbow Bright

• Red

• Ruby

Sporty Baby Nicknames

No matter what sport you adore, there's a whole slew of clever nicknames associated with it. So hit one out of the park with these charming nicknames for your future athlete.

• Air Jordan

• Beast

• Champ

• Flo-Jo

• Muscles

• Rocket

• Slugger

• Sport

• Sugar Ray

• The Great Bambino

• Yogi

Comic Book Character Nicknames for Babies

Your baby may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (at least not yet!), but they're definitely the hero of your heart. So go ahead and give your kiddo one of these cool superhero-inspired picks.

• Baby of Steel

• Batman

• Bionic Baby

• Black Panther

• Black Widow

• Caped Crusader

• Captain America

• Captain Marvel

• Doctor Strange

• Iron Man

• Loki

• Magneto

• Mystique

• Rogue

• Storm

• Superbaby

• Supergirl

• Superman

• The Flash

• The Hulk

• Thor

• Wolverine

• Wonder Baby

• Wonder Woman

More Baby Name Inspiration

• 100+ Rainbow Baby Names With Miraculous Meanings

• 50 Bohemian Baby Names That Are More Popular Than Ever

• Nicknames for Girls That Are Cute Yet Classic

• 24 Popular Boy Names and Their Meanings

• Hipster Baby Names for Girls and Boys

• 80 Cottagecore Baby Names to Inspire an Idyllic Little Life on the Prairie—or Playground