Is giving a nickname a sign of affection/interest towards the opposite gender?

My husband has several pet/nick names for me. He gets all proud of himself when he comes up with a new one. It is definitely done with affection. It’s like a secret language almost, between the two of you.

I have never been able to call my husband darling or sweetheart or those terms of endearment. They simply will not roll off my tongue with ease. I always use his name when I talk to him. That is becoming a lost art. I think most people like to hear their own name used. And sometimes I call him by a pet nickname (which I will never divulge!), that is how I show affection and love.

We have several nicknames for each other. I really like the names we have for each other. Some of them are the generic ones (honey, baby, sweetie), but then we also have some special ones (that I won’t divulge).

My SO rarely calls me by my name – he just calls me ‘Love’ and yes it’s a sign of affection.

Sweetie, baby, beautiful; all terms of endearment for us.

Giving a nickname or pet name to someone is not always a sign of romantic interest, but it is usually a sign of affection (which can stem in friendships, too.) I refer to my friends by nicknames to the point where it sounds bizarre to refer to them by their given names.

I have been known to refer to one of my friends as “ma ceinture de sécurité”.

I work with the public and I have repeat customers who sometimes call me terms of endearment. I grew up in the Northeast and it seemed much more formal there than here in the deep south. It felt weird for people of the same sex to call me honey or baby, but when a person of the opposite sex calls me darlin’, I tell my friends! I believe it is a sign of interest, but innocent interest in this circumstance.

I’m with @muppetish… a sign of affection, yes, but not always romantic.

It is rare and unfortunate when a nickname is given with ill will.

Nope not always. Some people are just the “give others nicknames” type. My best friend literally gives everyone a nickname. Usually it’s their name, shortened. Rachel becomes “Rach”, Hayden becomes “Hady”, etc.

I’ve never had a nickname that wasn’t intended to be insulting or offensive so I would say a resounding no. Sometimes the intent is quite the opposite.

@downtide It happens. For reasons that still escape me, one of my former co-workers decided that I should be called Cletus, apparently after a character on the Simpsons.

@Nullo thankfully it hasn’t happened to me since I left school. (Unless it’s happened behind my back and I wasn’t aware of it).

I think giving a nickname or a petname to your partner or friends is an act of kindness and showing them how important they are. But if your friends gave you a nickname that kinda sounds irritating or annoying, well that’s also a sign of a Dear Friend who love you in the worst part ;‘D

Then there are the nicknames that people give themselves, which might be the most entertaining of the bunch. I spent the weekend at a seminar run by Greybeard, Thursday, Dooley, Jungle George, and Witchy Woman.

Did you ever see the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond when he states that he can call his wife anything and she will answer? Of course he pushes it too far, but this is kind of how my husband thinks. I guess we answer to our SO’s voice more than anything.