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These cute nicknames for your unborn baby will help you bond during pregnancy

Feel closer to your unborn baby with one these nicknames

Marie Holmes
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You’ll probably want to talk to your unborn baby at some point during your pregnancy, but you may wonder how to best address him or her since you may not have chosen a name yet, and might not even know the sex. In addition to helping you talk to your baby, their existence may feel more real when you can mention your baby in terms more specific than “it” or “the baby.” You might even use this nickname for a while after the birth if you still need a little time to finalize your name decision. If you have decided on a name but aren’t ready to share it yet, using a nickname can help keep you, your partner, and other children from spilling the beans before the baby gets here.

Choosing a nickname for your unborn baby is personal, like an inside joke or a secret only you and your partner share. You might even use the nickname to talk about your pregnancy before you’ve publicly announced it. That said, it turns out that a lot of families end up selecting similar nicknames. In 2015, ovulation test company Ovia surveyed its 2 million American users about the nicknames they had for their unborn babies and found that the top choices were Peanut and Bean (second and third to simply Baby, which was the default choice.) Ovia was also able to detect regional trends, noting that names in the south often included Sugar, while variations on Bug were common in the northwest, and Bean was often the root of monikers in the northeast. Overall, popular nicknames tended toward the small, the sweet, and the edible.

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Although they haven’t arrived yet, your tiny unborn baby is a huge presence in your life, and there’s no reason for the babe to remain nameless. Check out these sweet nicknames for your unborn baby that will help you and your partner bond with them starting right now. It’s not uncommon for these monikers to stick even after the baby is born, so find the one that suits your family!

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Cute nicknames for your unborn baby

Pregnant person holding an apple

Bean

At one point, your baby resembled a legume in size and shape. Rock stars Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love famously took this one to the next level, officially naming their daughter Frances Bean once she arrived. Cobain is said to have thought she looked like a kidney bean in the ultrasound image.

Peanut

This shape is another legume milestone your baby hits around the nine-week mark.

Bump

You can always call your baby by the shape they’re beginning to take under your skin.

Bun

As in the one that’s in the oven. Variations include Sweetbun and Pork Bun.

Jellybean

Take that legume idea and make it sweeter.

Cletus the Fetus

Why not rhyme? This nickname simultaneously draws inspiration from science and Dr. Seuss.

Starburst

This sweet name, inspired by either candy or the heavens, was found by Ovia to be popular in California.

Nanouk

Unsurprisingly, this one is popular way up north in Alaska.

Happy Meal

Topping the charts in Colorado, it’s something in your tummy that makes you smile. Some parents get even more fast food-specific and go for McNugget.

Schmoo

This nonsense word seems to work for families in Connecticut.

Bubula

Another cute nonsense name that’s popular in Florida.

Bug

A tiny word for your littlest wonder. Bugaboo is a popular variation.

Bunny

A diminutive that’s small and sweet.

Dumpling

Another treat that is small enough to eat in one bite.

Munchkin

As a baked good, this is a mouthful of sugar.

Pumpkin

Your baby won’t reach this size until they’re about to arrive, but that doesn’t need to prevent you from using this nickname much earlier along in your pregnancy.

Spawn

This one has an extraterrestrial feel if you’re feeling kind of sci-fi about the whole experience.

Thumper

A variation on the rabbit theme; you know what they say about making bunnies!

Spud

This vegetable is tuberous and round, and about the size of your baby at 17 weeks.

Junior

Even if it won’t be part of his official name after the birth, you can use this common term to refer to your unborn child.

Little Bloop

A nonsense word evoking the small and round.

Minibuns

If just one bun isn’t small or cute enough.

Butterbutt

Who wouldn’t want to use this term of endearment that’s popular in Kansas?

Fish Stick

This one could refer to the baby’s size or pregnancy cravings.

Sugalump

This is how a number of parents-to-be in Mississippi refer to their little one.

Flutters

This nickname may stick after feeling those sweet baby movements.

Snookums

This South Carolina fave has a southern flair.

Little Toot

Families in West Virginia favor this cutie.

Pickle

Not sweet, but a favorite treat of many.

Button

As in, cute-as-a.

Squishy

For that little someone you’re going to want to cuddle.

Sprout

Because they’ve grown just enough to start to show.

Boo

As in yours.

No matter what you call your little one while he or she grows in utero, you are sure to bond with a cutesy nickname that’s unique to your family.

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