How To Respond When He Calls You Baby

Being called ‘baby’ can be equal parts awkward, confusing, and stressful.

Baby can mean so many things…especially in today’s casual dating landscape.

It’s easier when our boyfriends call us baby because at least we know how they feel. But, we still don’t want to give a blasé reply.

So, how the hell do we respond?

Here’s our ideal scenario:

• We want to come across smooth, confident, and sexy
• We want to know what he really means, so we don’t make a fool of ourselves

The reality is a little different…

When he calls us baby, many of us would panic and say or do the wrong thing.

When he calls you baby, the worst thing you can do is:

Don’t freak out:

I won’t let you be that girl who stumbles over her words like he’s your first crush.

I’ve been there and I can help.

The next time he calls you baby… instead of having an inner panic attack, you’ll exude coolness.

Below, I break down eight creative options for how to respond when he calls you baby.

These responses work whether it’s the first time he calls you baby or the 100th time.

There are also options for when you don’t want him to call you baby.

No matter which option you choose, you’ll come across as sure of yourself.

I’ve also included an exclusive exercise to find out how he wants you to respond when he calls you baby.

It’s only a few scrolls away.

Later in the article, I talk about the different scenarios when he might call you baby and exactly what it means.

You’ll easily decide how to respond because you’ll know his true intentions.

Let’s dive in.

8 Epic Ways To Respond When Someone Calls You Baby

This one is pretty much my go-to with guys I’m interested in.

I like to call guys handsome.

My last fling actually said to me, “I love when you call me handsome.”

He seemed a little embarrassed to admit it, so I know it was true.

If he says, “Hi baby,” you could say:

“Hi handsome.”

You could also compliment his hair, outfit, physique, or smell.

Muscles are a favorite of mine to point out. Guys love to hear they’re looking strong.

Bonus points…

When you’re standing close and touching his muscles, land the second compliment. I love how you smell. Is that new cologne?

If you’re a little less sexually charged than me, you can compliment his personality or how he makes you feel:

• I love being around you.
• You always make me so happy.

A lot of guys adore when you call them pet names (though many won’t admit it).

You can learn more here with this article: Do Guys Like Being Called Cute?

They’re an easy way to show affection and be playful.

Some of the more common ones are sweetheart, darling, cutie, honey, stud, good-looking, boo, and lover.

If you’re feeling a little cheekier, you can get creative with more daring nicknames.

A lot of girls won’t be comfortable with this (Ahem, me). Yet, why not try them at least once as a confidence exercise?

Here’s the list for the brave: daddy, captain, cowboy, hot stuff, boy toy, dreamboat, prince charming, teddy bear, sailor, and batman.

If you don’t like any of those, you can find a master list by searching online.

You could also gain extra sexy points by using your foreign language skills.

I’ve dated quite a few Latino men and nothing turns me on more than when they talk Spanish to me. Turns out, they love it when I talk Spanish to them too.

You don’t need to be fluent—I’m certainty not.

Learn a few words.

Here are some spicy Spanish pet names. You could also try Italian or French.

• Hermoso, guapo, or bonito (Means handsome in Spanish)
• Corazón (Means heart in Spanish)
• Amor (Means love in Spanish)

This is another one I use often.

Sometimes it can be scary to admit to loving something.

I remember feeling shy when I said to a guy I’d been seeing a couple of months:

“I love it when you call me baby.”

My voice was more of a whisper and I was smirking.

He loved it though….

He said: “I love it when you get shy.”

It was uncomfortable for me, but guys need to hear when they’re doing things right.

Here’s why:

• Everyone needs to feel appreciated
• Men don’t get compliments as much as women
• If you don’t tell them what you like, they may never know

A lot of women make the mistake of consistently assuming men ‘just know.’

The sad truth is:

Men are usually clueless.

If you want your man to call you baby again…

 Your best bet is to tell him how much you love it. 

One of my ex-boyfriends gives me dating advice now.

He says I need to be clearer about what I want.

Honestly, all women do.

In my ex-boyfriend’s famous words:

He can’t read your mind. You have to tell him!

Never make the mistake of assuming he already knows.

All responses don’t need to be verbal. Physical communication can be far more effective and exciting.

Of course, there are two categories here:

• Gestures that show you like when he calls you baby
• Gestures that show he better back off

You’ll have to decide how extreme to go, depending on the guy and the situation.

How to show him you likewhen he calls you baby:

• Smile
• Give him a backrub or massage
• Play with his hair
• Hold his hand
• Give him a hug
• Kiss him
• Give him more than a kiss (wink, wink)

How to show him you don’t like when he calls you baby:

• Roll your eyes
• Give him an icy glare
• Look at him with a confused expression
• Shake your head, no
• Walk away or turn your back to him
• Hold up your palm to signal ‘stop’
• Give him the finger

People love it when you tell them what you want. It’s like giving them a cheat sheet for how to be the best lover you ever had.

Unfortunately, many people feel embarrassed to admit their desires.

I get afraid too sometimes, but I always feel better when I share my real feelings.

Swallow your fear and let your inner truth free.

You could say:

“Aw, I love when you call me baby, but my favorite thing is to be called names in Spanish.”

Don’t judge me, readers.

If you haven’t dated a Latino man, you need to try it.

This is another option that works whether you like when he calls you baby or not.

If you don’t ever want him to call you baby again, I have a go-to joke…

It’s a nice way to be clear with the guy, but also make light of the situation.

Here it is:

No one has called me baby since I started walking. Please don’t start now.

If you want him to call you baby again, but also want to play with him, here are some options:

• When he calls you baby, ask, “Okay, what do you want?”
• When he calls you baby, whisper in his ear what you want to do with him
• When he calls you baby, smile and say, “You’re calling me baby? You must really like me now…”

When he calls you baby, there’s an opportunity for a meaningful conversation that could bring you closer.

If you don’t feel comfortable when he calls you baby, voice your feelings.

If you’re not sure how you feel when he calls you baby, be honest about that too.

Share exactly how you feel about men calling you baby in general and how you feel about him calling you baby.

Find out his feelings on pet names. Is there a name he likes girls to call him?

If it’s bothering you, ask him how often he calls other girls baby.

These kinds of conversations can be uncomfortable at first. But, you’ll be glad you spoke up.

One guy, I started dating casually called me baby for the first time in bed.

I loved it, but all I could think about was how often he called other girls baby….

It killed the mood for me.

So, I asked him.

Turns out, he had only ever called his two ex-girlfriends baby.

I realized it meant his feelings for me were growing.

The conversation also opened the door for us to discuss our relationship and where it was going.

No response is sometimes the best response.

This is my first choice for random men on the street or messages from unknown guys on social media.

You also don’t need to directly respond when guys you’re interested in call you baby…

You can continue the conversation like nothing happened.

This is also a good option when he calls you baby too soon.

If you’re not sure of his intentions or how you feel about him yet, giving it time before you act is smart.

People are on their best behavior in the first three months.

Make guys prove they are worthy of your affection by not jumping in too fast.

Girls who aren’t overly eager appear like they have plenty of other options.

Because you have options, he knows he’ll have to work harder to win your heart.

Guys love a challenge.

If he really wants to be with you, he will:

• Genuinely get to know you and what you like
• Spend a lot of time with you
• Treat you like you’re incredibly special to him

One risk to be aware of with the no response tactic is he might be confused if you like when he calls you baby or not.

If you like when he calls you baby, you can perk up your voice or show an uptick in your attitude.

But, you don’t have to.

Sometimes, calling attention to when they call you baby makes men afraid to call you baby again.

My shy ex is one example.

He was easily embarrassed and terrified of rejection…

It was painstaking waiting for him to kiss me the first time!

If I had playfully teased him for calling me baby, he would never call me baby again.

With him, not calling attention to being called baby would be a good move.

However, not every guy is like this.

Some guys might take your lack of acknowledgement as clue you don’t like being called baby.

So, ladies, here’s my pro tip (*exclusive exercise below):

Know your guy.

Think about his personality and what he likes.

Think about how he interacts with you.

These will all give you clues to deciding the best response when he calls you baby.

Every guy is unique.

The key to winning his heartis getting to know how he loves to be loved.

What is his love language?

• Physical touch
• Words of affirmation
• Gift giving
• Acts of service
• Quality time

This is important:

Sometimes the way guys give love is completely different from how they like to receive love.

Your guy might give love mostly through physical touch. Yet, he falls in love easiest by receiving surprise gifts.

Here’s your exclusive exercise.

This will tell you exactly how he wants you to respond when he calls you baby.

• Find out how your guy likes to receive love from the love language list above.
  • If you’re too nervous to ask him, make your best guess.
• Go back and read through the list of “8 Epic Responses To Being Called Baby”
• Using his love language, decide which response from the list would be the most impactful for him.
• Wait until he calls you baby and then roll out your epic response.

Feel free to leave a comment letting us know how it went, babe!

At this point, you have a lot of ideas on how to respond when a guy calls you baby. You’ve probably even been inspired to think of a few of your own.

However, you’re not ready to face him yet…

First, you need to understand what it means when you call you baby.

Without this essential ingredient, you could easily end up regretting your response.

How To Know What It Means When He Calls You Baby

Baby can mean so many things…

When he calls you baby, you don’t know if:

Knowing his intentions is really important when deciding how to respond.

You don’t want to over-invest yourself emotionally if he isn’t feeling the same way.

Been there, done that.

Being called baby can make you feel all warm, fuzzy, and special inside.

Some guys really do reserve the term baby for girls they’re serious about.

Others use baby to get you in their bed.

There are certain cues that say baby means something more.

Other scenarios suggest he calls girls baby as often as he calls guys bro.

Again, don’t worry. I’ve got your back.

I’m going to break down each scenario for you, so you can confidently know what he actually means when he calls you baby.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a highly effective and simple equation for determining a guy’s intentions.

Here we go:

If he calls you baby when he first meets you (or really early on)

 This is the most telltale sign that he calls a lot of girls baby. 

You can’t really get to know someone and form a strong connection without one thing:

Time.

So, if he calls you baby early on, you can assume baby isn’t a special term for him.

He didn’t have to work up the courage to say it over time, which suggests he’s comfortable and familiar using baby with new women.

However, if he calls you baby early on, it doesn’t necessarily mean nothing.

Many guys will only call a girl baby if:

• He finds her attractive
• He wants to sleep with her
• He’s comfortable with her

The above are often true when he calls you baby early on.

Still, there are exceptions. My Latino dance instructor ex-fling is one example.

He’s incredibly hot. This is not my personal taste talking.

He’s the kind of person everyone agrees is sexy.

Anyway, he called me babe the second or third time we talked. I wasn’t sure how to take it.

I mean…I knew I wasn’t the only girl he was calling baby.

But, did it mean he was into me?

Long story short: Yes and no.

I ended up sort of as his personal assistant with benefits (to be clear, sex).

His English wasn’t great. So, I would respond to client messages for him.

A lot of his clients were older women in their fifties, sixties, and even one in her seventies. He was thirty.

Yet, he told me to call his clients’ babe, love, and other pet names in his messages.

He wanted to be as sweet as possible because it was good for business.

He didn’t want to sleep with these women, but calling them baby entertained the fantasy that he might.

 Be careful that someone isn’t calling you baby to try to manipulate you. 

If he (mostly) only calls you baby when he’s drunk.

This usually means:

• He’s scared of rejection when he’s sober
• His emotions are heightened
• He’s horny

My shy ex would only share deep things with me when he was drunk.

He was too afraid of rejection to be vulnerable without alcohol. He admitted this to me himself.

People may reveal their truest feelings when they’re drunk because the part of their brain that’s afraid of rejection gets numbed.

If he calls you baby when he’s drunk, there is a possibility it means he has strong feelings for you….

He’s just been afraid to share his feelings when he’s sober.

However, this is not always the case.

Alcohol also heightens feelings.

Literally, alcohol forces our bodies to produce extra serotonin and dopamine, which are the hormones that regulate our emotions.

This is why people have shotgun weddings in Vegas and end up regretting them the next day.

Don’t assume that because he calls you baby when he’s drunk, it means he’s secretly in love with you.

One of my closest friends has been dating this guy for almost a year, who has only called her baby a few times.

Every time, he’s been drunk.

This guy will also go three to four days without texting her sometimes. No calls. Nothing.

I know every relationship is different and I’m not here to judge. But, it’s hard to believe someone who treats her like that is in love with her.

She agrees.

More likely, alcohol heightened his emotions and he felt affection for her.

Another thing alcohol (in small amounts) increases: libido.

We’ve all gotten that drunken message from a horny guy.

Alcohol lowers inhibitions and makes guys more comfortable expressing their desires.

If he calls you baby when he’s drunk, he might only be trying to sleep with you.

The odds of this one go up if he doesn’t give you as much attention during the day or when he’s sober.

You can tell a guy really likes you when he puts consistent effort into getting to know you and spending time with you…

If he really likes you, he’ll seem as interested in you when he’s sober as when he’s drunk.

If he calls you baby in bed

It’s common for guys to call you baby for the first time in bed.

He may have wanted to say it before and the heat of the moment finally gives him the courage.

Or…

He may be used to calling girls baby in bed, no matter who they are.

If he calls you baby the first time you sleep together, that’s a hint he’s used to calling girls baby in bed.

He’s comfortable and confident using the term, so it’s probably nothing special for him.

Think of it like using the L word.

Some people are really careful who they tell: “I love you.”

They wait a long time to make sure they mean the words they say.

If he waits a little while to call you baby, even if it’s during the intensity of sex, it’s more likely to mean something.

 Sometimes, sex is the most natural time for him to call you baby. 

Two of my exes called me baby for the first time in bed. They both waited a couple months before using the term.

I could tell when they called me baby that it meant I was special to them.

We were also exclusive and they showed me with their regular attention outside of sex that I mattered.

The number one way you can tell what it means when a guy calls you baby is to trust your intuition.

This requires being brutally honest with ourselves, ladies.

Do you get any uncomfortable feelings around him? Do you suspect he might be seeing other women?

Trust what you consistently feel, even if the guy tries to tell you differently.

Always remember: Actions speak louder than words.

Pay attention to what he does more than what he says.

If he calls you baby, but has never taken you out on a date (or even tried)…

His actions are saying he’s not that interested in getting to know you.

If he calls you baby when he has a girlfriend

The first assumption that comes to mind here is: cheater alert

I have been in a couple situations when this was not the case, which I explain a few lines down.

However, you should definitely keep the cheater possibility strongly on your radar.

If he calls you baby when he has a girlfriend, he may be trying to:

• Show you he’s interested
• Test if you’d be willing to hook up with him

Some solid responses in this case are:

• Don’t you have a girlfriend?
• What would your girlfriend think of you calling me baby?
• Did you and (insert girlfriend’s name) break up?
• What did you call me?

Okay, let’s say he’s not a cheater.

What are the other possibilities?

• He calls everyone baby or babe and it doesn’t mean anything
• He’s in an open relationship
• He wants a threesome with you and his girlfriend

There are some men who see baby as a term to use for anyone.

You can usually tell who these guys are.

If you’re not sure, pay attention to how he interacts with other women.

You should notice right away whether he’s giving you special treatment or not.

You can also ask other women.

Before I realized my ex dance instructor fling called everyone baby, one of my friends told me he called her baby.

Don’t be afraid to share with women you think are trustworthy.

I became close friends with one girl after she approached me to warn me about a guy she dated.

She saw he was interested in me and wanted to make sure I was aware of his history of hurting other women.

If he calls you baby when he has a girlfriend, there’s also a possibility he’s in an open relationship.

I was confused when this attractive guy with a stunning Russian girlfriend started hitting on me.

He called me baby and beautiful.

At first, I thought maybe he uses those terms with everyone.

Then, I realized he was equally as flirty with me in front of his girlfriend.

She actually encouraged it.

I even felt like she was flirty with me too.

Later on, they revealed to me they were in an open relationship.

They wanted a threesome.

Believe it or not, that’s not the first or even second time something like that has happened to me.

In today’s dating culture, there are many different kinds of relationships.

Trust your instincts, but also be careful about making assumptions.

If he calls you baby when he has a girlfriend and…

• You don’t think he’s a cheater
• You don’t think he has bad intentions
• You don’t feel uncomfortable

My recommendation is:

Don’t directly respond.

Continue the conversation like nothing happened.

This is what I did with the guy with the Russian girlfriend.

Take your time figuring out what his intentions are and then decide how you want to handle things.

If he calls you baby after a fight or when he wants something

Please don’t fall for this one! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

Guys who really care about you are consistent with when they call you baby.

They’ll see you as their baby girl all the time.

If he doesn’t usually call you baby, but he calls you baby after a fight, he’s trying to manipulate you.

My Latino dance instructor ex-fling is one example.

I broke things off with him.

Then, he called me a few weeks later looking for help with something.

He usually only called me baby over text. At the end of the call, he said:

“Bye baby.”

His voice was a little mischievous when he said the word baby.

He knew I would see through his manipulation.

Yes, I saw what he was doing.

I won’t lie though…

Being called baby still had some sort of effect on me, even when I knew he was playing games.

It’s hard not to let seduction do its job.

If he calls you baby when he wants something, he’s probably trying to manipulate you.

Don’t feel bad if you decide to let him.

I was still highly attracted to that dance instructor, so I willingly played his game. However, I was fully aware of his intentions.

Just don’t disillusion yourself into thinking he’s your prince charming and fall in love with him:

That’s how you end up heartbroken.

If he calls you baby through a text

Next to being called baby in bed, this is the second most common way I’ve been called baby for the first time.

Honestly, I’d prefer they did it in bed rather than through text.

Something about hiding behind a phone screen feels unattractive.

Where is the daring?

If he calls you baby through text, you can assume:

• He’s nervous to call you baby in person
• He’s testing your reaction before he risks calling you baby aloud

Even my overly confident dance instructor fling called me baby over text for the first time (*Shakes my head, disappointed).

While we all crave confident men who call us baby with their mouths rather than their fingers, being called baby through text isn’t a bad thing.

If he calls you baby through text, it might mean:

• He’s starting to take your relationship more seriously
• He wants to know how you feel about him

If you think one of these might be true, take the opportunity to express how you feel about him.

Tap into your inner Shakespeare.

Your words could even motivate him to call you baby in person next time.

If he calls you baby when you’re his girlfriend

If he calls you baby when you’re his girlfriend, this is a good sign.

Guys who I have been official boyfriend-girlfriend with usually wait before calling me baby.

It’s like giving your girlfriend the key to your apartment.

Being called baby is a solid step up in your relationship that signifies:

• His feelings are growing
• He’s getting more comfortable around you
• You’re special to him
• He doesn’t want anyone else to have you

To recap and make sure you’re fully prepared to go out into the wild world of dating, I want to quickly summarize the key points from above.

This is only the most important stuff.

8 Epic Ways To Respond When He Calls You Baby:

When deciding how to respond, always think of yourself first and what your goal is in the situation.

If you like the guy, you can then consider how he would like you to respond.

Don’t forget to try the exclusive exercise using his love language.

Top Four Ways To Know What It Means When He Calls You Baby

• Pay attention to his actions more than his words
• Look for consistency
• Find out his history (don’t be afraid to ask other women)
• Be honest with yourself

Number one plus number four in the list above is the surest equation to knowing what he means when he calls you baby.

His actions + what your intuition is telling you = his true feelings

Listen to yourself. Trust what you feel, even if his words don’t match up with that.

Always remember: Effort is a direct reflection of interest. If he’s putting a lot of effort in to getting to know you (not just in the bedroom), you’re probably special to him.

 One final piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to make a mistake.  

It’s better to take a risk and learn from it than to regret not trying.

Being called baby is uncomfortable for everyone to navigate.

If you mess up, remember we’re all in this together. Lean on one of your friends and laugh about it.

Okay, babes, you’re ready!

Get out there and be the dating queens I know you all are.