Not everyone is looking for love. But the vast majority of people probably do want to find it, if they haven’t already. And according to a YouGov survey in the UK, the best place to meet the love of your life is at work.
Other common ways to find love are through mutual friends, while out and about, through an online dating platform, through university, through dating apps, through school, through a shared hobby, and through family. Apparently, most people still say that they met their partner offline, even the younger generations.
As anyone who’s ever been in love knows, though, being in a relationship can be a bit embarrassing. You might be head over heels for your partner and 100% comfortable around them, but you may be mortified to admit that you call them pet names in private. The most masculine, stoic man in public might turn into a lovey-dovey cutie pie when he’s at home with his partner. And that’s beautiful.
According to a study from Kylian, the most popular pet names Americans have for their partners are babe, love, honey, baby, sweetheart, dear, gorgeous, darling, boo, and sunshine. But what you and your partner choose to call each other might depend on where you live.
Kylian found that the most popular pet name across all regions in the US is “honey.” Meanwhile, “baby” is most widely used in Southern states. And “dumpling” is heard the most in Alabama, likely because of the popular Southern dish. New Yorkers are the most likely to use the term “cupcake,” and “sugar” shows up the most in New Mexico. Meanwhile, Nevada and West Virginia are both fans of “honeybun."
A survey from Superdrug found that a whopping 87% of Americans use a pet name when talking to their partner. And 74% of Europeans do the same. But not all terms of endearment are created equal. Apparently, the most hated pet names are papi, daddy, sweet cheeks, muffin, cutie pie, sweet pea, princess, sweetie pie, and sugar.
As cheesy as these names may sound, it might be worth it to find a pet name that perfectly suits your partner. The Superdrug survey found that using pet names increases relationship satisfaction by 16% in the United States and by 9% in the EU. Experts say that this might be because we associate the use of pet names with the childhood love that we have for our parents.
“Couples speaking this way harken back to their own experience when they were infants and to their first love, their mother," says Dean Falk, a professor of neuroanthropology at Florida State University.
Mark Travers, PhD, even wrote a piece for Psychology Today discussing the two “secret languages” that couples often create within their relationships. He explains that baby talk and couple-specific languages appear in most relationships. In fact, 75% of couples admit to using baby talk with their partners on occasion. This can understandably sound strange to single folks, but what it really means is that someone is completely comfortable around their partner. And they’re not scared of being cringe or awkward, they just let the baby talk come out freely.
