Babe

♂ Boy

Pronounced BAYB /ˈbeɪb/Medium

Meaning: Babe is the everyday English term of affection 'babe,' meaning 'baby' or 'darling,' pressed into service as a first name. In some families it began as a household nickname for a youngest child or as a clip of Barnabas before being recorded formally.Low

In 30 seconds: Babe is the English endearment 'babe' used as a boy's name, sometimes a pet form of Barnabas or of 'baby.' It was always rare and peaked around the nineteen-twenties (said BAYB).

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Origin LowEnglish, American

MeaningBabe is the everyday English term of affection 'babe,' meaning 'baby' or 'darling,' pressed into service as a first name. In some families it began as a household nickname for a youngest child or as a clip of Barnabas before being recorded formally.

U.S. rank (1980)#6337 ↘ Falling

1980 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1929

Total births (all-time)≈ 345

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Babe is a word-name drawn straight from the affectionate English 'babe,' a term for a baby or a sweetheart. As a legal first name it usually started life as a family nickname, sometimes for the youngest child and occasionally as a clipped form of Barnabas, later written down as the given name itself.

Recorded in small numbers from the late eighteen-hundreds into the twentieth century, it reached a modest high around 1929. Its era overlaps the years when 'Babe' was a household sports nickname, though as a birth name it stayed uncommon throughout.

Did you know? The word became famous as a sporting nickname in the early twentieth century, most notably for the baseball star known as Babe Ruth, whose given name was actually George.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Babe — English endearment 'babe'; sometimes clip of Barnabas; Babe Ruth was a nickname (b. George)

Variations

BarnabasBabyBabette

Nicknames

BabeBarneyBud

Famous Bearers

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If you like Babe…

Barnaby— a fuller name Babe can shorten

Buster— a like affectionate early-century nickname-name

Bud— another warm short word used as a boy's name

Gabe— a similar brief one-syllable boy's name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Babe mean?

It is the English word of affection 'babe,' used as a name and sometimes a short form of Barnabas or of 'baby.'

How do you pronounce Babe?

It is said BAYB /ˈbeɪb/, one syllable.

Is Babe a boy or girl name?

Babe is used here as a boy's name, though it has been given to girls as well.

How popular is Babe?

It has always been rare as a birth name in the United States, peaking in the nineteen-twenties.