Pet names are just said so? No! With Hasi, Schatz or Mausi we express – consciously or unconsciously – very specific feelings towards the partner. We reveal which ones exactly, which pet names are the most popular (and how many Germans have a pet name for their car).
"Pet names always press a special intimacy from. In this way, we show in an affectionate way that we are familiar with each other", knows diploma psychologist Dorothea Bohm from Munich, which concerned itself for years with the topic. And Choice of pet name Is not accidental and gives a deep insight", according to Bohm. "Pet names for the partner are inseparable connected with feelings, that we bring to the other."
The most popular pet names
The pet names that we Germans prefer to use, has determined online dating agency Parship in a representative survey and published in early 2017.
The 19 most popular pet names we show in of our gallery!
Since when do you say "honey"?
The fact that Schatz and Schatzi are right at the top of the rankings and leave all other pet names far behind has become a tradition. Already in Goethe’s time, people liked to call their sweetheart a treasure and even a lot earlier. As the "Frankfurter Allgemeine" This term of endearment can be traced back to the 15th century. Trace back to the nineteenth century.
The state with the highest pet name.Use
Where are couples most active when it comes to pet names?? A survey by Befragmich.de uncovered this interesting detail in 2013.
1. Bremen
2. Brandenburg
3. Schleswig-Holstein
5. Berlin
5. Lower Saxony
6. Hamburg
7. Rhineland-Palatinate
8. Bavaria
9. Saarland
10. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Well, the cliche of the cooler people in the north should be done with it, right??
What happens when we take pet names too literally
The literally hilarious answer to this question is given by the great Martina Hill in "Knallerfrauen":
Why we give pet names
For linguist Markus Lindlar, the Use of pet names also an expression of learned behavior. "We come into contact with pet names everywhere, are confronted with them from the baby phase to old age, are first ‘bunny’, then ‘grandpa’. The name ‘honey’ has been the most popular", says the expert, who has interviewed more than 1000 lovers. Psychologist Bohm counts the group of common pet names in the category of "Generics" (in German: die Gewohnlichen). "People who use such names long for a normal life", she says.
Meaning of pet names
"Pet names often also reveal how you want your partner to be", knows Bohm. Who "little mouse" says, also wants to have a little mouse: It should be nimble, shy and in need of protection. One "Rabbits" you wish cuddly. Whoever calls their partner, regardless of size and stature "Tiger" or "stud demands courage, leadership and determination from him. From "Bears" or "Bear you secretly expect a protector. And even if "Honey" or "gold piece principally express appreciation towards the one you love, at the same time you signal certain possessiveness with it.
When a man looks at his wife "Angel", "Sweetness" or "little one he probably longs for a dear, somewhat submissive partner. Who "Chubby" or "Pummelchen" calls, expresses perhaps also hidden criticism.
As a further category, Bohm mentions the "Shorties" (abbreviations) like "Hansi, "Bine or "Doro. "They express a harmonious relationship", so the psychologist. "On the one hand, belittlement shows a special sympathy for the partner, but on the other hand, it also shows fear of too much intimacy."
On the other hand, pet names based on a story known only to the lovers suggest a particularly intimate bond – for example, when the sweetheart calls her "lotus blossom" after a vacation in Bali is called. Bohm then speaks of "Fantasies" (fantasy name). "These verbal caresses highlight the uniqueness of the relationship. Their senders are not afraid of closeness."
Lindlar, a linguist, explains how deeply rooted pet names are in the past Example of the "Pigeon"The name became very famous through Mother Beimer from ‘Lindenstrabe’, but was already very common in ancient times as an erotic term of endearment for the beloved." Reason: "Doves were then considered sacred animals of Aphrodite."
Photo © iStock.com, mediaphotos
Important for the relationship
Whatever the pet name, the main thing is to have one at all. Psychologist Bohm considers relationships in which partners address each other with a pet name to be stable. "Because it shows that you are deeply involved with each other and think about each other."
Sometimes, however, things get out of hand. "The unspeakable ‘Mutti’ or ‘Vati’ designation, when there are no more children in the house, makes one doubt that one is still perceived as a partner.", says Bohm. In addition, she calls a Basic rule: "Terms of endearment are not suitable for public use. Others may quickly perceive it as lewd or as degradation because they do not know relationship internals."
Another tip from linguist Lindlar: "Terms of endearment should not be used in an inflationary manner. Otherwise there is a wear and tear effect. Then the pet name only replaces the first name, no longer reflects the intimate relationship between the two and is no longer emotionally charged."
Exchange pet names?
A rather interesting result promoted the already mentioned by Befragmich.de to light. In it still eleven per cent of the 5000 participants expressed themselves that they would wish, their partner would find another designation than the current for it. Maybe you should ask the dearest or the dearest times whether to her or him the current "Hasi" or "Mausi is also right?
Still another interesting result of this inquiry: Well 76 per cent go without classical Kosenamen by the relationship everyday life. An occasional sweetheart or dear will also fall there – but not as an affectionate permanent designation. However: The asked ones, which do not have a pet name, gave besides to minutes to want none.
Photo © iStock.com, cyano66
The most unpopular pet name for men
Perhaps the survey is not terribly representative – after all, the Berlin dating portal Shopaman "only" surveyed 900 of its members. However, the answer to the question about the least popular pet name for men was revealing. With a whopping 79 percent, the overwhelming majority chose "Stallion". Although certainly meant as a compliment (after all, such a stallion is a powerful and potent creature), this seems to be just too platitudinous for men (and women).
International pet names
Americans (and Brits) like to call their sweethearts "babe or "Honey we know from series and movies – "Sweetheart" or "Darling is also still familiar to us. But what about in other countries? Sometimes quite funny, like in the Netherlands. Because according to Cafebabel.You like to name your partner after your favorite candy "Dropje", so licorice. The treasure ("Schatje") one knows there however naturally also. In Italy, "Amore" is popular, in Spain "Carino", "Tesoro" and "Mi Vida (dearest, sweetheart, my life). In Turkey, it is not uncommon to call the partner as "Fıstıgım" (pistachio) and in Russia the lady of the heart is often called a "Vishenka (cherry). In France, in addition to the well-known "cherie", one keeps with "mon ange/coeur/tresor/amour" (my angel, heart, treasure, love) similarly conventional as in Germany.
Photo © iStock.com, skynesher
Curious: pet names for cars
Quite a few people not only give an affectionate nickname to their partner, but also to their vehicle. To be more precise, according to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov, one in seven Germans does so – and in some cases gets really creative when it comes to choosing a name. There is the "Silver Arrow, the "diva and the "Dusi", but also the "fighter and the "jewel. It becomes more intimate with "My little one", "Bear or "My dear".
Already a little bit ulkig, or? But if you consider that, according to the above-mentioned survey, every fifth person loves his car and almost half of them like it, a pet name is not so absurd.
Source: A. Grundies, D. Mursa: The lexicon of prominent pet names, Rowohlt