Pet names like ‘darling’ and ‘babe’ are on the way out – as young Gen Z Brits brand them outdated

PET names like ‘darling’ and ‘babe’ are on their way out – as a fifth of young Brits brand them outdated, according to a new poll.

Twenty one per cent of Gen Z voted the terms of endearment as the most patronising.

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It comes as three quarters (77 per cent) claim traditional nicknames are now considered too old school or even insulting.

‘Treacle’ took the top spot as the most annoying moniker (38 per cent), followed by ‘chick’ (35 per cent), ‘sugar’ (31 per cent) and ‘hon’ (29 per cent).

Other old-fashioned pet names that make youngsters cringe are ‘duck’ (25 per cent), ‘muffin’ (28 per cent), and ‘love’ (13 per cent).

One in five (20 per cent) of those surveyed by Coca-Cola say having an individual nickname, rather than a generic one, makes them feel an important part of their friendship group.

The fizzy drink brand has brought back its ‘Share a Coke’ campaign where fans can personalise a can with a name of their choice by scanning the QR code on a pack or in-store from May 15.

Charlotte Butt, Senior Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola, said: “Nick names reflect the unique relationships between individuals and the evolution of language within friendship groups.”