Terms of Endearment in Shakespeare: What His Lovers Called Each Other
The terms of endearment in Shakespeare that stand out most are "chuck," "sweeting," "bully" and "duck," along with old favorites like "sweet," "dear," "love" and "honey." Macbeth calls his wife "dearest chuck." Othello greets Desdemona with "Honey" and "sweeting." Petruchio teases "my super-dainty Kate." And Romeo and Juliet, in their famous balcony scene, trade "dear saint," "bright angel," "dear love" and plain, simple "Sweet."
This guide collects the pet names Shakespeare's characters actually use, with the exact line, the act, scene and line number, and what each word meant around 1600. Every quotation follows the Folger Shakespeare Library's editions, which number each line within a scene. Where we explain a word's history, we link a dictionary entry. By the end, you'll know which of these words are still in use, which have changed meaning completely, and how to borrow a few for your own sweetheart.
Terms of endearment in Shakespeare: the quick list
Here are the pet names covered in this article at a glance. The pronunciations are simple guides, not formal phonetics. "Act.scene.line" means, for example, that 3.2.51 is Act 3, scene 2, line 51 in the Folger text.
| Term | Say it | Meaning then | Example (speaker, play, line) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chuck | CHUCK | Darling, dear (a fond, homey word) | Macbeth to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth 3.2.51 |
| sweeting | SWEET-ing | Sweetheart (also a sweet apple) | Petruchio to Katherine, The Taming of the Shrew 4.3.36 |
| bully | BULL-ee | Good fellow, fine friend (earlier, sweetheart) | Quince to Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1.8 |
| bawcock | BAW-cock | Fine fellow, good lad | Leontes to his son, The Winter's Tale 1.2.154 |
| duck | DUCK | Dear, darling | Pyramus to Thisbe, A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1.296 |
| lamb | LAM | Gentle, innocent dear one | The Nurse to Juliet, Romeo and Juliet 1.3.3 |
| ladybird | LAY-dee-bird | Sweet little one | The Nurse to Juliet, Romeo and Juliet 1.3.3 |
| honey | HUN-ee | Sweet one | Othello to Desdemona, Othello 2.1.225 |
| sweet | SWEET | Sweetheart, used on its own | Juliet to Romeo, Romeo and Juliet 2.2.197 |
| dear love | DEER LUV | My beloved | Juliet to Romeo, Romeo and Juliet 2.2.143 |
| mouse | MOUSE | Little dear, a teasing pet name | Rosaline to Katherine, Love's Labor's Lost 5.2.20 |
| nightingale | NITE-in-gale | My songbird, my sweet | Antony to Cleopatra, Antony and Cleopatra 4.8.23 |
| coz | CUZ | Cousin, close friend | Celia to Rosalind, As You Like It 1.2.1 |
A quick word on what "Elizabethan" means here. Shakespeare wrote during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, so you'll also see "Jacobean" for his later plays. For our purposes, "Shakespeare's English" or "Early Modern English" covers it: the English spoken in London around the year 1600.
Chuck: the favorite pet name of Shakespeare's married couples
If you learn one Shakespearean endearment, make it chuck. It sounds odd to modern ears, but it was a warm, everyday word for someone you loved. Dictionary.com lists it as an archaic noun "used as a term of endearment," with the example "my love, my chuck." It dates the word to Middle English "chuk," first recorded between 1350 and 1400, and describes it as "apparently imitative," meaning it may echo a sound, perhaps the clucking noise people make to chicks.
Here's where it shows up.
Macbeth to Lady Macbeth
Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,
That's Macbeth, Act 3, scene 2, line 51. It's a striking moment. Macbeth is planning something dark and wants to keep his wife out of it, and he does it with the tenderest pet name in the play. The sweetness of "dearest chuck" next to his grim plans is part of what makes the scene so chilling. Still, the word itself shows how a husband in Shakespeare's day might talk to his wife in private.
Othello to Desdemona
What promise, chuck?
That's Othello, Act 3, scene 4, line 56. Desdemona has just said, "Come now, your promise" (line 55), and Othello answers with "chuck." Even in a tense conversation, the old married-couple pet name slips out.
Antony to Cleopatra
No, my chuck.
In Antony and Cleopatra, Act 4, scene 4, line 3, Antony uses it as he calls for his armor and Cleopatra offers to help. It's a lovely domestic moment between two of the most powerful people in the ancient world, and the word he picks is the same cozy one Macbeth uses.
Sir Toby to Malvolio
Why, how now, my bawcock? How dost thou, chuck?
In Twelfth Night, Act 3, scene 4, lines 121 to 122, Sir Toby Belch uses "chuck" and "bawcock" on the stiff, self-important Malvolio, who is acting very strangely. Toby talks to him like he's a small child. A moment later he even calls him "biddy" (line 124), another chicken word. The joke works because these are such soft, babyish pet names to use on a grown man.
Notice the pattern. Three times out of four, "chuck" is used between husband and wife or lovers. It's a private, homey word. That's a good clue about how it felt: less like "darling" at a party and more like "hon" across the kitchen table.
Sweeting: a sweet apple and a sweetheart
Sweeting is one of the prettiest words in Shakespeare. According to Dictionary.com, it has two meanings: a sweet variety of apple, and, in archaic use, a sweetheart. The word goes back to Middle English "sweting," first recorded between 1250 and 1300, and it's built from "sweet" plus the ending "-ing."
Feste's love song
The most famous "sweeting" is in a song. In Twelfth Night, Act 2, scene 3, the clown Feste sings "O mistress mine," which begins at line 40. Line 43 reads:
Trip no further, pretty sweeting.
It's a love song telling a sweetheart to stop wandering, because her true love has come. "Pretty sweeting" is the kind of phrase that still sounds charming four hundred years later.
Othello and Petruchio
Othello uses it with Desdemona after a late-night brawl wakes her: "All's well now, sweeting" (Othello 2.3.269 to 270). He's calming her down, telling her everything's fine.
Petruchio uses it with Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew:
How fares my Kate? What, sweeting, all amort?
That's Act 4, scene 3, line 36. "All amort" means downcast or gloomy, from a French phrase meaning "dead." So he's asking, "What's wrong, sweetheart, why so down?" The pet name is gentle even if Petruchio himself is a handful.
Bully and bawcock: pet names for good friends
Here's where Shakespeare's English can really trip you up. Today a bully is someone who picks on others. In Shakespeare's time, it was a compliment.
Bully
Dictionary.com traces "bully" to Middle Dutch "boele," meaning "lover," first recorded between 1530 and 1540. Among its old meanings, it lists "sweetheart" (a darling or beloved) and "good friend" (a good fellow or companion), both now obsolete. By Shakespeare's day, the friendly "fine fellow" sense was the one in use. The adjective meaning "fine" or "excellent" hung on much longer, which is where the dated cheer "bully for you" comes from.
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, the amateur actors are rehearsing in the woods, and their director, Peter Quince, turns to the star of the show:
What sayest thou, bully Bottom?
That's Act 3, scene 1, line 8. "Bully Bottom" means something like "my good man Bottom" or "Bottom, old pal." It's friendly and admiring.
The Host of the Garter Inn in The Merry Wives of Windsor uses "bully" constantly. In Act 1, scene 3, line 2, he greets Falstaff with "What says my bullyrook?" A "bully-rook" was a jolly companion. The Host also calls him "bully Hercules" (1.3.6) and "bully Hector" (1.3.11) in the same scene, piling on heroic names for fun.
And in Henry V, Act 4, scene 1, the boastful soldier Pistol, not knowing he's talking to the disguised King himself, says he loves "the lovely bully" (line 49). He means King Henry, the fine fellow everyone admires.
Bawcock
Bawcock is a cousin of "bully." Dictionary.com defines it as an archaic, familiar term for a fine fellow, from the French "beau coc," literally "fine rooster," first recorded between 1590 and 1600. That puts it right in Shakespeare's working years.
Pistol uses it just before "lovely bully":
The King's a bawcock and a heart of gold,
That's Henry V 4.1.46. And in The Winter's Tale, King Leontes uses it on his young son Mamillius:
Why, that's my bawcock.
That's Act 1, scene 2, line 154. A few lines later he calls the boy "Most dear'st, my collop!" (line 173). A collop is a slice of meat, so the idea is "my own flesh and blood." It's the kind of fond thing a proud parent might say, like calling a kid "my little man" or "chip off the old block."
Duck, lamb, ladybird, mouse and nightingale: animal pet names
Shakespeare's characters love comparing their dear ones to small, gentle animals and birds, just like we do with "bunny," "kitten" and "little bear" today.
Duck
In the play-within-a-play at the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 5, scene 1, Bottom, playing the tragic lover Pyramus, finds Thisbe's cloak and cries out:
O dainty duck! O dear!
That's line 296. It's deliberately over the top, and the joke is the clumsy mix of grand tragedy and homey pet names. But "duck" as a fond word for a loved one has lasted. The Dictionary.com entry for "duck" includes a British informal sense, also "ducks," meaning "dear or darling." So Bottom's pet name has living relatives in British speech today.
Lamb and ladybird
Juliet's Nurse calls for her at the start of Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, scene 3, line 3:
I bade her come.—What, lamb! What, ladybird!
These are the fond names of someone who has cared for Juliet since she was a baby. "Lamb" suggests gentleness and innocence. "Ladybird" is the British word for what Americans call a ladybug, a tiny, bright, harmless creature. Together they paint Juliet as the Nurse sees her: small, sweet and precious.
Mouse
In Love's Labor's Lost, Act 5, scene 2, line 20, Rosaline teases her friend Katherine:
What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?
"Mouse" here is playful and affectionate, the way a friend might say "you little scamp." It shows that pet names in Shakespeare aren't only for lovers. Friends use them too.
Nightingale
After a victory in battle, Antony rushes back to Cleopatra and greets her with "Mine nightingale" (Antony and Cleopatra 4.8.23). The nightingale was the classic songbird of love poetry, famous for singing at night. Calling Cleopatra his nightingale is a poetic, joyful way to say "my sweet."
Sweet, dear, love and honey: the words that survived
Some of Shakespeare's pet names never went out of style. You probably use them yourself.
Sweet
Shakespeare's lovers often use "Sweet" all on its own as a name, the way we might say "Sweetie." When Romeo says "I would I were thy bird" (2.2.196), Juliet answers:
Sweet, so would I.
That's Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, scene 2, line 197. Earlier in the same scene, she says "Sweet, good night" (line 127). Using an adjective as a name is a very Shakespearean habit, and it still feels tender today.
Dear and dear love
"Dear" turns up everywhere, often in combination. Romeo begins a vow with "If my heart's dear love—" (2.2.122), and Juliet, hearing the Nurse call, says "Dear love, adieu" (2.2.143). In Othello, Desdemona greets her husband after a stormy sea voyage with "My dear Othello!" (2.1.198).
Love
The simplest endearment of all. When Romeo first sees Juliet at her window, he whispers, "It is my lady. O, it is my love!" (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.10). And Juliet gives one of the most generous lines in all of Shakespeare: "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, / My love as deep" (2.2.140 to 141).
Honey
"Honey" as a pet name is older than Shakespeare, and he used it naturally. When Othello lands in Cyprus and is reunited with Desdemona, he tells her:
Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus.
That's Othello 2.1.225. He means everyone on the island will love her. Juliet uses it too, for her Nurse, in the line "O God, she comes!—O, honey nurse, what news?" (Romeo and Juliet 2.5.18). So "honey" worked for a spouse and for a beloved caretaker alike.
Fair, bright angel and dear saint
Romeo's compliments lean heavenly. He calls Juliet "bright angel" ("O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art," 2.2.29), and when he tells her his name, he says "My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself" (2.2.60), because his name is Montague, her family's enemy. He also calls her "fair maid" (2.2.66). Othello greets Desdemona as "my fair warrior" (2.1.197), a lovely mix of beauty and bravery. Hamlet, in a quieter moment, calls Ophelia "Nymph" ("The fair Ophelia.—Nymph, in thy orisons," Hamlet 3.1.97), asking her to remember him in her prayers.
How Romeo and Juliet talk to each other
The balcony scene, Romeo and Juliet Act 2, scene 2, is a small dictionary of romantic language. Watching how the two of them address each other shows how pet names work in a new relationship, then and now.
| Line | Speaker | Words | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2.10 | Romeo (to himself) | "It is my lady. O, it is my love!" | He's already calling her "my love," though she can't hear him |
| 2.2.29 | Romeo | "bright angel" | Admiration from a distance, putting her on a pedestal |
| 2.2.46 to 47 | Juliet | "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet." | Names matter less than the person behind them |
| 2.2.60 | Romeo | "dear saint" | Reverent, almost worshipful |
| 2.2.66 | Romeo | "fair maid" | Polite and courtly |
| 2.2.127 | Juliet | "Sweet, good night." | She's more direct and down to earth |
| 2.2.143 | Juliet | "Dear love, adieu." | Warm and settled, like a couple already |
| 2.2.197 | Juliet | "Sweet, so would I." | Playful, finishing his thought |
| 2.2.199 to 200 | Juliet | "Parting is such sweet / sorrow" | The most famous goodbye in English |
Notice the shift. Romeo starts with lofty, worshipful names: angel, saint, fair maid. Juliet answers with short, warm, practical ones: Sweet, dear love. By the end of the scene, the language has relaxed into the easy talk of two people who belong together. Modern couples follow the same arc. Early on, names are often flattering and a little formal. Later, they get shorter, sillier and more personal. Our guide on when to start using pet names looks at that shift in today's relationships.
And yes, the rose line is about names. Juliet's point is that what you call someone matters less than who they are. It's the perfect motto for anyone hunting for a nickname: the best one is simply the one that fits the person you love.
Petruchio's "Kate": a nickname as a running joke
In The Taming of the Shrew, Act 2, scene 1, Petruchio meets Katherine for the first time and insists on calling her "Kate," even though she says her name is Katherine. He rattles off a string of variations (lines 193 to 198):
- "you are called plain Kate" (2.1.193)
- "And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst" (2.1.194)
- "Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate" (2.1.196)
- "Kate of my consolation" (2.1.198)
"Bonny" means pretty or fine. "Curst" means bad-tempered. "Super-dainty" is a playful overstatement, something like "extra-lovely." The whole speech is a show of wordplay, and the play's battle of wits begins right there. It's also a reminder that shortening a name can feel friendly or pushy depending on whether the other person welcomes it. If your partner isn't fond of a nickname, our guide to what to do when a partner hates a nickname can help.
Shakespeare's couples and their pet names, side by side
Lining up the couples shows how each relationship has its own vocabulary, just like real ones do. Some couples are all poetry. Others are all kitchen-table comfort.
| Couple | Pet names used | Where | The feel of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet | my love, bright angel, dear saint, fair maid, Sweet, dear love | Romeo and Juliet 2.2 | Young, giddy, poetic |
| Othello and Desdemona | my fair warrior, my dear Othello, Honey, sweeting, chuck | Othello 2.1, 2.3, 3.4 | Newly married, proud and affectionate |
| Macbeth and Lady Macbeth | dearest chuck | Macbeth 3.2 | Private and close, even in a dark moment |
| Antony and Cleopatra | my chuck, Mine nightingale | Antony and Cleopatra 4.4, 4.8 | Grand passion with homey touches |
| Petruchio and Katherine | plain Kate, bonny Kate, super-dainty Kate, sweeting | The Taming of the Shrew 2.1, 4.3 | Playful sparring, teasing nicknames |
| Pyramus and Thisbe (as played by Bottom) | dainty duck, dear | A Midsummer Night's Dream 5.1 | Comic, deliberately overdone |
A few patterns jump out.
- Married couples go homey. "Chuck" belongs almost entirely to husbands and wives (Macbeth, Othello, Antony). It's the kind of word you use after the courtship is over and real life has begun.
- New lovers go heavenly. Romeo reaches for angels and saints. Othello, still glowing after his wedding, calls Desdemona a "fair warrior." Early love loves big words.
- Teasing couples play with names. Petruchio's run of "Kates" is less about sweetness and more about wit. Nicknames can be a game, too.
- Comedy exaggerates. Bottom's "dainty duck" works because audiences already knew these pet names and could laugh at them being piled on too thick.
Modern couples tend to follow the same path. Our guides to couples' pet names show the same mix of sweet, silly and poetic choices today.
Pet names for friends and family in Shakespeare
Shakespeare's endearments aren't only for sweethearts. Some of the warmest ones pass between friends, cousins, parents and children.
- Parent to child: Leontes calls his son "my bawcock" and "my collop" (The Winter's Tale 1.2.154 and 1.2.173). The Nurse, who raised Juliet, calls her "lamb" and "ladybird" (Romeo and Juliet 1.3.3).
- Cousin to cousin: Celia calls Rosalind "sweet my coz" (As You Like It 1.2.1).
- Friend to friend: Rosaline calls Katherine "mouse" (Love's Labor's Lost 5.2.20). Quince calls Bottom "bully Bottom" (A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1.8).
- Young woman to her nurse: Juliet calls hers "honey nurse" (Romeo and Juliet 2.5.18).
- Soldier to king: Pistol praises Henry as "a bawcock and a heart of gold" (Henry V 4.1.46).
That range is a nice reminder that pet names are about closeness of every kind. A parent's "my little man," a best friend's "dude" and a partner's "honey" all come from the same instinct to mark someone as special.
Reading the love scenes aloud: a date-night idea
One of the best ways to enjoy Shakespeare's pet names is to hear them. Reading a scene aloud together makes for a sweet, low-key date night, and you don't need any acting experience.
How to do it
- Pick a short scene. The balcony scene (Romeo and Juliet 2.2) is the classic. For something lighter, try Petruchio and Kate's first meeting (The Taming of the Shrew 2.1).
- Use a free online text. The Folger Shakespeare Library posts every play online, with line numbers that match the ones in this article.
- Split the parts. One of you reads Romeo, the other Juliet. Swap halfway if you like.
- Don't worry about the old words. Read through once for the feeling, then go back and look up anything puzzling.
- Circle the pet names. Each of you picks one that you'd like to be called. That's your new private nickname.
Lines worth saying out loud
- "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, / My love as deep." (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.140 to 141)
- "Parting is such sweet / sorrow" (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.199 to 200)
- "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet." (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.46 to 47)
- "Trip no further, pretty sweeting." (Twelfth Night 2.3.43)
- "Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate" (The Taming of the Shrew 2.1.196)
A quick tip on the rose line: many people remember it as "by any other name," which is how it appears in some editions. The Folger text reads "by any other word." Editors choose between the two wordings, and either way the meaning is the same.
Words that changed meaning since Shakespeare
Several of Shakespeare's endearments mean something very different now, or have dropped out of use. This table shows how they've shifted.
| Word | In Shakespeare's time | Today | Safe to use as a pet name now? |
|---|---|---|---|
| bully | Fine fellow, good friend; earlier, sweetheart | Someone who picks on others | No, it will confuse people |
| chuck | Darling, dear | Mainly a verb meaning "throw," or a man's name | Yes, with a little explaining |
| sweeting | Sweetheart; a sweet apple | Rare and old-fashioned | Yes, it's charming |
| bawcock | Fine fellow | Not in everyday use | Only for fun with a theater fan |
| duck | Dear, darling | Still used in parts of Britain ("ducks," "duckie") | Yes, it's sweet and quirky |
| coz | Cousin, close friend | "Cuz" survives as slang for cousin or buddy | For friends, yes |
| honey | Sweet one | One of the most common pet names in America | Yes, always |
| sweet | Sweetheart, used as a name | Mostly an adjective; "sweetie" is the modern form | Yes, very romantic |
"Bully" is the big warning sign. It's a perfect example of a word that flipped from friendly to unfriendly over the centuries. If you're reading Shakespeare aloud with kids or students, it's worth pausing on "bully Bottom" to explain it was a compliment.
Common mix-ups when reading Shakespeare's pet names
"Wherefore" doesn't mean "where"
Juliet's "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.36) means "why are you Romeo?" She isn't looking for him. She's asking why he has to be a Montague. It's not a pet name, but it's the most misread line in the scene, so it's worth knowing.
"Thou" can be tender
In Shakespeare's English, "thou" and "thee" were the informal, familiar way to say "you," used with close family, friends, lovers, children and servants. "You" was more formal or polite. So when lovers switch to "thou," it often signals closeness, a bit like moving from a last name to a first name. You can see it in the balcony scene: Romeo and Juliet use "thou" and "thee" with each other throughout.
"Coz" doesn't always mean cousin
Celia calls Rosalind "sweet my coz" in As You Like It (1.2.1: "I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry."). The two really are cousins, but "coz" was also used loosely for close friends and relatives. Think of it like "cuz" today.
Not every sweet word is sweet in context
Macbeth's "dearest chuck" is tender in sound but comes in a dark scene. Bottom's "dainty duck" is a pet name used for laughs. When you borrow a Shakespearean term, it's the word you're borrowing, not the scene. "Chuck" is lovely on its own.
Try it yourself: using Shakespearean pet names today
Want to give your partner a pet name with four centuries of history? Here's how to make it work.
Step 1: pick a word that still sounds sweet
The easiest picks are "sweeting," "chuck," "duck," "sweet," "dear love" and "my nightingale." They sound affectionate even to someone who's never read the plays.
Step 2: add "my" or a gentle adjective
Shakespeare's couples rarely use a pet name bare. They add "my," "dear," "dearest" or "pretty." "My sweeting" and "dearest chuck" sound much warmer than "sweeting" or "chuck" alone.
Step 3: tell the story
Half the charm is the explanation. "I'm calling you chuck because that's what Antony called Cleopatra" turns a funny-sounding word into a romantic gesture.
Step 4: use it in the right places
- A love note: "Good morning, my sweeting."
- A text before bed: "Sweet, good night."
- A card on your anniversary: "To my dearest chuck."
- A nickname in your phone: "Nightingale."
A worked example
Here's an illustrative example with made-up people. Nora and Ben met in a college Shakespeare class. For their first anniversary, Nora writes a card that says, "To my bully Ben, the finest fellow in all of Athens." Ben laughs because he remembers the "bully Bottom" line from class. He writes back, "To my pretty sweeting," quoting Feste's song. From then on, "sweeting" becomes Nora's everyday nickname, and "bully" stays a private joke, never used in public, since most people would hear it the modern way.
That's the trick: a Shakespearean pet name works best when you both know where it came from. For more pet names with old-world charm, browse our lists of vintage terms of endearment and British terms of endearment, where "duck" and "love" are still alive and well.
Why Shakespeare's pet names still matter
Shakespeare didn't invent most of these words. "Chuck," "sweeting," "honey" and "dear" were all part of everyday English before he picked up his pen, and the dictionary dates in this article show it. What he did was put them into the mouths of characters we still care about. That's why "sweeting" feels romantic and "dearest chuck" feels intimate, even though hardly anyone says them anymore.
They also show that people four hundred years ago did exactly what couples do today. They shortened names, compared their loved ones to birds and small animals, borrowed words for sweetness and honey, and teased their friends with silly titles. The words have changed, but the habit hasn't. If you're curious about how today's endearments grew out of older ones, our guide to terms of endearment traces the bigger story, and our article on the psychology of pet names explains why couples create them in the first place.
Wrapping up
The best-known terms of endearment in Shakespeare are "chuck," "sweeting," "bully," "bawcock," "duck," "lamb," "ladybird," "honey," "sweet," "dear love" and "my nightingale." Some of them, like "honey" and "dear," are still everywhere. Others, like "chuck" and "sweeting," are ready for a comeback. And one, "bully," is best left in the plays. Read them in the scenes where they live, and you'll hear real affection behind the old spelling.
If you'd like help finding a modern pet name with the same warmth, try our free nickname generator. Pick who it's for and a vibe, such as romantic, classic or unique, and it suggests names with a "why it works" note for each one. Save your favorites to a shortlist, or blend your two names together with the Couple Name Mixer.
Shakespeare's Pet Names Beyond Romance
Not every pet name in Shakespeare is for lovers. This table shows who used friendly and family names for whom.
| Relationship | Pet name | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Parent to child | "My bawcock" and "my collop," from Leontes to his son | The Winter's Tale |
| The Nurse to Juliet | Lamb and ladybird | Romeo and Juliet |
| Cousin to cousin | "Sweet my coz," from Celia to Rosalind | As You Like It |
| Friend to friend | "Mouse," from Rosaline to Katherine | Love's Labor's Lost |
| Friend to friend | "Bully Bottom," from Quince | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| Young woman to her nurse | "Honey nurse," from Juliet | Romeo and Juliet |
| Soldier to king | "A bawcock and a heart of gold," from Pistol about Henry | Henry V |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chuck mean in Shakespeare?
Chuck is an old, affectionate word for a loved one, something like darling or dear. Dictionary.com lists it as an archaic term of endearment that goes back to Middle English chuk, first recorded between 1350 and 1400. Shakespeare's couples use it in private, tender moments. Macbeth calls his wife dearest chuck in Macbeth 3.2.51, Othello says What promise, chuck? in Othello 3.4.56, and Antony says No, my chuck to Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra 4.4.3.
What does sweeting mean in Shakespeare?
Sweeting means sweetheart. It also named a sweet variety of apple. According to Dictionary.com, the word comes from Middle English sweting, first recorded between 1250 and 1300. In Twelfth Night, Feste sings Trip no further, pretty sweeting in Act 2, scene 3, line 43. Petruchio asks What, sweeting, all amort? in The Taming of the Shrew 4.3.36, and Othello calms Desdemona with All's well now, sweeting in Othello 2.3.269 to 270. It's a gentle, charming word that still works today.
Why does Shakespeare call people bully?
In Shakespeare's time, bully was a compliment. It meant a fine fellow or a good friend. Dictionary.com traces it to Middle Dutch boele, meaning lover, and lists sweetheart and good friend among its now obsolete senses. So when Peter Quince says What sayest thou, bully Bottom? in A Midsummer Night's Dream 3.1.8, he means something like my good man Bottom. The modern meaning of someone who picks on others came later, so this pet name is best left in the plays.
What did Romeo call Juliet?
In the balcony scene, Act 2, scene 2, Romeo calls Juliet my love, bright angel, dear saint and fair maid. He whispers It is my lady. O, it is my love! at line 10 and says O, speak again, bright angel at line 29. He calls her dear saint at line 60 and fair maid at line 66. His names for her are lofty and admiring, while Juliet answers with warmer, simpler words like Sweet and dear love.
What did Juliet call Romeo?
Juliet's names for Romeo are short and warm. In Romeo and Juliet Act 2, scene 2, she says Sweet, good night at line 127, Dear love, adieu at line 143, and Sweet, so would I at line 197. She often uses Sweet on its own as a name, much like we say Sweetie today. Her language is more direct than Romeo's flowery compliments, and it shows a young woman who knows her own heart and speaks plainly.
What does dainty duck mean in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
In Act 5, scene 1, line 296, Bottom, playing the lover Pyramus in a clumsy amateur play, cries O dainty duck! O dear! when he finds Thisbe's cloak. Dainty means pretty or delicate, and duck was a fond word for a loved one. The line is meant to be funny, mixing grand tragedy with homey pet names. Duck as an endearment has lasted, too. Dictionary.com lists a British informal sense of duck, or ducks, meaning dear or darling.
Did Shakespeare use the word honey as a pet name?
Yes. When Othello reunites with Desdemona in Cyprus, he says Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus, in Othello Act 2, scene 1, line 225, meaning everyone there will love her. Juliet also calls her Nurse honey nurse in Romeo and Juliet 2.5.18. Honey was already a familiar endearment in English before Shakespeare, and it's still one of the most common pet names in America today, which makes it one of the longest-lasting love words in the language.
What does bawcock mean?
Bawcock is an old, friendly word for a fine fellow. Dictionary.com traces it to the French beau coc, literally fine rooster, and dates it to between 1590 and 1600, right in Shakespeare's working years. Leontes calls his little son that's my bawcock in The Winter's Tale 1.2.154, Pistol says The King's a bawcock and a heart of gold in Henry V 4.1.46, and Sir Toby calls Malvolio my bawcock in Twelfth Night 3.4.121. Think of it like calling someone a good lad.
Can I use Shakespearean pet names today?
Absolutely, with a little care. Sweeting, chuck, duck, sweet, dear love and my nightingale all still sound affectionate. Add my or dearest to make them warmer, as Shakespeare's characters do, and share the story behind the word so your partner knows it's romantic. Skip bully, which now means something unkind. A Shakespearean pet name works best in love notes, anniversary cards and private texts, where the two of you can enjoy the history together.
Sources
We checked every source below while writing this guide. Last reviewed October 30, 2026, by Joan Ramos.
- Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2 (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 2 (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- Othello, Act 3, Scene 4 (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 3 (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 5, Scene 1 (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- Chuck (definition and origin) (Dictionary.com)
- Sweeting (definition and origin) (Dictionary.com)
- Bully (definition and origin) (Dictionary.com)
- Bawcock (definition and origin) (Dictionary.com)
- Duck (definition and origin) (Dictionary.com)
