Everybody has heard the word “daddy”, which is related to love, responsibilities, care, and more.
Most of us grew up calling our fathers by that name, and if not, we would have heard people all around us using it to refer to their own fathers. But in recent years, the word has taken on another meaning.
Many wives and girlfriends have started referring to their male significant others as daddy, and despite it becoming more and more common, many people are still not that into it.
It’s understandable since daddy has always referred to a father figure historically, but just because a woman uses the word as a pet name for her boyfriend or husband doesn’t mean she has daddy issues or incestual desires.
Rather than seeing the word as a perversion, or even sexual in any way, think of it as another side of the same coin as pet names like “baby,” “mama,” or “baby girl.”
These words have been used as pet names in relationships for decades, so why should the word daddy be any different? When you call a woman sexy mama or baby girl, nobody gets offended or thinks it’s too kinky, so what’s wrong with calling a man daddy?
So, if your girlfriend has started calling you daddy and you’re not sure how you feel about it or how you should respond, don’t worry, we can help.
At least you can be pretty sure of one thing right away… she probably wouldn’t be calling you daddy if she wasn’t completely into you.
What Does It Mean When Your Girlfriend Calls You Daddy?
Generally, a girl who calls her husband or boyfriend daddy wants to express she is a little girl and she wants you to treat her like a kid.
However, no 2 women are the same and we have no way of knowing for sure why your girlfriend calls you daddy.
What kind of relationship you have with her, her personality, and when she chooses to use this nickname will be good indicators of what she means, so pay attention to the context.
We can give you a variety of reasons why women use the term, but it’s up to you to be a responsible partner and communicate with your lady about why she likes the name daddy, and what it means to her.
Here are some possibilities:
1. She is Very Into You
You make her feel safe and cared for – she sees you as a protector and she is showing you respect and admiration by calling you daddy.
2. She Thinks You Are Strong and Capable
She wants to show you that she admires strength and competence in a man – she likes to be provided for and looked after, and you are fulfilling that need.
3. She is Referring to Your Age
Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – maybe she likes to be with an older, more mature man who is confident and secure in himself. Men like that are less likely to be controlling or jealous and more likely to be trusting, capable providers.
4. She is In Love with You
She wants to tell you how much she loves you, and calling you daddy is a sign of her love, respect, and trust. She feels close to you and is trying to express that.
5. Calling a Partner Daddy is Normal or Natural to Her
This could be a cultural thing – it is very common in the American South – or because she sees other people doing it often in real life or on TV or social media.
6. She is Referring to You as the Father of Her Children
If you don’t already have children, she could be imagining you in that role and liking what she sees. If you have discussed the idea of having children, she could be playing with the idea in her head and imagining what life could be like.
If you already have children, your wife calls you daddy just like how your children call you. As you can imagine, it is a way to show love and intimate.
7. She Sees You as a Mentor or Leader
She likes to follow your lead and allow you to be the authority figure in her life.
8. It Turns Her On When You are Dominant or Controlling in Bed
She might want you to take charge and tell her what you want when you’re getting physical together. Maybe she enjoys being the submissive partner during sex and wants you to be completely in control of her, for example, she could be into BDSM.
However, It’s important to be absolutely sure that your partner likes to be submissive before trying to take on the role of a dominant.
The important thing for all of these possible meanings is to never assume. Again, each woman is unique, and they all have their own idea of how a man should treat them. If you don’t know why your girlfriend or wife calls you daddy, ask her!
And if she says it’s because she loves and respects you, don’t take it as permission to be domineering and authoritative. Each of the reasons above stands apart from the others, and any one woman could agree with one, some, or none of them. You should treat your lady according to her likes and desires.
Are Pet Names a Good Thing?
In general, if your girl has started using pet names in your relationship, it is probably a very good sign. Psychologists say that the use of pet names in relationships may actually lead to stronger partnerships.
In long-term relationships, it is often a sign of the relationship breaking down when one or both of the partners stop using pet names.
If you and your girl call each other by cute nicknames, it means your relationship is in a good place, and you should try to keep it that way or even improve it.
Again, this boils down to communication. If you don’t know how your girlfriend feels, why she behaves a certain way, or what she wants, just ask her.
How Should You Respond When She Calls You Daddy?
How you respond to your woman when she calls you daddy will be based on how she means it. If you’ve had that conversation and you’ve decided you’re happy to be called daddy in the way that she means it, you can respond accordingly.
For example:
- If she calls you daddy it might suggest she wants you to take control in bed and it turns her on, you can respond by taking control and telling her what to do. In this case, you could call her baby, baby girl, or a cute animal name that she likes, like bunny.
- If she calls you daddy because she loves and respects you, and she wants to show you that you are the leader of the house, you can respond by calling her an equally respectful and loving pet name, like honey or angel.
- If she is imagining you as the father of her children and you want to be that, you can respond by calling her mama and making her feel excited at the prospect of being a parent.
- If she is being playful or sexy or fun, you can respond in any way that you know she likes to be spoken to in that situation – take control if she likes being submissive, or treat her as an equal if that is her preference.
What to Do If You Don’t Like To Be Called Daddy
If, even after reading this article, her calling you daddy still creeps you out or makes you feel uncomfortable, that’s totally ok. And, don’t worry, there’s a very simple fix – just ask her not to do it.
There’s no need to be mean or patronizing when you have this conversation with her – she had no way of knowing you wouldn’t like it. She probably thought you would take it the way she meant it, rather than how it sounds in your head.
Always remember that words have different connotations for different people, and what the word daddy means to you isn’t necessarily what it means to other people.
You should just calmly tell her that you’re not a fan of the nickname and you’d prefer it if she would choose another one for you. At the same time, you can tell her how happy you are in your relationship with her, and that you are very glad she feels strongly enough about you to give you a pet name.
Doing it this way should take the sting out of telling her you don’t like her nickname for you and let her know that it isn’t anything wrong with your relationship – it’s just the word you don’t like.
As with any argument or discussion, remember to refer to your own feelings – I don’t like the nickname daddy – rather than using accusatory language – You always call me names I don’t like. Using this simple tip can help you smooth over or avoid many disagreements and arguments in your relationship.
When is Being Called Daddy a Bad Thing?
It is very seldom a bad thing to be called daddy by someone you are in a relationship with, but there are a few exceptions that would be cause for concern.
For example, if you know that your girlfriend has a bad or creepy relationship with her father that has never been resolved, her calling you daddy could mean she is using you to fulfill her deep-seated need for a father figure in her life. This is never healthy and needs to be addressed.
If you are certain that this is really the problem and you love her and want to help her, you could offer to help her pay for a therapist who can work through those issues with her.
If you are not in love with her and you find it creepy that she calls you daddy under these circumstances, it might be best to cut your losses and look for someone more well-balanced.
Another example of when it is not good to be called daddy is when you are forcing it on your significant other. You should never ask your girlfriend to call you daddy if she is uncomfortable with it.
Doing so will make you seem misogynistic, controlling, and manipulative. A pet name should be something that is said from a place of love, not because the person is being forced to say it.
And if you try to force your girlfriend to call you daddy because you think it shows respect or submissiveness, you should understand that she won’t be meaning those things when she says it, so it defeats the purpose.
Men who try to force their partners to call them a pet name like daddy are usually trying to make their SO feel insignificant, unworthy, and not in control of their own lives. It’s not a nice thing to do and won’t create a loving and solid relationship that can last long-term.
Conclusion
When your girlfriend calls you daddy, it is unlikely she is doing it because of hidden daddy issues or an incestuous kink. It’s most likely just because she loves, respects, and trusts you. We all want to be with someone who makes us feel safe, and a woman calling her man daddy is a nice way to show that she does.
Every woman will have her own reason for calling her man daddy and her own meaning for the word, so be sure to ask her what she means before making assumptions. Just because she loves you doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to be submissive to you, for example.
If you don’t like to be called daddy, and you find it creepy or offensive, kindly and calmly ask her to choose a different nickname for you, explaining that you just don’t really like the word, but you love her and you’re happy she wants to have a nickname for you.
If your partner is calling you daddy because she does have a strange or creepy relationship with her actual dad, you should decide whether to help her deal with it or move on. Therapy can be very beneficial to people with emotional issues from bad parenting.
Lastly, you should never force your partner to call you daddy in order to demean or belittle her. This is supposed to be a loving pet name that she calls you out of love and affection. Forcing her to do it only makes you manipulative and controlling.
