Irish Slang For Baby (Helpful Content!)

The most common Irish slang terms for baby are simple alterations of the word baby, such as “babby”, “bab”, and “babber”. These are commonly used in most of Ireland. You may also sometimes hear the term “babe” or “babe in arms”. Other, less common terms include things like “infant,” “suckling,” or “shit factory.”

Babies are all around us, and it’s interesting the way that they are so clearly distinct from children and people in general, and yet they are simply very young people.

Naturally, we need different words to describe them, and while most Irish people get by just fine on “baby”, there are plenty of slang terms that are widely used.

Let’s find out more.

In This Article

What do the Irish call a baby?

The Irish do have a variety of different slang terms that are used in different times, places, and situations, for a baby, but it’s worth pointing out that overall the most likely term they are to use is simply “baby”.

This is by far the most common term and the one that you’ll hear used just about everywhere, though there may be one or two places where some people do automatically use other terms.

There are many slang terms, but few are as common or widespread simply as “baby” itself.

With that said, you might hear a variety of other terms used at times.

“Babby” is perhaps the most common of these in Ireland, and is a very widespread slang term used for a baby.

This is used both by the older and younger generations today, though perhaps for somewhat different reasons.

We’ll look in more detail about the origin of the term shortly, but it’s fairly widely used across Ireland and even the UK.

“How’s the babby, then?” for example.

There are a variety of other terms similar to this which are essentially just corruptions and alterations of the word “baby”.

One very common one in Ireland is “bab”.

This one you’ll hear in certain regions more than others, though virtually anyone in Ireland is likely to understand what you mean by this term.

Another, very similar term to this is “babber”.

Again this one is fairly common throughout both Ireland and the UK, and even those who don’t use it themselves are likely to understand what you mean by the term.

“They’ve got a babber on the way, have you heard?” for example.

Other terms you might hear include the somewhat archaic “babe”, or some other more out-there terms like “suckling” or the somewhat uncouth “shit-factory”.

Why do the Irish say “babby”?

“Babby” is simply an alteration of the term “baby”, and historically it has been used in Ireland for quite some time.

We can see that it was in use into the 20th Century, and was sometimes also spelled as “babbie”.

Older generations have been using it for a long time simply as a changed form of baby, but it was in fact popularized by the internet which is what revived its use among younger generations.

The term “how is babby formed” became a popular internet meme based on questions asked on the now defunct Yahoo Answers, in which clueless young children would ask, in broken English, where babies came from.

Why do the Irish say “bab” and “babber”?

When it comes to “bab” and “babber”, again there really isn’t much to say beyond the simple fact that these are alterations of the term “baby”.

Originally, and still primarily today, the term “babber” is common in the West Country in England, particularly in and around Bristol.

At some point this term was exported to Ireland, perhaps, or on the other hand it could simply have arisen independently there–it is a very natural alteration of the term baby.

The same is mostly true of “bab”, though this one is a lot more widespread.

Again, it is used in both Britain and Ireland, so it could have either spread from one to the other or arisen independently in both places.

Why do the Irish say “babe”?

“Babe” is used less often these days, and is a much more archaic slang term for baby.

Even in Ireland, the term is much more commonly used today as a pet name for a partner in a relationship, rather than an infant.

In the past, though, and not even until all that long ago, it was the far more common term for an infant than “baby”.

You would also hear the term “babe in arms” used very frequently to refer to the youngest kind of baby which has virtually no independence of movement yet.

Again, while this term is mostly archaic and if used it is more likely to be used in slight irony, it is still used from time to time.

Why do the Irish say “suckling”?

It is also very unlikely that “suckling” will be used entirely in earnest, and rather as a kind of jokey, ironic term in Ireland.

It comes simply from the fact that babies tend to suckle at their mother’s breasts, especially in their earliest days, for food.

This one is best avoided in polite company!

While the most common term for “baby” in Ireland is, in all likelihood, simply “baby,” there are also many other terms you might hear used to describe them.

From the simple alterations of baby, of which there are a great deal, to the rarer and more evocative terms like “suckling” or even the rarely used “shit factory,” there are tons of different words for a baby in Irish English.

More in Irish Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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