Babe

Babe is an English nickname and given name derived from the Middle English word babe, meaning infant or baby, itself likely of imitative origin echoing the babbling sounds of an infant. It gained currency as an informal term of endearment and was subsequently adopted as a standalone given name, particularly in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The name is widely associated with the American baseball legend Babe Ruth, born George Herman Ruth, whose nickname became iconic. Related forms include Baby and the affectionate diminutive Babsy.