To ask what bonny means when describing a baby?

[Oysterbabe]

I'd never heard it before having kids. Everyone keeps telling me DD is bonny. I'm not 100% on what it means. Does it mean fat?
She does have lovely chubby cheeks and thighs that you just can't help but squidge.

I'm from the north east and it just means pretty to me. No connotations of fat at all.

Thriving; well-nourished, (which does not mean fat); a picture of health; it is intended as a compliment.

Var123, yes I agree.

The word has the element of thriving and blooming. Even when I am at my best these days I don't look bonny any more -looking smart will have to suffice!

She's a bonny baby op!

I'm in Lancashire. I've had 4 babies, two chubby, two slim, all equally good looking . Only the chubsters ever got called bonny by the old ladies.

However, as slim young teens/adults, they all get bonny from their Grandad. I think it just means healthy, good looking. For babies that would have been chunky in years gone by.

Nicely covered and beautiful. I wouldn't say fat.

Ds2 was hugely fat as a baby despite fully bf for 6 months (complete with fat bracelets) but at 3 is a little whippet, so babies need a bit of fat to grow I think 😀

Pretty, happy, healthy and thriving I think.

It's appropriate and healthy for babies to be a little bit chubby anyway. (And I agree with posters who've pointed out that in the past, this was quite important)

I moved from an area this was used profusely and my DD got called it all the time as a baby. I've moved into an area where people probably don't understand what it means if I was to say it I definatly wouldn't have nothing to do with fat!
I've said it a few times to my partner about his friends children because I was around people saying it for so long.

Bonny is definitely a 'polite' way of calling someone fat here.

My cat is referred to as a 'bonny cat' at the vet

Beautiful.

Beautiful/pretty. I've never heard it associated with plumpness though what is beautiful is obviously subjective.

I always thought it meant pretty, healthy, rosy-cheeked....usually I hear 'she's very bubbly' from my Dad when describing someone fat Bubbly = fat but cheerful, Bonny = as above. I'm in the south.

It is a compliment, but there is usually an element of 'Wow, your child is chubby' in there somewhere!

She is a cutie. Bonny means healthy and beautiful

She was a tiny 4lb 9 scrap of a thing at birth. I can't remember when people first started saying it but think it was after she discovered her love of guzzling milk.. Can you skim breast milk?

nothing to do with weight, just beautiful and cheerful.

Never heard it used to mean 'chubby'. In the North East, as everyone says, it means beautiful, possibly also smiley and happy. She's definitely a bonny lass!

Cute/healthy/pretty/chubby/happy

It's a compliment.

I've noticed that a lot of women seem to take pride in having a "tiny" baby (as if it is some sort personal achievement), historically this would have not been the case, so older people will see a chubby cheeked baby and see it more positively than a very slim baby.

I've had older people ask me if my daughter is underweight once they make the mental adjustment that she's 10.5 months old not the 6/7 months they assumed.

I'd think it meant chubby as in thriving. I don't see how babies can be fat. Having rolls of squidgy chub round their little thighs is normal. There are skinny babies, who are also lovely and normal too. Take it as a compliment.

in scotland it means beautiful .ah what a bonnie baby .nothing to do with fat .and she is a bonnie wee thing oysterbabe .

Beautiful

well-nourished

and

nice covered

love these euphemisms

I think it does mean fat but fat has become a term that people are really sensitive about and always perceive as a bad thing. It's a good thing that babies have stores of fat. They'll grow out of that Sumo wrestler look soon enough. If they don't, then that's the point to maybe be concerned.

I don't think your baby is fat btw OP. Just beautiful.