Here Are All 9 Nicknames Fans Call Red Velvet’s Irene & The Real Meanings Behind Them

Irene’s mom came up with #7.

Over the years, fans have come up with numerous nicknames for Red Velvet’s beloved leader Irene. Here are 9 of the ones ReVeluvs use for her most along with what they really mean.

1. Baechu

One of Irene’s most common nicknames among fans is Baechu. In fact, even her own members sometimes call her Baechu.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

Baechu” is actually the Korean word for cabbage; it became Irene’s nickname because it sounds similar to the beginning of her real name, Bae Joo Hyun.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

2. Best Woman of This Generation

The nickname “Best Woman of this Generation” came from the Red Velvet members themselves, but it quickly caught on with fans.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

Red Velvet came up with the nickname several years ago after a group dinner with their staff. While everyone was discussing how to split the meal’s bill, Irene silently paid for the whole thing, making her the best woman around in their eyes.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

3. Baetokki

At her birthday party last year, Irene told fans she prefers the nickname Baetokki to Baechu, as children used the cabbage connotations of Baechu to tease her as a child. Baetokki is also the name for Irene’s individual fandom.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

Baetokki is a combination of Irene’s family name, Bae, and “tokki”, the Korean word for “bunny”. Fans often compare Irene to a bunny rabbit because of her wide eyes, easily startled nature, and unwavering cuteness.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

4. Baephrodite

Irene has a lot of nicknames that begin with her surname. Another of the most popular is Baephrodite.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

The meaning of this one is pretty easy to guess—it’s a combination of Bae and Aphrodite. Since Irene’s visuals are out of this world, she’s often likened to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

5. Goddess of Peace

And that’s not her only goddess related nickname. Fans also call her the Goddess of Peace.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

That’s because the Greek goddess of peace was also named Irene (sometimes spelled Eirene). Irene was given the stage name as a trainee because of her tranquil demeanor.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

6. Baeby

Back to the Bae-nicknames—another fan favorite is Baeby.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

Despite Irene being the eldest member of Red Velvet and one of the few female idols of her generation to have reached 30 years old, she has a very youthful appearance and personality. Hence, the nickname Baeby: Bae combined with “baby”.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

7. Hyun-ah

When she was just a rookie, Irene told fans she wanted to be called by the nickname Hyun-ah.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

Hyun comes from Irene’s first name, Joo Hyun, and -ah is an endearing suffix Koreans often add to names. Irene said she likes the nickname because that’s what her mother calls her.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

8. Irin

Ever noticed how Irene is often called Irin by television and radio hosts? The cute nickname quickly caught on with fans too. While it may seem like a mispronunciation, there is a reason behind it.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

In Korea, many nicknames are formed using the ending characters of a person’s name. In Korean, Irene is three syllables: 아이린, or ah-i-rin. As such, many people have taken to shortening Irene to Irin.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

9. Original Visual

Last but not least, Irene’s latest addition to the nickname roster is “Original Visual”.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

This comes from one of her iconic lines in Red Velvet’s “Psycho”—“I’m original visual, this is who we are”. As one of the most popular visuals around, the nickname certainly fits her.

| @renebaebae/Instagram

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