I call my galfriend “booger.” She hates it, and will either tickle me or rub one of her cats on my face (I’m severely allergic, you perverts).
In high school, a friend of mine had a BF who called her a pet name inFrench, sounded very romantic, but he never told her what it meant & she didn’t speak French.
Turned out he was calling her his “little butt hair” or something equally rude.
Some guys will do anything to jeopardize their nooky supply.
Just because it bugs her so damn much, I call my girlfriend “SugarBooger” sometimes. It’s best said with a mouth-drooling redneck accent. True, it usually gets me smacked, but it’s so worth it!
I think pet names are cute. My ex-boyfriend called me “honey” all the time, which was kind of generic but cute nonetheless.
I called him a variety of names ranging from the publicly acceptable “sweetie” to the more embarassing “sugar booger.” He never said he liked it, but he always came when I called. 
I worked with a guy who would call his wife “Bearded Clam” anytime and anywhere. I guess he thought it made him look cool, she didn’t like it and no one else did either.
I will go with honey, sweetie, snookums, pretty woman and baby cakes any day. If someone thinks that makes me uncool, then too bad numbnuts.