Personally, I have never gotten the hype by the names “baby,” “babe,” “bae,” “honey,” it feels forced to me. I’ve seen those TikTok videos where as a joke people will address their spouses by their real names and the spouses get mad and say something like “my family and friends can call me that, but you can’t.” I’ve never gotten the seriousness of it. If we already know we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, or husband and wife, why should I have to address you by those names? Again, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with saying them, but using real names should become more common as well.
Using a less endearing way to address your SO, such as their name, is usually a huge sign of discontent. Likewise, using some cutesy moniker instead is a sign of content and love for the other person. So if that isn’t used, then usually it is because something is wrong.
I think this is largely dependent on the individual. So for some people this may be true but not for others.
My wife on the other hand has a name that is constantly butchered (or, at least was when we lived in Ohio) and it’s a relief for her to hear her name pronounced correctly.