Liam Payne's little-known nickname for 'mini me' son Bear resurfaces

Away from the cameras, Liam Payne privately co-parented his son, Bear, with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Tweedy - and it took some convincing for the 1D star come around to his son's unusual name

In the wake of Liam Payne's tragic death, Cheryl, paid tribute by touching on the harrowing reality their son now faces with 'never seeing his father again.'

The former couple, who first locked eyes when the Fight For This Love singer was a judge on The X Factor, welcomed their son Bear a year after dating. Announcing their happy news, Cheryl revealed they hadn't yet picked out a name, but after declaring his moniker, a nickname among the parents soon stuck.

On March 25, 2017, Cheryl posted to Instagram with a picture of the 1D star holding their newborn. She wrote: "On Wednesday 22nd March Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy, weighing 7lb 9 and looking like a dream. Although he still doesn't have a name he is already stealing hearts."

She continued: "We are all madly in love and overwhelmingly happy with our little arrival. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers around the world. A day that now has a different meaning to me forever."

Liam later admitted that he wanted a more 'traditional' name, whereas Cheryl preferred something more unique and memorable. Explaining the inspiration behind their choice, Cheryl told The Late Late Show that their midwife affectionately called their son 'little bear' in the delivery room.

"He had this thing where if they don't have a good cry, they get fluid in their lungs, which is quite serious, so he was like going 'grrrr.' I had like 10 doctors come in the room, and in the end, the guy was just like, 'Dude, I'm not being funny. There's nothing wrong with him. He just likes to make a lot of noise.' And that's carried on ever since, so he just became Bear."

However it took a while for Liam to get on board with the unusual name, revealing he had doubts to begin with. "When I look at him, he's just Bear. At first, I wasn't really having it. I was like, 'I'm not really sure. I don't really understand.' Now I look at him and he's Bear. You become your name as you get older anyway."

The doting dad-of-one soon came up with his own nickname for the youngster, as revealed in a Q&A with fans backstage at B96 Radio Station in Chicago just two months after the birth. One fan recalled: "He said his proudest moment was Bear and said at first he called him Cub a lot."

It's understood Bear looks strikingly like his dad, as detailed by Liam in a 2020 interview with People magazine. Liam shared: "He looks exactly like me, which is very strange. When family members see baby pictures of me now, they say, 'Oh wow, Bear looks really great there!'"

Earlier this year, in August, Liam made a rare comment about his son while celebrating his 31st birthday. He told his followers in an Instagram video: "I didn't get any dad socks yet though. I'm going to speak to my son in a little bit which I'm really excited about. Bless him. He's getting so big now. He's a big boy and he looks like a mini me. As if we needed any more me in the world."

The former One Direction star tragically plunged to his death from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. A body was found in an internal patio of the boutique Casa Sur Palermo hotel shortly after 5pm local time. It was reported he suffered "severe injuries which were incompatible with life".

Following Liam's heartbreaking death, Cheryl took to Instagram to post an unseen picture of him with Bear as she made an emotional statement. The Girls Aloud star begged for some kindness and respect to be shown for Liam as she highlighted the harsh reality that both she and their son now face.

Her post read in full: "As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I'd like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being. Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son.

"A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again. What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past two days. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in his future."

She added: "I am begging you to consider what use some of these reports are serving, other than to cause further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces. Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them. Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last. Thank you, Cheryl."