nepo baby

noun

ˈne-(ˌ)pō- 

variants or less commonly nepotism baby

plural nepo babies also nepotism babies

: a person who gains success or opportunities through familial connections

especially : a child of a famous parent (such as an actor, musician, entrepreneur, or politician)

… I thought it was a talent competition for aspiring nepo babies whose famous parents refused to book them auditions.

—Kyndall Cunningham

… [Actor] Ewan McGregor's daughter Clara has admitted that she has had all the privilege a so-called 'nepo baby' can enjoy.

—Beverley Lyons

… he [Ben Stiller] starred in a … Pepsi commercial that poked fun at his nepo baby status.

—Jen Shiori Adams

George emanates a grating "good vibes only" philosophy borne from his privileged upbringing; he's a nepotism baby by way of his famous artist father.

—Variety

Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. … filed paperwork Wednesday to launch a presidential challenge to President Biden, continuing a centuries-long tradition of nepotism baby presidential contenders.

—Zach Blackburn

Examples of nepo baby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of Hollywood’s nepo babies are happy to follow in their parents’ footsteps, with stars like Kaia Gerber, Apple Martin, and Maya Hawke proudly making a name for themselves as celebrities in their own right. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 14 Jan. 2026

Sylvie does, in fact, discover the hats and deputizes Emily to fire the nepo baby. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025

The 50-year-old Academy Award-winning actress, estimated to be worth $65 million, slammed the nepo baby label altogether. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025

Being a nepo baby can also mean quietly swiping the goods from your parents' closets. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025

Is there any better kind of nepo baby? —Victoria Herman, Air Mail, 8 Nov. 2025

In one sequence in the pilot, two characters (an influencer and a nepo baby, played by Odessa A’zion and True Whitaker, respectively) end up going on that long drive to the beach. —Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025

There’s also Alani (True Whitaker), an unaffected nepo baby who just wants everyone to get along, and Charlie (Jordan Firstman), an aspiring designer who is carving his own path after deciding the traditional routes weren’t working for him. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2025

Joining Maia for her pivotal birthday are her two local best friends, Charlie (Jordan Firstman) and Alani (True Whitaker) — respectively, an on-the-rise fashion designer with a smattering of star clients and the nepo baby of a famous filmmaker who gave her a job (in title only) at his studio. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nepo baby

• maybe