Affectionate / dialectal — common in southern Chinese (Taiwanese, Hokkien-influenced Mandarin) and in writing about minority groups (Tibetan, Uyghur). Standard Mandarin equivalents are
爸爸 (bàba) or
爸 (bà). When capitalized as
阿爸 (Ābà) it can also render the Aramaic word Abba — used in Chinese Christian texts for God the Father (e.g. Romans 8:15).
