Names for Grandparents

[MrsWilson]

I started this thread on the OTHER site and don't want to loose it! I thought it might be helpful to someone over here. I copied everyone's comments and am pasting them here. Feel free to add!! Remember: the usernames are from WC.

MrsWilson
I was talking to some friends today and we realized we all call our grandparents by different names. I call my dad's parents "Grandma" and "Grandpa" and my mom's parents "Mammaw" "Pappaw." One friend calls her grandparents "Me-me" and "Pop." Another "Granny" and "Poppy." My mom has mentioned that when she eventually becomes a grandmother, she wants a "cool" name. She is a nanny and the two kids she used to keep would call her "Ni" because they couldn't say "Nanny" when they were learning to talk. My dad would walk in the room to say "Hey, Guy!" to the little boy. He thought it was my dad's name so he started calling him "Hey Guy."

So, what do you call your grandparents? What do your kids call your parents? Or what do you think are good names instead of Grandmother and Grandfather.

SophiaLovesLuis
I called my paternal grandparents Mami Grande & Papi Grande.

My children call my parents Grammy & Grandaddy and their paternal grandparents Grandma & Grandpa.

KSA
Maternal: Nana & Poppa
Paternal: Memaw & Papaw

DH's maternal: Grandma Sue & Grandpa Glenn
DH's maternal step grandmother: just by her first name
DH's maternal grandfather: just by his first name
DH's paternal: never knew them.

Currently my MIL goes by Grandma or Granny
My FIL goes by Grandpa

My father's step=grandchildren call him Grandpa J.

Lml41981
Granny - dad's mom
Grandpa - dad's dad
Mama Tootsie - mom's mother (named because her nickname is Tootsie...my cousin heard his mother call her Mama and his aunt call her Tootsie...he combined them when he was learning to speak and got Mama Tootsie)

Meme - MIL's mom
Pepaw - MIL's dad
Granddad - FIL's dad

Grandma - my mom
PopPop - my dad
Baboo - MIL (nephew heard his dad call her Barbara and he thought that's what he was supposed to call her, but he could only say Baboo...I hope my child doesn't call her that)
Papa Joe - FIL (again, nephew heard his dad call him Joe and the Papa got tacked on there...again, I hope our child doesn't call him that)

My dad's dad used to be called "Old Wolf" by some of my cousins because he didn't think he was old enough to be a "Grandpa" yet.

[MrsWilson]

TX Sweetheart
My dad's parents were Grandmother & Grandfather
My mom's parents were Granny & Grandpa

My dad was Grandpa Glenn to my one of my nieces and likewise my mom is Grandma Ann. I dunno what my other nieces & nephews call/called them because I'm not around them at all.

kj
I called my Paternal grandmother - grandma. My paternal grandfather died when my father was child.

I call my maternal grandmother - "Mie" a nickname she got when all her kids kept saying, "This is MY mother". I called my grandfather - grandpa - he passed away.

My parents do not have grandchildren yet but they have said they would like to be called "Grandmom" and "abuelo" (grandfather in Spanish)

jellybeany
As a kid I called my maternal grandfather Bumppa because I couldn't say Grandpa.

DH called his grandparents Nanny & Poppa.

Jeepgirl
Paternal: Mimi & Pappy
Maternal: Grandma & Pop

Don't know why. Those are just the names that stuck. I was also closer to my paternal grandparents, and feel that may be way they are the "most" different from the standard "Grandma and Grandpa."

P.S. One of my favorite aunts is named Jeanne. She became a grandma several years ago and wanted to be "Gigi." I thought that would be SO cute. For whatever reason though, it didn't stick. I think her grandchildren caller her "Nana" or something like that.

Adaya
I called my mother's father granddaddy. His 2nd wife was not my real grandmother, and but I naturally called her Grandma Em

I didn't know my dad's parents.

~~~~
Funny story, my mom said that no matter when I have a baby, that she is too young and too cute to be called grandma, big mama, meemaw, or any of those other names. Her name is Carol, so she wants her grandchildren to call her Cee Cee. LOL. She's a trip.

[MrsWilson]

Neen&Russ
I called my maternal grandparents grandma & grandpa.
I never new my paternal grandparents, they died when my dad was 9.

My kids call my parents Mema & Papa
My grandma was Grammy.

My son's father's parents are Grandma & Grandpa lastname
His grandma is Abuela.

My husbands mom is Nana.
My husbands dad is Grandpa lastname or papaw.

My husbands grandmother was great-grandma lastname.

Alessandra&billy
I call my maternal grandparents Nonna and Nonno. It's italian for grandma and grandpa. Wasn't always the easiest thing to say as a kid

I called my paternal grandparents just grandma and grandpa although they haven't been around for awhile now

Jane&Andy
My maternal grandparents were Granny and Papa.

My paternal grandparents were Grandpa Lastname, Grandma Lastname and Grandma Frieda (Grandpa remarried quickly after my Dad's Mom died). I barely knew any of them.

DH's maternal Grandmother: Grandmom
not sure what he called his Grandfather, he died a long time ago
he called his great-grandmother Bobchi (totally slaughtering the spelling but I have no clue how to spell it - its Polish for Grandmother)

I think my MIL is called Grandma (her only two grandchildren so far don't live nearby so its been a long time since I've been around them with MIL)
not sure what FIL goes by, I think Grandpa. I have no idea what my kids will end up calling his wife (not MIL, his second wife)

My Mom is Nana. She wanted to be GiGi at first (short for Grandma herlastname - starts with a G) but that didn't stick.

[MrsWilson]

Gidget1034
Ever since before DH & I got married my mom has wanted grandbabies and has started referring to herself as "mamaw" and my dad as "papaw". It's been going on so long now that it's becoming OUR habit to call them that.It's a good thing we finally have a baby on the way that can finally put the names to REAL use.

DH's parents are Papa Don and Grandma Pam (there are LOTS of grandkids ~ and even 2 great-grandkids ~ on that side already)

MaineBelle
MomMom and PopPop - My maternal Grandparents

Baba and Dedushka (pronounced like Jedushka, or we would call him Jed sometimes) - My paternal Grandparents (Russian)

DH only knew one of each of his grandparents and they go by Grandma and Grandpa


My mom goes by Grandmom to her grandkids and my Dad goes by Dedushka (that is a mouthful for little kids to say)

Angel_kirsch
On my dad's side it was Nannie and Papa. My mom's side was grandma and papa. And my great-grandfather was grandpapa.

amew
My family used Mimi, Grammie, Papa, and the standard Grandma and Grandpa for my grandparents and great grandma. My mom is deciding between going by Mimi, Nana, or Gigi. I have a friend who calls her grandparents Mac and Mimi, a friend who calls her grandparents Lolly and Pop, and a friend who calls her grandmother Cookie.

[MrsWilson]

Brandles
DH's step-mother's grandsons call her "Go-Go". I thought it sounded strange at first...then it started growing on me! I joke that if we have kids, she can be "Go-Go" and FIL can be "Po-Po"!

BethnJim
We called my grandparents:

Mom's mom--MeeMaw
Mom's Dad--AhAh (My brother started calling him that because everytime he was at my grandad's house, my grandad would say, ahah when he would try to touch something he wasn't supposed to...and eventually when it came time to talk, he started calling him that...and it stuck. We all called him that!!)

My brother actually had odd names for people. My mom was trying to teach him to say MOM and he would say BOZO. He called her that over and over. He would run through the stores yelling BOZO...BOZO...BOZO..my mom wanted to crawl into the floor. She was talking to my MeeMaw and said, "He is never going to call me mom". He looked over at her, smiled and said, "Mom".

laura2324
I called my dad's parents Grandma/Grandpa TheirFirstName and my mom's mom Grandma HerLastName. After my dad's parents passed away, I just called my mom's mom Grandma. My husband calls his grandparents Nonna/Nonno on one side and Grandpa/Nana on the other.

Our theoretical kids will call my ILs Nonno/Nonna and my parents probably Grandma/Grandpa since that's what my nieces and nephews call them.

[MrsWilson]

Camdynlyn
Both sets of my grandparents are/were called Nanny and Papa. My G-grandparents were Pa and Ma. My cousins call my Aunt and Uncle Mimi and Pop and I think that is what my parents will go by with my children. My mom wants a cool name as she doesn't look like a grandmother. She is often mistaken for my sister. Mimi sounds cute

dionysia
My maternal grandparents are Yiayia and Papou (Grandmother and Grandfather in Greek).
My paternal grandparents were Grandma and Grandpa.

When we have kids, they'll call my parents Yiayia and Papou.

jimmysgirl424
My nephew called his maternal grandmother 'Neena'. We never figured out how he arrived that choice, but that name stuck.

Walton
I just called my grandparents "Grandma" and "Grandpa" to their faces, and when referring to them we would say "Grandma/Grandpa LastName."

For those of you who call your grandparents names like MeeMaw or PopPop, do you still do that as adults? My niece called my mother Mamaw until she learned to speak better, and now calls her Grandma.

[MrsWilson]

MrsMyersIam
I called my grandmothers "Grandma" and my dad's dad my "Poppa". I never knew my mom's dad.

My daugther calls her grandparents by their last name initials. Her father and I have both remarried, so she has numerous sets of grandparents.

My parents are Grandma and Grandpa W
My exes are G & G "N"
My DH's parents are called by their first names
My exes wife's parents are G & G "G"

greenbunny
I called all four of my grandparents Mom-mom and Pop-pop, using their last names only when the context wasn't clear of which set I was referring to.

DH calls his grandmother Nana. I don't know what he called the other three, they all died when he was little.

timsdecbride
Mom's Parents - Grandma,Grams or "G-Smoove" & Granpop, Pop-pop, Pop or Gramps.

Dad's Parents - Grandmom. My Grandfather died before I was born - my brother and I always referred to him as "Daddy's Daddy"

Also, when we were growing up we often referred to my Grandmoms by their location....so Mom's Mom was Grandmom-in-Mullica-Hill and Dad's Mom was Grandmom-in-Jersey-City

DH and I are the first children on either side to get married and will probably have kids before out siblings... I have no idea what our parents want to be called!!

[MrsWilson]

MsPeachy
My Mom's parents: Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop
Dad's mother (his dad died when he was a kid) : Grandmom

I'm so glad to hear that others had MomMoms & PopPops because when I was a kid, I didn't know anyone else who did and of course, other kids teased me about that. :rolleyes:

My SS calls my DH's mother Grammy
and DH's grandparents were MeeMaw & PeePaw

I have no idea what my mom will want to be called if I have kids. I can't see her a Grandma.

larslobster
My mother's parents were Memere and Pepere and my father's mother is simply Grandma.

I assume Memere and Pepere were the standard French Canadian names for grandmother and grandfather because everyone in their Maine town of French Canadian decent seemed to use those terms.

LAD03
Maternal Grandparents - Oma and Opa (Dutch)
Paternal Grandparents - Grandma and Grandpa

AlenaCal
Paternal grandparents: Grandma and Grandpa
Maternal grandparents: Omi and Opa-- the German terms (well, Oma is German for grandmother, but we call her Omi)

[MrsWilson]

attygirl
My paternal grandparents were called Grandmother & Granddaddy.
My maternal grandmother we call Granginna - her first name is Virginia which is where she gets the "ginna" from.

I have two friends whose children call their grandmothers "Gigi" - they love it, I also have an aunt who is called "Grandy," and my best friend called her grandmother "Mama Smith," like Mama Solis on Desperate Housewives.

My husband called his maternal grandparents "Bombi" (don't know where they got that one!) and "Big Daddy."

Almost_Mrs_CambellI just called all my grandparents Grandma LastName and Grandpa LastName (unless I was talking to them, of course).

My step-son, though, has 8 grandparents and step-grandparents, so he calls them all by different names. He calls my MIL Busia, my FIL Grandpa Ted, his mother's mother Nana, his mother's father Derr (sp?), and his step-father's parents Grandma FirstName and Grandpa FirstName. He just calls my parents by their first names - or, more likely, "Melinda's mom."

I've always been curious about what language Derr (Durr? Dur? Der?) is. I ask SS and DH all the time, and they argue over whether it's Polish or German. Anybody else use that term?

StevesBabygirl
This is a neat little website I found on the subject:
http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/granny.html

[MrsWilson]

Jellibelli
Happy Bottom - We called my grandma "Happy Bottom" because her name is Gladys . . .Glad-a$$

Maggie - My good friend's nieces and nephews tried to say Grandma and it came out Maggie. Now, the new one's are taught to call her by that name. Her license plate even says "Maggie."

achickwwit
I use Grandma/Grandpa. My hubs calls his grandma Oma (she's German). I don't know what he called his grandfather before he died.

dianaelaine
We always called both sets of grandparents Grandma and Grandpa.

But Cliff calls his grandparents Granny and Grandaddy. I like that. Of course, I didn't know them until I was 25, so I just call them Catherine and Garrett. It's cute to hear the grown up grandchildren refer to them that way, though.

pocket
My mom's parents were Lola and Lolo - Tagalog for grandmother and grandfather.

My dad's parents were Lola and Pocket (hence username) - Lola for consistency and Pocket because when I was first learning to talk I used to like to take his credit cards and business cards out of his breast pocket and play with them on car trips and I thought his name was Pocket.

Pita's are Safta and Saba (Hebrew for Grandmother and Grandfather) on both sides.

[MrsWilson]

colz85

Wow...lots of meemaws and pawpaws out there....I never knew anyone who called their grandparents by those names!

On the maternal side, it was gramma. On the paternal side, Grams and Gramps.

cantwait
Somebody else has a Memere! I love it!
My Memere was born in Quebec and then moved to Massachusetts. Everyone on my mom's side of the family is a Memere (mem-may) or a Pepere. We often shortened it to Mem. Now that I have a child, my mom is a Memere, too. I love that we've been able to carry on the tradition, even though my Mem passed away.
My dad's parents were Italian immigrants and we called them Nonna and Poppa. Now my dad is a Poppa, too.
DH's mom is just called Grandma. Funny, his paternal grandmother hated nicknames and always wanted to be called Grandmother LastName.

udsweetpea
I call my paternal grandparents Mom Mom and Pop Pop. Maternal grandparents are Nana and Granddaddy.

My parents named themselves Grammy and Pappy for their grandchildren to call them.

[MrsWilson]

roxy_brideMy maternal grandmother: Grandma (Grandad dies before i was born)
Paternal set: Grandma Baba and Ponka

My parent srae grandparents now, and they are:
Nana and Pop Pop
Grandma and Grandpa
Mimmie and Poppa (his paternal grandparents)

MrsBrooke
Maternal GPs- Gan (couldn't say Gran like she wanted) and Grandaddy

Paternal GPs- Grandma and Grandpa

kcjules
I call both sets of my grandparents "Pop & Grandma."

salysaturn
Originally posted by alessandra&billy
I call my maternal grandparents Nonna and Nonno. It's italian for grandma and grandpa.

Ditto. Though, I didn't know my Nonno's since they died when my parents were young, and my Dad's mom lived in Italy, and died when I was 8 or 9, so I just met her once. My mom's mom died when I was 10.

1 of Frank's Grandparents is still alive, and she just Grandmom.

Naturally, I think we will keep my tradition for my side(Nonna and Nonno), and I guess they will call his parents Grandmom and Grndpop, but who knows, maybe they will make up their own nickname

[MrsWilson]

maveh
My mom's mom and dad I called grandma and grandpa. My dad's mom (his dad died before I was born) we called 'Mother Dear', but it got shortened to 'Grandma Madear' or 'Grandma Muhdear'.

I don't know how it went from Mother Dear to that, but that's what she's always been called... probably before I was born.

jg'ssis
I have 5 sets of grandparents. They are/were: Grandma and Papa, Bestemor and Bestefar (Norwegian), Oma and Opa (German), and Grandma and Grandpa (for the other two that I see maybe once every 5 years, since they're steps). My kids will probably call DH's parents Nana and Papi, my mom and stepdad MorMor and Opa, and my dad and stepmom Grandma and Grandpa.

chrisinluv
My maternal side are mostly women. We have a tradition of simply calling each other by our first names. I used to call her Grammy as a child, but after about the age of ten, I started to call her Mary, and now usually just "Mare."

[aligirl]

I called my paternal grandmother Nana (if my grandfather had been alive, he would've been called Grampy).

I called my maternal grandmother Memere and my maternal grandfather Pepere (pronounced mem-ay and pep-ay).

DH calls his grandparents Grandma and Grandpa (both paternal & maternal) and used to distinguish them by "Big" and "Little" since his maternal grandparents were both under 5'5".

[JennW]

Ooh! Great thread. I called my maternal grandparents: grandma and papa; paternal grandparents: mama and papa. When we have kids I’m not sure what the grandparents will be called. My mom has already called dibs on Nana. Other than that, we’ll see what happens!

[jenji]

Mine were: Granny & Pa and Gran-D & Gran-Day
DH's are Nanny & Papa (both sets)

haven't discussed it with my parents

[Ilovemygeek]

Mine: Grandma and Grandpa (both sets)
DH: Grandma and Grandpa (paternal)
Nanas and Pops (maternal)

My parents will be Grandma and Grandpa. My MIL says she wants to be called "Yaya" because that is Greek for grandmother or something. Keep in mind she is only 50% Greek. It just sounds kind of silly to me. Maybe I will get used to it. FIL will be called Grandpa.

[ktsb]

One day my nephews, my dad and I were watching T.V. and something came on about P-Diddy. I said something about wouldn't it be funny if we all changed our name to something like that which would make my dad G-Daddy to my nephews.

Well the 3 year old nephew is listening and sees us all laughing so he pipes up in the cutest baby voice "G-Daddy." It was the cutest thing.

Ever since then my Mom and Dad are:

G-Ma (formerly Grand ma ma) and G-Daddy (formerly Grandaddy)

[MrsWilson]

Applebee
I called my grandmother Goose and my grandfather Pop.

DH's grandmother is Nanny and his grandfather was Pop.

[smiles33]

Since my grandparents only spoke Mandarin Chinese, we used the Chinese phrases for maternal grandparents (Po-po for grandma and Gung-Gung for grandpa) and for paternal grandparents (Nai-Nai for grandma and Ye-Ye for grandpa).

DH, who is also Chinese but 5th generation so everyone speaks English, still calls his maternal grandparents Po-po and Gung-gung but refers to his paternal grandparents as Mama and Papa.

We probably will do the same thing as DH did for our kids, since I know my parents would like it if our kids referred to them w/their Chinese titles and DH's parents are fine w/English names like Mama and Papa.

[suzfuzsunflower]

Both sets of my grandparents were grandma and grandpa.

DH's calls his grandma and papa.

[domesticdreamer]

My mom and dad go by the standard "Grandma and Grandpa". However, my IL's insist that they are called "G-Mom" and "G-Dad". My DH and I are expecting our first baby this fall and my MIL has brought this up several times-yeesh- just let the kid call you what is comfortable to him/her!

[tunibell]

I called my paternal grandmother Grandma LastName and both of my grandparents Grandpa LastName. I called my maternal grandmother Emma (not her actual name, just what came out when I tried to say grandma).

My brother's kids call my parents Grammy and Poppy (which started out as Papa).

[Txfish]

Nana, and Grandma & Pops (mat. gm, pat. gm & gf)
Mubby (my gr-gm)

Now my parents are, to the children:
Nana (mom)
Granny (M) and Granddad (stepmom & dad)
** Granddad originally wanted to be called The Grand One. We nixed it and sprayed him with champagne for being so pompous LOL

Grandma and PopPop (dh's mom & dad)
Gigi (short for "Great Grandma" -- my pat. gm)
and had my Nana still be alive, we joke, she would have been "Big Nana" -- which would have p'ed her off to no end. Giggle, giggle -- we loved her tons, we're just mean like that.

My other favorite, that wasn't mine, but an ex-bf's:
Jay Daddy (he was Jay something or other, the son was Jay Travis & went by Travis, and the grandson (bf) was Jay Trav Jr and also went by Jay.) Jay Daddy was such a cute grandpa name.

[karlatta]

I had great-grandparents living when I was a child, so I have quite a few:

Mimi, Grandma, Granny, Nannie, Mamaw

PawPaw, Gerald (his first name), Papaw

My mom would like to be Noni, and I think my dad will be Grandpa. My FIL has a grandchild who calls him Papaw, and we'll probably continue that. MIL doesn't have a "grandmother" name yet.

[Melne11]

My paternal grandparents were Gramma "Smith" and Grampa "Smith." I only had a maternal great grandparents and they were always Gramma Bertha and Grampa Roy. DH always says the Gramma/Grampa FirstName too.

My neice and nephew to the Gramma/pa Firstname. Both sides of their family are divorced (grandparents--not parents) so it's the easiest way to keep all of them straight.
They also have a good family friend who is like a mom to my sister who they call "Mam-maw."

[MrsWilson]

bump

[mrstim]

WOW - I didn't know this was even here! I posted the same question over in the parenting thread a few weeks ago. There are several different options over in that thread as well. I'll dig it out tomorrow and post here, if I remember!

[jenji]

Mine:
Granny & Pa
Gran-D & Gran-Day
Dh's
Nanny & Papa (both sets)

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

We are going with good old Grandpa Bob for my dad. I haven't decided what for my mom, she will be a very young g-ma (40) and I want somehting that will reflect that.
DH's mom will be grammy. That is what she has her other grandkids call her.

I call my grandparents Grandpa/ma First name. My cousins thought it was weird because they always used last names for them.

[majorgal]

My mom is Grandma.

My ILs are Gram and Papa.

[TMat13]

My grandparents were Grandma and Pop
DH's grandmother is PomPom

[MichelleRenee]

My grandparents were always grandma and grandpa when I was little, and still are today.

My dad doesn't want to be called grandpa, so he has my nephew call him Opa. I didn't like it at first, but it's cute. My mom didn't have any specific name picked out. She just wanted to be grandma. For some reason he calls her Momma. If we try to say grandma he says "no, that's Momma." I'm guessing these names will probably stick for my kids.

My FIL insists on his grandkids calling him and his wife Pawpaw and Mawmaw. He also insists that WE use those words when referring to them around the grandkids. I feel bad saying this, but I really hate it. It sounds like baby talk to me, which is fine for a baby, but not for the older grandkids or for the adults. I just don't feel comfortable calling him Pawpaw. I don't even use baby talk when I talk to DH. Why would I use it when talking to FIL?

[kimthebride]

My mom's mom: Nana
My father's dad: Grandpa
DH's mom's dad: Grandpa
DH's dad's mom: Grandma Firstname

My parents: Gramma & Grandpa
DH's parents: Nanny & Poppy

(side note: When I met DH's parents they just had their 1st grandkid and I always found "Nanny" a funny name since around here nannies are hired help, not family! :p But they chose what they wanted to be called...)

[miaclear]

Growing up mine were grandpa & grandma on my mom's side and Boppy and Nanny on my dad's side. I actually thought those were their real names for the longest time (really it was Darrel & Sandy).

When we have kids I suspect my parents will be grandma & grandpa and DH's mom will be oma since she is Dutch and doubtful our kid would ever see DH's dad ever, I've seen him twice in years...but if he did I guess he'd just have to go by Opa to make life easier :)