When you become a grandparent, you step into a new identity. Your role in the family takes on another dimension, and with that change comes a question: what are the grandkids going to call you?
Some simply go with the default “Grandma” and “Grandpa.” Some want an alternative nickname that’s fun or unique or edgy. Others have a traditional honorific in mind.
First, the classic grandparent nicknames
There are actually a lot more classics than people might guess. Some are simply variations of “Grandma” and “Grandpa,” while others are common titles for grandparents borrowed from other languages.
Grandma: Gaga, Gammie/Gammy, Gram, Gramms, Grammie/Grammy, Grandmother, Gran, Grannie/Granny, Ma, Mamaw/Mawmaw, Mammy, Memaw, Mimi, Nana, Nanny, Nena/Nina, Nene
Grandpa: Gramps, Granddad, Granddaddy, Grandfather, Papa, Papaw, Pawpaw, Papi, Pappi, Paw, Pop Pop, Poppy
Often (but not always) these nicknames come in pairs: Gramms and Gramps, Nana and Papa, Memaw and Pawpaw.
If you want something a little different
There are all kinds of trendy grandparent names out there these days, from G Momma and G Daddy to Gigi and Gaga to Lolly and Pop. Some people love them and some think they’ve gotten out of hand, but to each their own.
Many families are choosing nicknames that come from languages other than English, such as:
Spanish: Abuela and Abuelo
Filipino: Lola and Lolo
German and Dutch: Oma and Opa
Italian: Nonna and Nonno
Greek: Yia-yia and Papoo
Swahili: Bibi and Babu
Of course, borrowing terms from other languages and cultures requires some wisdom and discernment. It can be fun to dig into your own heritiage, though, to see what your ancestors might have been called.
However, it might be more fun to let the kids create their own nicknames
I have a friend whose dad really wanted to be called “Grandfather” when he became one. Understandably, that word was hard for the first grandkid to say as a toddler, so “Grandfather” came out sounding like “Hada.” It stuck. Two decades later, the grown grandchildren still call their Grandpa “Hada.”
My own kids called my husband’s parents Gramma and Grampa, but when my youngest said “Grampa” it sounded like “Crappa.” My father-in-law is the kind of guy to find that hilarious, so it stuck for a while. “Can we go to Grandma and Crappa’s house?”
People have shared other stories of how their kids gave grandparents their nicknames, and every one is delightful:
“My niece calls her grandparents (she has 2 from BIL side, and 4 from my sister’s side) yellow grandma/pa, white grandma/pa and brown grandma/pa. All based on hair color lol.”
“My friend has a step-grandchild and he calls her ‘doodoo’. 😂”
“My step daughter (6 yo) has dubbed MIL’s husband “Big Tuna”. I’m fairly certain she got it from my mom, who calls my dad “the big Kahuna” 😂 Big Tuna is here to stay.”
“My son somehow turned ‘Grandma’ into ‘Bacaca.’”
Sometimes the grandparents themselves choose nicknames that parents take issue with. One pair wanted to be called “Pinky” and “Groovy,” which is hilarious, but apparently unacceptable to the rest of the family. Another grandpa chose “Sir Papi” as a unique nickname, but the parents wanted to nix that, too.
That’s where letting the kids come up with their own names comes in handy. As one person pointed out: “Baby is gonna call them what they want. You do not even have to fight this battle, baby will fight and win it for you.”
So true. Regardless what name you collectively come up with, there’s always a chance that toddlerese will trump everything and you’ll end up with names you never expected.
