47 real names for real grandmothers
In the stats for Grandma's Briefs, I often see that folks arrive here via search engine queries such as grandma names, what to call grandma, nicknames for grandmas, modern names for grandmas and more.
Here to satisfy such searches are some of the names grandmothers really go by, as revealed by some real grandmas themselves—the Grilled Grandmas:
Grammy
Minna
Mamama
Gramma
Granny Angel (full disclosure: her name is Angel)
G-ma
G-Maw
GG (sometimes standing for Gorgeous Grandma; other times Great Grandma)
Nana
Wheemaw
Bubbe (the Yiddish word for grandma)
Nanny
Gammy
Nona (the Italian word for grandmother)
Grand-ma
Mee mee
Grammie
Grandmother
Gramski
Mema
Pajama Grama (she gets everyone jammies at Christmas)
Gwamma
Gramma <first name>
Gramma with the white hair
Mams
Mi-Ma
Nama
Grandma Muzzy
Granny
Gran
Nee
Savta (grandmother in Hebrew)
Maw Maw
Nina (which morphed from Nana)
Nandy
Baba
Nimmy
Real Grandma (versus those not-so real)
Grandma Cat (because she has a cat)
Oma
Mammy
Grannie
Nonni
Grammi (with an i)
Grandma
Grandma <first name>
And my very most favorite because it’s what Bubby and Baby Mac call me: Gramma!
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Today's question:
What did/do you call your paternal and your maternal grandmothers?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Reader Comments (15)
I called both of mine Grandma - but two recent favorites I've heard are Lola (Jordan's MIL, married to Bumpa), and Yaya, Greek for Grandma. Yaya is a doll! My Mom goes by Granny, and so will I someday!
Maternal Grandmother - Nonnie (turns into Big Nonnie when Great Grandmother)
Maternal Grandfather - Poppo
Paternal Grandmother - Grandma
Paternal Grandfather - Grandpa
Loved them all dearly, but my heart will forever belong to my Nonnie. I still miss her!
My maternal grandmother was known to everyone as Maw. My paternal grandmother was Granny.
I started out as a Gramski, because my step kids call me Ski. I'd love to know who else gets called that. I'm a Mema now and I love it. I only had one maternal grandmother and I called her Babcia. Both my kids called their maternal grandparents Babcia and Dziadzia and paternal Ninny and Papa.
My girls call my mom Honey and my dad Papa :O)
When I was growing up my grandparents were called Grandma and Grandpa (insert sir name). I don't think I knew my grandparents HAD first names until I was 10! And I don't think I EVER, even as a grownup, called them by their first names. Even though they are all gone now, I still refer to them that way.
My maternal grandmother was Grandma Last Name. She'd been a teacher and elementary school principal, so liked teaching her grandchildren to address adults formally. My paternal grandmother was Grandma First Name. She'd married my widowed grandfather after my father and his brother and sister were grown. She never had any children of her own and didn't want to be called Grandma at all. She wanted us to call her by her first name. My mother thought that was disrespectful, so they compromised on Grandma First Name.
My mother's mother to me was Grandmother... her mother (my great grandmother) was Mother Parker (Parker being her last name) My kids called their Great Grandmother (my Grandmother) Big Grackie (in the beginning they could not say Grannie, so it stuck) and my Mom they called Grackie Baby then Granny. My dad's Mom was Mamo and his Dad was Papo...
I'm Grannie, hubbie is Papo or GrandPa Brad... My Dad is Granddad to the kids and Poppa J to the Great Grand Kids...
My mother's mom was the only grandmother I knew
My maternal grandparents were the only ones I knew, sweet Granny and her husband, Papa.
I called my paternal grandparents...Tutu man and Tutu lady. They were Hawaiian and "Tutu" is our endearing name for our elders. My maternal grandparents were called grandpa and grandma Santos (their last name). My granddaughter calls my dad....Tutu!
My grandmothers were Grandmother (last name) and Grannie Annie. One very formal family and one anything but. My kids had three grandmothers - Nana, Grandma and Grambee. I want to be Granny but my grandson, Owen, will be only 4 months old tomorrow, so we'll see.
LeeAnn: Congratulations on your new grandma status, Granny!
All: Such great names! I especially like the Honey and Tutu ideas. Very different and sweet (no pun intended regarding Honey). :o)
What an interesting post. I always called my grandmother Maw maw but I had no idea why. Now I know that it was Hebrew name. Thank you for that information
Great post Lisa. This could be a poster! Amy oldest daughter called her Grandma, Marma, and Grandpa was Bapa!! Thanks for sharing, love it.
Names were so proper back in the day. I had a Grandma and a Grandmother (quite the mouthful for a little kid) You should make one of those "wordles" with all of your research :)