Grandmother Names

Sorry to post a somewhat silly topic, but my mom just cannot decide what she wants to be called when the babies arrive! Grandma, Grandmom, Granny, Gran, Nanna, Nan, Mimi, etc..she doesn't like any of them! These will be her first grandchildren and she is very young looking and feeling. I wondered if any of you have some unique names of your own to share? Thought it couldn't hurt! Thanks!

 

My mom is called Baba. It's not what I would have chosen, personally, but my sister has an 8yo son (my parents' first grandchild) and that's what he came up with. By the time my kids were born, I was used to thinking of her as Baba. (My dad is Papa -- also not what I would have picked, but there you go.)

Apparently Baba, in Polish-American families (or at least the one my sister's husband comes from), is the name for the most favorite grandma. But my nephew just came up with it on his own. Anyway, it's grown on me. And it's definitely convenient not to have two people named "Grandma."

I have a friend whose mom is called "Bana" (pronounced like "Anna" with a B) because her firstborn kept getting mixed up between "Nana" and "banana."

 

We just have Nana (or as I call her Crazy Nana!) and then my dad is Poppy. You could look up the words for Grandma/grandmother in other cultures and languages though!

Other names I've heard:
Mawmaw (typically from the south)
Memaw (also very southern)
Grandmere
Mamoo

 

We have a Grandma and Grandpa and a Nana and Papa. It has been so nice for my 5 y.o. to never get his grandparents confused when we're talking about them or have to refer to them as Grandma __________ (last name). It is nice to have those special names.

Laura

 

Um. How about Grandma? I have very little patience with doofy Grandparent nicknames. Things like Memaw, and DooDah, and GewGaw and KnickKnack just make no sense to me. I can handle it if it's a natural mispronunciation by a toddler and it just sticks, but purposely *trying* to get your grandkids to call you MooshMoosh, or somesuch similar baffles me.

 

We have Mimi, Gigi and Gran for our grandmothers. I personally love Gigi and she is very young looking and acting. I think it's funny how our parents now get to decide what they want to be called! My Jewish friend has her kids call her mother in law, Bubby,which I believe is traditional. I think that's cute as well. Mine were all grandma(insert last name). have fun tryin to choose!

 

We've got Grandma and Grammy, Opa (German for Grandpa) and Grandpa. Pretty normal.

 

QUOTE(Minette @ Apr 22 2009, 01:21 PM) [snapback]1284183[/snapback]
My mom is called Baba. It's not what I would have chosen, personally, but my sister has an 8yo son (my parents' first grandchild) and that's what he came up with. By the time my kids were born, I was used to thinking of her as Baba. (My dad is Papa -- also not what I would have picked, but there you go.)

Apparently Baba, in Polish-American families (or at least the one my sister's husband comes from), is the name for the most favorite grandma. But my nephew just came up with it on his own. Anyway, it's grown on me. And it's definitely convenient not to have two people named "Grandma."

I have a friend whose mom is called "Bana" (pronounced like "Anna" with a B) because her firstborn kept getting mixed up between "Nana" and "banana."


I'm half Polish and have a Babci (close to what Minette's kiddos have!). My girls call my mom Babci and my grandmother Babci Josephine. They call MIL Grammy.

 

My MIL tried to be GIGI but my son named her Grandma. There is nothing wrong with Grandma.

 

QUOTE(Neumsy @ Apr 22 2009, 02:05 PM) [snapback]1284249[/snapback]
Um. How about Grandma? I have very little patience with doofy Grandparent nicknames. Things like Memaw, and DooDah, and GewGaw and KnickKnack just make no sense to me. I can handle it if it's a natural mispronunciation by a toddler and it just sticks, but purposely *trying* to get your grandkids to call you MooshMoosh, or somesuch similar baffles me.



I completely agree with this!

 

My Mom also wanted a young sounding grandmother name when she became a grandmother at 49. She is called Mimi. She did not want to be called "grandma". :lol:

 

QUOTE(teafor2 @ Apr 22 2009, 01:18 PM) [snapback]1284175[/snapback]
Sorry to post a somewhat silly topic, but my mom just cannot decide what she wants to be called when the babies arrive! Grandma, Grandmom, Granny, Gran, Nanna, Nan, Mimi, etc..she doesn't like any of them! These will be her first grandchildren and she is very young looking and feeling. I wondered if any of you have some unique names of your own to share? Thought it couldn't hurt! Thanks!


My mom wanted to be called Granny, since that is what her other grandchildren called her. For my MIL, these were her first grandchildren, so she wanted them to just do whatever came natural to them. They started calling her MaMa, and it stuck and that is still what they call her today.

 

What's your mom's name? My Mom is GramPam, and MIL is Nanny.

 

My daughter called my mom "Uma" for the longest time, because she couldn't quite pronounce "GRANDMA". However, around 2 years of age, she started to say Grandma. I kinda miss the Uma word, but your kids will pick a name - however they can pronounce it.

 

before my kids got the "GR" part they called my parents Aama and Aampa....now they call my parents grandma and grandpa and my IL's grammy and grampy...my grandmother (the kids great grandmother) is Nani (Italian for great-grandma)

 

dh's mom is nonnie.

My kids made up my mom's name. When dd was little she couldn't say grandma and instead said Maga. She has been that ever since. I think that is the best name co nsidering my dd made it up.

 

Thanks for all of these! Even if we don't find a name in here, these are really cute to read

Just to answer a few questions, the problem with "grandma" is that she just doesn't like it. Maybe once she settles into the idea of being a grandparent it will be easier for her to consider. And her name is Sharon...

 

My mom is G.G. (greatest grandma - she named herself and it's very fitting)
My stepmom is Grammy
My stepmomIL is Minnie (her grandkids call her this)
My MIL is Nana
My grandmother to me is Grammy and to them is Babcia
My other grandmother to me and them is Grammy Lou
My grandmotherIL is Nana
(Yes, MIL and GMIL are both Nana )


Does this help...at all? :laughing:

 

I am a grandmother to be. My daughter would like for her girls to call me NeNa. I am very excited about being a grandmother and it really doesn't matter to me what I am called. I just can't wait to be a grandmother or NeNa, LOL!

 

My mom and dad wanted Memaw and Pepaw. My sister's in-laws are Oma and Opa.

 

QUOTE(KristenLee @ Apr 22 2009, 06:57 PM) [snapback]1284575[/snapback]
My mom and dad wanted Memaw and Pepaw. My sister's in-laws are Oma and Opa.


We have:
Nonna and Papa (my parents)
Grandma and Grandpa Smith (SMIL and FIL, they insisted on the last name beind included )
Nana and Poppy (MIL and SFIL)

All three sets of grandparents picked their own names

 

My oldest DD couldn't pronounce Grandma and Grandpa, so she said "Geema" and "Papa". That stuck for one set and then as she got older the other set became Grandma and Grandpa.

 

We just grew up with Grandma (Insert Last Name) and Grandpa (Insert Last Name)..
so nothing special here..

 

QUOTE(teafor2 @ Apr 22 2009, 05:07 PM) [snapback]1284454[/snapback]
Just to answer a few questions, the problem with "grandma" is that she just doesn't like it. Maybe once she settles into the idea of being a grandparent it will be easier for her to consider.

Maybe, but I know my Mom never wanted to be called "Grandma" and now with 8 grandkids, she still would not want to be called "Grandma". :lol: My MIL is called "Grandma" by all her grandkids though.

 

My parents are called gramma and papa & since my DH is from germany, naturally his are oma and opa.

 

I think its neat that my niece chose my mom's "grandma name"... her name is Mary Lou and my niece - the first grandchild at first wouldn't call her anything... then she named her "Missy Lou"... it stuck... and she loves it... we call her that for our babies too.

 

I am the uh "grandmother" here LOL... I too did NOT want to be called anything that was going to make me feel old... I did chose Nana, and I like it... At first I was very concerned about the whole grandma=old person, but I have come to embrace it and proudly tell people who think I'm the twins mother that I am their "grandma".

My sisters MIL's "grandma"name is Susie!! Her real name is Linda so she just made up a name she could live with and it works for them!

 

On my mother's side, my grandmother was GramE (her name was Elaine) and my grandfather was GranD (his name was Dick). I've always thought their names were so cool; almost the traditional names, but still a little personality. My mother wants my girls to call her Gran but so far it isn't working.

 

For my side-my parents are Nonna and Pop-Pop and DH's parents are deceased so we call them Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop in heaven. One my BF's her DH's parents wanted to be called Meanie and Grumpy and that's what the kids call them!

 

We were going to go with the traditional Grandma and Grandpa but my nephew and my son took it on themselves! My Mom is called Munga...and my Dad is called Papa... it started when the kids were just learning to talk and they have stuck. My nephew is now 5

 

My girls call my parents Grandpa and Grandma + first name--not sure why?
MIL is Abuelita.
I grew up with only one set of grandparents myself so they were just Grandpa and Grandma, but my cousins called them Grandpa and Grandma + lastname.

 

The only unique one we have is "Emma". That's what the kids call my grandma. Oh, and Dax calls my mom "Ung" but nobody knows where that came from and it probably isn't the kind of name your mom is looking for.

 

My son calls my mom gammie. I think it's cute, Kids in Sweden say mormor (more-more) for gramma, and morfar for grampa

 

Nanny and Pops.

 

all the kids call my parents Gigi (my mom) and Pop (my dad)