If you have a baby on the way, you likely have some grandparents-to-be who are itching to know what they’ll be called, and they deserve a nickname that’s as original as they are.
Kris Jenner's Reason for Not Spending One-On-One Time With Any of Her Grandkids Is All About Her Luxe Lifestyle
Maybe your kids’ grandparents are chic, stern, or goofy — but whatever they’re like, they’re more than likely hella wise. Because grandparents have been around the block more than once, which also means they can give fantastic advice — even when it’s the unsolicited kind. After all, isn’t “grandparenting” all the connection, excitement and love they had with their own kids without the stress?
One thing that’s not super-fun about grandparents? Feeling the pressure to come up with something else to call them — you know, a grandparent name that’s not “grandma” or “grandpa” like seemingly everybody else.
But luckily, those aren’t legally binding names (surprise!). And just because a grandparent name is popular doesn’t mean you need to join the trend (the most popular grandma name in Hawaii , for example, is “mama,” which might be somewhat confusing if that’s what your kid already calls … you). The good news is that you, your kids and your parents can collab on a set of perfect grandparent nicknames everyone loves. Here are some ideas — from the worldly to the wacky.
Traditional names for grandma
- Abuela
- Amma
- Bubbe
- Gaga
- Gram
- Gran
- Granny
- Gammie
- Mammaw
- Marmie
- Mimsy
- Mimi
- Momo
- Nan
- Nana (likely an Italian influence, from the Italian “nonna”)
- Nanny
- Nene
- Nonni (likely from a shortening of the Italian “nonnina,” which means “little grandmother”)
- Oma
- Yaya
Traditional names for grandpa
- Bobo
- Gramps
- Grampy
- Opa
- Pa
- Papa
- Pappoús (Greek for grandfather, pronounced “pa-poosch”)
- PapPap
- Pappaw
- PawPaw
- Pop
- Poppa
- PopPop
- Grandad
- Grandaddy
Fun nicknames for grandma
Fun nicknames for grandpa
- Bebop
- Gramps
- Grampy
- Granpup
- Hee Haw
- UmPaPa
Nicknames for grandma in other languages & dialects
- Cajun — MawMaw
- Chinese — Zumu or Wai Po
- Dutch — Grootmoeder
- Eskimo — Aanaga
- French — Mémère
- German — Oma
- Greek — Yaya
- Hawaiian — Kuku or Tutu
- Irish — Maimeo
- Italian — Nonna
- Jamaican — Nani or Granni
- Japanese — Obaasan
- Portuguese — Avó
- Russian — Babushka
- Spanish — Abuelita
- Yiddish — Bubbe
- Swahili — Bibi
- Ukrainian — Gigi
Nicknames for grandpa in other languages & dialects
- Cajun — PawPaw
- Chinese — YeYe or Wai Gong
- Dutch — Grootvader
- French — Pépère
- German — Opa
- Greek — Pappous
- Hawaiian — Tutu Kane
- Irish — Daidoe
- Italian — Nonno
- Japanese — Ojiisan
- Portuguese — Vovô
- Russian — Dedushka
- Spanish — Abuelito
- Yiddish — Zayde
- Ukrainian — Baba
- Swahili — Babu
A version of this article was originally published in November 2015.
For more fun with wacky names, here are the weirdest celeb baby names we wish we’d thought of first.
Comments / 0