So I never thought about this until now. My gradmother was called [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] or [name_f]Nan[/name_f]. My mom wants to be called [name_f]Nana[/name_f], I thought that was fine until she started slipping recently saying [name_f]Nanny[/name_f]. My brother & us had the convo awhile ago saying that if my [name_f]Nan[/name_f] was nanny she had to be grandma or something different (I didnt notice as much until now because I didnt associate nana with nanny).
Is there a tradition in naming grandmothers?
Can they have the same name?
What others are used besides granny or grandma?
My grandparents are all Chinese (my mum’s parents don’t speak much English), and in the Chinese language there is actually a unique title for each grandparent. If you speak another language you can use the word for grandma in that language. I think it’s fine for them to have the same name. When texting or talking online in English, since there isn’t a direct translation we say Grandpa/Grandma [name_u]Lee[/name_u] and Grandpa/Grandma [name_m]Wong[/name_m] (not their real last names). It’d work out loud too if their surnames (or first names, if you like) aren’t really long. Oh and my friend calls her grandma [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] which I think is cute.
In my family, my grandmother was called [name_f]Oma[/name_f]. It was expected by everyone that when my mom became a grandmother she would be an [name_f]Oma[/name_f] as well - but she decided she wanted to be Meema. So she is. My grandmother is still alive and so for our daughters she will be [name_f]Oma[/name_f]. [name_u]Corey[/name_u]'s Grandma wants to be [name_f]Nana[/name_f], and his mom has been dubbed BamBam by our nephew - so she will be BamBam evermore. All the grandpas are either Grandpa or Pappa cause they don’t care what their grandkids call them.
I call my grandmothers Grandmama and [name_f]Nan[/name_f]. I was the oldest grandchild on both sides, so I got to “name” all four of my grandparents. All of my first cousins use the same names I do. It’s not uncommon for grandparent names to vary amongst first cousins though. My mom and her sisters didn’t call their grandmothers the same names that their first cousins used.
I think grandmothers can share the same name if it won’t get too confusing.
As for other names, there’s no limit. A little girl at the daycare I used to work at called her grandma [name_f]Lala[/name_f] which I thought was adorable. I wanted mom to be called Alisi because it’s Cherokee for grandmother, but she’s insisting on [name_f]Nana[/name_f] and Papa (paw-paw). I call my own grandparents [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] and Papa (pah-puh). And [name_u]Cody[/name_u] called his Grandma and Papa (pa-paw (pa like cat)).
As for other grandma’s I’ve know – I call a friends grandma Mamaw (ma like in ma’am). My best friends grandparents are [name_f]Oma[/name_f] and Opa because they’re [name_m]German[/name_m].
I’m all for just letting the child naturally develop a name for them.
My maternal grandmother is “Grandma [name_f]Rose[/name_f]” (her FN is [name_f]Rosita[/name_f]) and my paternal grandmother was Nonny (although I have no clue where that came from). My great-grandmothers were Grandma Duhaime (last name) and Grandma [name_u]Parker[/name_u] (also last name)
My maternal grandfather is just “Grandpa”, and my paternal preferred the formal “Grandfather”
My mum’s mother [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] is Grandma and my dads mother [name_m]Jamesie[/name_m] was [name_f]Nana[/name_f] (she passed away when I was young). My dads father is Pop and my mums dad is granddad. I would love to be called [name_f]Nana[/name_f] one day because my father always tells me I’m just like her, so thats my reason.
I have Gramma and Grampa (Technically spelt Grandma and Grandpa, but very much pronounced as I spell them), and then [name_f]Nani[/name_f].
My mom once mentioned when my sister has kids she wants to be called “Grandma”, but I think if I ever was a grandparent I would want to be [name_f]Nani[/name_f] (Probably because I am more similar to my [name_f]Nani[/name_f] rather than my Gramma)
Once a grandparent becomes a great grandparent in my family you simply add their first name after the title. Like Grandma [name_f]Alice[/name_f] and [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f].
I have [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] + [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] (we called them that when we were kids and it always stuck) and Granny and Granddad, my other Granddad was Granddad [name_m]Ken[/name_m]. My Granny’s mum was Grandma and her hubby before he passed was Grandpa.
I don’t have children but my [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is already called [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] by her grand kids and her hubby is Koro. My step-mum is [name_f]Nana[/name_f] or [name_f]Nana[/name_f] Loz (her nn) and my dad goes by [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] [name_m]Brian[/name_m]. But since I already have a [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] I don’t know what I’ll get my kids to call him. My mum said she’ll be Grandma since that’s not taken. I guess it depends if your child is the first grand child or not! It can get confusing haha but the kids never seem to be confused.
It took my parents awhile to decide on names but they chose G-mom and G-Pop. It was a fun thing to ask them about names and go down a list of possibilities. My inlaws are from Poland so they’re Babcia and Dziadek…no overlap worries for us.
Oh, how exciting. Here’s just the boring Omma to both my grandparents. My parents called their grand-mothers omma, and yeah… Well, safe to say I don’t live in a English-speaking country Grandfathers are called [name_f]Abbi[/name_f]. I assume when I’m having children, my kids will call my parents Omma and [name_f]Abbi[/name_f], and do likewise do the same with the other grand-parents, unless he’s not from my country.
My mother has specifically requested to be called Grandma. My dad hasn’t made a request but he’ll probably be Grandpa. All my grandparents are Grandma/Grandpa LastName.
OH’s grandparents are Mamaw and Papaw and then his maternal grandmother is Granny. His parents will probably be Mamaw and Papaw since that’s what they prefer.
[name_m]Both[/name_m] my own mother and my [name_f]MiL[/name_f] are referred to as [name_f]Nana[/name_f]. [name_f]Amelie[/name_f] just calls them [name_f]Nana[/name_f] firstname and [name_f]Nana[/name_f] firstname so its obvious who she is referring to. No need for two separate names, imo.
My future [name_f]MiL[/name_f] is [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] to all her grandkids. Not sure where that came from but I’m thinking usually whatever the first grandkid calls her is what grandma is stuck with ;). I just called both of mine grandma myself.
My kids have:
Grammy & PopPop; Grandma & Papa; [name_f]Nana[/name_f] & Clock; Grandma & Grandpa Lastname; Grandma firstname; Grandma firstname
[name_m]Even[/name_m] with the Grandma/Grammy closeness and all the other Grandmas there isn’t much confusion, just add their name.
Grandfathers are called [name_f]Abbi[/name_f]. I assume when I’m having children, my kids will call my parents Omma and [name_f]Abbi[/name_f], and do likewise do the same with the other grand-parents, unless he’s not from my country.