All of the grandparents picked their own names for our kids when our first was born:
[name_f]My[/name_f] father: [name_f]Poppy[/name_f]
[name_f]My[/name_f] step mother: Gamma
[name_f]My[/name_f] mother: [name_f]Gila[/name_f] (her name is [name_f]Sheilah[/name_f] but she thought [name_f]Gila[/name_f] was funny since it is also the name of a reptile)
[name_f]My[/name_f] step father: Grandpa
[name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s mother: Grandma
[name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s father: passed on
We were lucky that with so many loving adults in our kids’ lives that there was no overlap in self-selected names!
[name_f]My[/name_f] grandma was ‘granny’ to just about everyone. [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] was reserved for my great aunt because she was the most special to me. I hope that I can be a nanny someday, but those are big shoes to fill. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband tried to get our daughter to use ‘yetta’ for his mother, but she ended up being ‘grandma.’
[name_f]My[/name_f] nephew will call my mum (he’s 4 months old) [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] as a child and [name_f]Nan[/name_f] as a teenager+ and I think I’ll go with that. [name_f]My[/name_f] mum ruled out Granny or Grandma because they ‘sound old’ and she doesn’t want that. Before my other grandparents died, I called my grandparents on my father’s side ‘[name_f]Nan[/name_f] and Grandad [name_m]Barney[/name_m]’ because my sister loved [name_m]Barney[/name_m] and they always let her watch it, the other grandparents weren’t distinguished. I think I’d like my kids to distinguish between the two pairs of grandparents but on my side, it’ll be [name_f]Nan[/name_f] and Grandad ____.
I called my grandparents [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] and Pop. I only had one set.
[name_f]My[/name_f] daughter has three sets of grandparents. She doesn’t speak yet, so this is what we refer to everyone:
Grandma & grandpa (but he calls himself “papa” occasionally, so that might stick)
Grandma (or grandma first name) & Opa
Grandpa & first name (BF’s stepmom is a bit younger than his dad and not ready for a grandma name)
Great grandparents are [name_f]Mimi[/name_f], great-grandma last name, [name_f]Oma[/name_f], and Abuela/Abuelo
Gramma and Grandpa
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] and Pop
Grandmommy and Grandaddy
Granna and Papa
They all picked the names they wanted, other than Papa (my dad) who initially wanted to be Grandpa. We were OK with having two Grandpa’s, but my son doesn’t see my dad as often as my husband’s dad (Grandpa). Then my stepmom out of habit referred to my dad accidentally as Papa (what her dad goes by), and my son picked up on it. [name_f]My[/name_f] dad liked it and said he was fine with it, so we have stuck with that.
… [name_f]My[/name_f] parents and as well as my husband’s parents passed away before our first son, so I wouldn’t know for sure. I’m guessing the titles would not be in English since both of our families are multicultural. Possibly “grandfather” and “grandmother” in [name_m]German[/name_m]/Italian/Chinese/maybe even Greek.
[name_f]My[/name_f] paternal grandparents: [name_m]Gram[/name_m]/Gramp
[name_f]My[/name_f] maternal grandparents: Grandma (name)/Grandpa (name)
[name_f]My[/name_f] Great grandparents: Great Grandma/Great Grandpa, [name_f]Nana[/name_f]/Pumpum
[name_f]My[/name_f] parents haven’t explicitly stated what they would like to be called but I suspect it will be Gramma/Grampa
I called my dad’s parents [name_f]Nana[/name_f] and Papa. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom’s parents split up and her dad divorced, so her dad and stepmom were Granddad and Grandmom for me. Her mother I call Grammy. Other ones I’ve heard my cousins use for my great aunts and uncles: pop-pop, gi gi, and mom mom. I don’t know what my parents would be called. I’ve tried to have them think about it, but I think they still feel too old for names like that. I definitely don’t want them being called by their names, like I’ve seen others do (e.g., Ms. [name_f]Mary[/name_f] for the grandmother).
[name_f]My[/name_f] maternal grandparents were Mammam and Pappap. No idea how those names came to be (my mom was 25 years younger than her oldest brother so we were by far the last grandkids born). I would like to be called Mammam by any grandkids. When my first child was born I felt strongly that Mammam and Pappap couldn’t be used, I just identified the names to much with the actual people, and asked my parent’s to pick any name besides those. Dad wanted to be Poppop (don’t remember if it was my suggestion or his) and I thought Mommom and Poppop was perfect- similar to Mammam and Pappap but slightly different. However my mom just naturally referred to herself as Grammy as that is what she called her Grandma so Mommom didn’t happen. I now regret having banned using the titles Mammam and Pappap and wish we had used those names, create a little family tradition. Though my mom would have gone by Grammy anyway probably, it was just what naturally happened after first grandchild was born. A lot of grandpa’s are called Poppop where I grew up (South [name_u]Jersey[/name_u]). [name_f]My[/name_f] sister just can’t remember it’s Grammy, not Grandma, Grandma is husband’s mom, confuses the kids!
Husband’s dad wanted a them to be Grandpa and Grandma last name, like his parent’s were. Husband’s mother’s parents and step-parents are Grandpa/Grandma first name or just called by their first name. Grandma didn’t really want to be a Grandma, she preferred oh I think it was Grammy or Granny, but being Grandma/Grandpa meant a lot to Grandpa.
[name_f]My[/name_f] parents are [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] and Pappy. I have one nephew who is a bit older than my son, and I thought we should stick with the same names he uses, for the sake of simplicity. [name_f]My[/name_f] dad named himself Pappy. He used to coo at my then-infant nephew “oooh, my little grandbaby- do you know who I am? This is your old ‘Pappy.’” and the name just stuck.
[name_f]Mimi[/name_f] came about because my mom wanted to be Grammy, but my nephew couldn’t say it… all that came out was “[name_f]Mimi[/name_f].” I especially like [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] because it’s so easy for small children to say.
[name_f]My[/name_f] in-laws are [name_f]Nana[/name_f] and Poppop/ [name_f]Poppy[/name_f]. I picked [name_f]Nana[/name_f] for my [name_f]MIL[/name_f], because she couldn’t come up with a preference when asked. It does fit her perfectly, though, and she has really embraced it.
I chose, again, Poppop for my FIL, though it was kind of awkward at first and didn’t seem to fit. Nothing seemed to fit him quite right. [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_f]MIL[/name_f], son, and other family members have morphed Poppop into [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], which seems to fit much better. It irks me just a hair that [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] is so close to Pappy (my father’s special name.) But it’s also cute and sweet, and fits, so I don’t say anything.
The great grandparents on my side are Grandma (first name) and Grandpa (first name), while the ones on my husband’s side are [name_f]Gigi[/name_f] and Pap.
[name_f]My[/name_f] mom will be “[name_f]Nana[/name_f]” and my dad will likely be “Grandpa”.
[name_f]My[/name_f] maternal grandmother is [name_f]Nana[/name_f], and her mother was [name_f]Nana[/name_f] to my mom (G-[name_f]Nana[/name_f] to me). [name_f]My[/name_f] nana will be G-[name_f]Nana[/name_f] to my kids.
[name_f]My[/name_f] dad’s dad was Grandpa, so I kind of assume he’ll follow suit, but he can pick when the time comes… I’ve already told my mom she’s [name_f]Nana[/name_f], though.
I’m not sure about my SO’s parents, but I’m sure he has ideas in mind for what they’ll be called eventually.
Letting my parents decide what they want to be called (I’m due in [name_u]December[/name_u]). But mom says she wants to be “Your [name_m]Royal[/name_m] Highness.” So I’m trying to find kid-friendly alternatives for her, too :).
Mine are Grammy and Grandpa and Mammaw and Papaw, but neither of my parents really seem like grandparents, so it’s tough. [name_f]My[/name_f] one living grandmother when I was growing up was called GG for Great Grandmother. [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is already called Grandma [name_f]Cindy[/name_f] by the nephews.
My maternal grandparents were Grandma and Pop; my paternal grandparents, Gran and Grandad.
As for my son once he’s born, I would imagine he will call his paternal grandparents (and step-grandmother) by their first names, since that’s how my partner has always referred to them (my partner also referred to all his own grandparents by their first names–it’s just how his side of the family does it).
My parents…I’m not sure yet. My son will be their first grandchild, so they get to choose whatever they like, there’s no precedent that’s been set. I kind of have it in my head that they’ll go with Grandma and Grandad (since that’s what I called my mum’s mum and my dad’s dad, as above) but maybe they’ll choose something out of left field!
We all called my Grandmother Mami ([name_m]German[/name_m] version on Mommy).
And we have an aunt that is called “Gran Laur” (which I love cause it always makes her sound like “Grand Laur”).
Ours was most likely be first grand babies and great grand babies on both sides, so ithat will ultimately be up for their individual approval, but I’d like it to go:
Nei-Nei (“nay-nay”) for my mom
Bompa / Buppe for my dad
[name_f]Nan[/name_f] for [name_f]MIL[/name_f]
Pop-Pop for FIL
Glam for step-[name_f]MIL[/name_f]
[name_f]Mamie[/name_f] for my grandma
[name_f]TaTa[/name_f] for DH’s grandma (her Chinese title)
My daughter is the first grand baby on both sides so she “named her grandparents”.
My parents go by PopPop and [name_f]Mimi[/name_f]. My daughter just one day started calling my Mom [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] and it stuck. She calls my in-laws Grammy and PaPa (sounds like paw-paw).
She has two sets of great-grandparents and we just use Grandma and Grandpa with their first names.
My family has no grandkids yet so my parents don’t have ‘grandparent names’. On my hubby’s side, his parents chose the names they wanted. I like that they get to choose, but I hope my parents choose different names to hubby’s parents just to make it easy
I had a Grandma, Granny, Ma’amaw (great-grandmother) and Pawpaw, Pawpaw Holman, and Pawpaw [name_u]Walker[/name_u] (great-grandfather). We called them all Pawpaw when with them, but to know which one when we talked about them we used last names. except my mom’s dad, because it was his parents that were still alive and they had the same last name, so he was always just Pawpaw.
My grandparents will probably go by what they do now, Grandma and Pawpaw. My mom wants to be [name_f]Nana[/name_f], and my in-laws are trying to be Grandma and Grandpa (we’ll see what my Niece ends up calling them).
