Oma. The German word "großmutter" translates to "grandmother." But the short and sweet "Oma" is a common nickname for a female grandparent.
Children in France may call their grandmothers Gra-mere, Mémé, and Mamé. Quebec: Mémé and Mamie are most often used by French Canadians. Germany: Oma is one of the most popular international names for grandmothers and is often used to address grandmothers with no German heritage.
Although these terms are lovingly used across America and can be found in Greek, Opa and Oma actually originated in Germany. And over time, Oma and Opa became the most common Dutch words for 'grandma' and 'grandpa' respectively.
Yaya. Yaya is the word for grandmother in Greek.
-German: The formal German grandfather name is “Grossvater” (or “Großvater”), but the informal version is “Opa.”
Another popular subset of unique names are those that are derived from the (most often) grandmother's first name. So Gabby McCree is Gigi. “It's an abbreviation for 'Grandma Gabby' and also my initials growing up,” she says.
grandmother: many Slavic languages (such as Bulgarian, Russian, Czech and Polish), Romanian, Yiddish, Japanese. grandfather: Azerbaijani, Zulu (father, grandfather)
-Scottish: In Scottish Gaelic, the word for grandma is “Seanmhair,” which means good mother. But other commonly used Scottish grandmother names include “Nana,” “Nanna,” “Mhamó” and “Mamó.”
I took that idea and ran with it—as you all know, I am Gigi! I love that it is a reflection of my French heritage. I find this such a fun and interesting topic and so many people have great stories about how they got their grandparent names.
titi: modeled on terms for aunt and uncle in Spanish (tía and tío)
In the Swedish language, the maternal grandparents are “mormor” for grandmother and “morfar” for grandfather. Paternal grandparents are “farmor” for grandmother, and “farfar,” for grandfather.
oma; grootmoeder; opoe; grootje.
The translation of "great-grandma" is Uroma, which is pronounced /ur-OH-mah/. Notice that the term for "great-grandmother" is Urgroßmutter (pronounced: ur-GROHS-muh-tah).
Oma and Opa
In Germany, you say oma and opa for grandma and grandpa.
Granny: Quintessentially grandmother-like, this is an old favorite; Granna is a nice slant. Lolli: For the whimsical grandma who is extra sweet, this contemporary grandmother name is just about the cutest. Memaw: Typically used by Southern US families, it's a charming and cozy grandma name to embrace.
You can call her by cute names such as Big mom, Peaches, Lolly, or go for hippie names Hopie or Mumssy. Fairy mother, Granny Pie, or Yo Grandma can be other fun ways to address your sweet and caring grandma. Nicknames, whether traditional or unusual, are often remembered for years.
In Swiss German, the most used word for grandma is Grosi. In Low German, it is Grootmoder for grandmother and Groosma or Groosmutta for grandma.
From Kiki to Baba, these grandma nicknames are the perfect fit.
For British grandmothers the top five names in order of popularity at a national level are Nan (33%), Grandma (32%), Nana (24%), Nanny (22%) and Granny (14%). Only one-in-ten use the term Gran. The name Nan is by far the most popular for a grandmother in the English seaside cities of Liverpool (65%) and Brighton (51%).
Grandparents, or besteforeldre in Norwegian, can be called bestemor (grandmother) or bestefar (grandfather).
Baba. "Babusia," the formal name for grandmother in Ukrainian, may be tough for little ones to pronounce. But the nickname version, "Baba," is equally charming!
“Bomma” from Flemish
“Bomma” is the most popular term for grandmother in the Flemish language. People in the area may also use “Oma,” since northern Belgium is so close to Germany.