As previously mentioned, in French the word is grandmère, but in Italian, it's nonna. In Spanish, the term is abuela, or if you want to be cozy and cute about it, you'd call her your abuelita, which means “little grandma.” In Portuguese, the word is avó. These last two most resemble the Latin word for grandmother, via.
Grandmother Names From Around the World
France: Popular choices are Grand-mère or Grandmere, but Grand-maman is also used occasionally. Children in France may call their grandmothers Gra-mere, Mémé, and Mamé.
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%).
Bibi. Swahili is commonly spoken in East Africa, and "Bibi" translates to "grandmother" in the language.
Grandmother: tipuna wahine/tupuna wahine, kuia, karanimā/karanimāmā, perekōu, tāua, ruruhi, ruahine, kui, kuikuia, ngoingoi.
Ireland (Gaelic)
While maimeó anddaideó are the words used to address a grandmother or grandfather, there are a few different words for grandparents in Irish. For example, there are máthair chríona, which translates to “wise mother,” and athair críonna which translates to “wise father.”
Aborigine. Australian Formal – Garrimaay. Australian Paternal – Mamaay. Australian Maternal – Momu. Polynesian Maori dialect – Tipuna Wahine.
-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.”
In Britain, Ireland, United States, Australia, New Zealand and, particularly prevalent in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nan, Nana, Nanna, Nanny, Gran and Granny and other variations are often used for grandmother in both writing and speech.
The French-Canadian name for grandmother is mémé. Mémère is another French-Canadian term for a granny or grandma. In some instances, mémère has a slightly derogatory tone, much like "old lady." In Quebec, the term can be used to refer to a nosy person or a gossip.
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.
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.
Grandparents, or besteforeldre in Norwegian, can be called bestemor (grandmother) or bestefar (grandfather).
The Hawiian name for grandma, grandpa, and ancestors is kupuna. This term is used for both male and female relatives, with the words wahine (woman) or kāne (man) added to distinguish between the two. For example, your grandmother would be called kupuna wahine, while your grandfather would be kupuna kāne.
Depending on where you live in Wales, there are different ways of saying “grandmother” in Welsh. If you call North Wales your home, the most common word you'll hear is nain while South Walians prefer the cute-sounding mam-gu (pronounced maam-gee).
Dembart – Grandmother
Maam bart/maaman/naan – Father.
Grandparents, or bedsteforældre in Danish, can be called bedstemor (grandmother) or bedstefar (grandfather), but it's probably more common to hear the slightly shorter, but more specific, combination of mor (mother) and far (father) used in four different variations, a unique one for each grandparent.
“Unci” (unh-chee) and “Gaka” (gah-gah) are Lakota terms for grandmother and grandfa- ther respectively. These terms are generally used as terms of affection in the traditional Lakota families, while those Lakota families who are more acculturated use the more common terms, “grandma and grandpa”.
Oma and Opa
In Germany, you say oma and opa for grandma and grandpa.
And if you live in the south, there's a good chance you call your grandmother Mamaw or Mawmaw—the most popular nickname in 7 states mostly in the south and along the Appalachians.