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.
Nanna, nanny and nan for a grandmother are very common but do not denote high social status. We also use Pop for a grandad as do the Australians and New Zealanders. Here Grandma and Granddad are fairly class neutral.
Granny: A common but sweet way to address your grandmother. Mama [Last Name]: Simply add your family name for a cute way to call your maternal or paternal grandmother. Gam Gam: An adorable nickname, which is easy for toddlers to pronounce. MaMaw: A fun way to call your grandmother as she wraps you in a hug!
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.
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.”
Many French children call their grandmother by the elegant "Grand-mère," which can also be shortened to "Mémé."
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%).
Let's start with the most used nicknames for Grandma. Nana is the most common nickname for a Grandma in thirty-two states. But if someone doesn't call their grandmother Nana, odds are they do call her Grammy or Gram, as these are relatively popular alternatives to Grandma, as well.
-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.”
Contributor's comments: The meaning of Bubs I grew up with is a baby, or quite often the youngest member of the family is called "bubs" from an older sibling.
A Noongar family will also claim the grandchildren of their brothers and sisters and refer to them as “they all my grannies”. Deman is the name for Grandmother. or 'deman yaarl koorl' – Grandmother come here.
Australians use a couple of other colloquial words for a hen's egg. The Australian English word googie or goog is an informal term that dates from the 1880s. It derives from British dialect goggy, a child's word for an egg. A closer parallel to the jocular bum nut, however, is the word cackleberry.
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.
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).
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.
Traditional Grandparent Names
A few alternatives for Grandma include Grammy, Gamma, G-Ma, Granny, and Nanna. Grandfather may be shortened to Grampa, Gramps, G-Pa, Poppy or Pops.
1. “Nonna” from Italian. “Nonna” is the popular name for grandmother in the Italian language. “Nonna” may be altered to “Nonnina,” which translates to “little grandmother.” Some people choose to shorten the name to “Nonni,” which is also the plural form of “grandparents.”
India. “In our Indian culture, 'nani' is maternal grandmother, and 'dadi' is paternal. 'Nana' is maternal grandfather, and 'dada' is paternal,” shares Lisa Batra is a first-generation Indian, with immigrant parents, and two kids of her own.
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.
Save to list. Girl. Greek, English. Short form of Georgina, a feminine form of George, which originally comes from the Greek name Georgios, from georgos, meaning "farmer, earthworker", which is from ge, meaning "earth" and ergon, meaning "work".
Oma and Opa
In Germany, you say oma and opa for grandma and grandpa.
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.
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.
Fancy Grandmas, on the other hand, are eccentric. They have tchotchkes, stockpile snacks, and religiously watch a TV show they call "my show." They always smell really good because they love all kinds of scents, and they also can't resist shopping for a good deal.