Learning that one is to become a grandmother is one of those watershed moments in a woman’s life. A prospective grandmother sets the tone for her future as a grandparent even before the baby is born, and it's wise to get a good start. Very early in the process the grandmother-to-be has to deal with another issue, important if not weighty: What should I choose as my grandmother name?
Many times women decide upon one of the names that is traditional in their families. Sometimes the choice is complicated because the new baby will be lucky enough to have great-grandparents still living, which means that names must have variations to distinguish between the various generations. Luckily, inventive families have coined many variations.
Sometimes after grandchildren become old enough to talk, they christen their grandmothers with names of their own making, something resulting from an inability to pronounce the chosen name, and sometimes just resulting from a child’s creative mind.
Traditional Grandmother Names:
- Big Mom
- Gram
- Gramma
- Grammy
- Grams
- Grandma
- Grandmama
- Grandmom
- Grandmother
- Grannie
- Ma or Maw
- Mamo
- MawMaw
- Mema
- Memaw
- Mom-Mom
- Nana
- Nanny
Many children today have more than one grandmother. Indeed, through stepfamily relationships, some have half a dozen. For grandchildren who have more one grandmother, some families choose to add the given name or the last name to the grandparent name, arriving at combinations such as Gramma Jean or Grandma Brown. There is also a tendency among some modern grandparents to invent something that sounds perhaps younger or more hip than the traditional names. Indeed, the adoption of a cool grandmother name is something of a trend among baby boomer grandparents.
Modern Grandmother Names
- BeBe
- Bella
- GiGi
- G-Ma
- G-Mom
- Honey
- Lovey
- MayMay
- Mia
- Mim
- Mimi
- Nina
In addition, grandmothers may choose names favored by different nationalities or cultures, either because they reflect their heritage or simply because they like the way they sound. Many of these names appear in several variations and spellings.
Grandmother in Other Languages
- Chinese: NaiNai
- Filipino: Lola
- Flemish: Bomma
- French: Grandmere
- French Canadian: Meme
- German: Oma
- Greek: YaYa
- Hawaiian: Tutu
- Hebrew: Savta
- Italian: Nonna
- Japanese: Oba-chan
- Korean: Halmoni
- Polish: Busia
- Portuguese: VoVo
- Russian: Babushka
- Spanish: Abuela
- Yiddish: Bube
While choosing a grandmother name is just as much a part of becoming a grandmother as picking out that first outfit, grandmothers should not become too attached to their chosen names. Just as having children once altered the landscape of your life, grandchildren will change it, too. And one of the things they just might change is your carefully selected grandmother name. Most grandmothers, however, embrace with joy whatever name comes from the lips of their grandchildren.
If you are still undecided about what grandmother name suits you, take this grandmother name quiz. You'll learn more about your grandmothering style and perhaps find just the perfect name!
