# Nicknames for grandfathers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 5, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587 "2007-07-05T13:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/21 "2007-07-05T19:02:17Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] I like the fact that Norwegian and Swedish have separate words for “maternal grandfather” and “paternal grandfather”, as do Chinese and Vietnamese. [/QUOTE] Not so much a actual words as descriptions: Paternal grandfather: “Farfar” = Fatherfather Maternal grandfather: “Morfar” = Motherfather Paternal Grandmother: “Farmor”= Fathermother Maternal Grandmother: “Mormor”= Mothermother Alternatively, there is “Bestefar/ Bestemor” (Best Father/Best Mother)for either one. Or even “Bestepappa/Bestemamma” (Best Daddy/Best Mommy). Slight hijack, but I think It’s nice too. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/22 "2007-07-05T19:05:36Z")
Why not throw in a Spanish “abuelo.” And if you eventually run out of 'em, you can call him “Zebedee.” That’s was my grandpa’s actual name. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/23 "2007-07-05T21:28:25Z")
Icelandic: Afi’ -grandpa 'Om-ma (think “umma”) -grandma ---
**Author:** ![rackman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@rackman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/24 "2007-07-05T21:58:39Z")
My grandfather was of Italian descent, and we called him “Nonno”. ---
**Author:** ![Suda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@Suda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suda)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/25 "2007-07-06T05:13:24Z")
My nephew uses Grandad and Grandude to distinguish between the two. I think Grandad is a little jealous of Grandude 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/26 "2007-07-06T05:19:39Z")
It looks like I’m destined to be Papaya (or Papa) while my wife will be Banana (or Nana) ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/27 "2007-07-06T13:28:37Z")
\*\*Beepa \*\* was my grandfather. Another vote for **Pépère**. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/28 "2007-07-06T13:30:56Z")
My uncle is just plain Pap to his grandkids. Everybody else I know is Grandpa. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/29 "2007-07-06T13:38:24Z")
My father is “Bobo” to my nieces and nephew. The etymology is a bit convoluted. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/30 "2007-07-06T13:41:58Z")
My daughter called my father “rah rah.” ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/31 "2007-07-06T13:44:25Z")
I always liked “popsy,” especially after the Stephen King story. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/32 "2007-07-06T13:46:15Z")
[QUOTE=sunstone] It looks like I’m destined to be Papaya (or Papa) while my wife will be Banana (or Nana) [/QUOTE] These are excellent! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/33 "2007-07-06T16:34:17Z")
I just had the one grandfather, and he was Grandpa. My father refused to be called grandpa and taught my oldest nephew to call him “Jaja” (Polish–roughly phonetic spelling; the actual correct spelling is something like “dzadza” or “djadja”), and that eventually got morphed into “Jaj”. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/34 "2007-07-06T18:40:39Z")
I called my paternal grandfather Granddad (we weren’t really close) and I call my maternal grandfather Papa. Not very creative, me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/35 "2007-07-06T18:56:13Z")
In these parts, it’s common to hear Grand+FirstName. Popularized by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg’s children’s “Grand-Jackie” ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Venom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/36 "2007-07-07T01:25:53Z")
My grandfather was Poppa. Ugh, I miss him ☹ (I was raised by my paternal grandparents & Father. Grandmother was Mom (died when I was 18 (1991), Grandfather was Poppa (died almost 3 years ago) and my Father is Dad. I never met my maternal grandparents) ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/37 "2007-07-07T02:42:39Z")
Grandad and Abuelito FirstName… ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/38 "2007-07-07T04:42:21Z")
My wifes father was called dzai dzai . It is pronounced ja ja . We called him two jas. Some are called teflon don. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/39 "2007-07-07T10:10:39Z")
My grandfather on my dad’s side was Poppop. Granddad on my mom’s side was just Granddad. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587/40 "2007-07-07T16:41:03Z")
The Yiddish word for grandfather is zeyde/zayda/zeidi (I have no idea what the standard English spelling is). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-grandfathers/410587.md?page=3)