# What Did You Call Your Grandparents? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2000, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623 "2000-07-31T23:51:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/1 "2000-07-31T23:51:02Z")
I have encountered a huge variety of endearing nicknames used by children for their grandparents. In my case, my maternal GP’s were Nana and Gramps, while my paternal GP’s were Grandma and Grandpa. I remember a friend who called his GM “Mamaw”, which I found very strange. So what did you guys call the GP’s? ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/2 "2000-07-31T23:58:56Z")
Let’s see… My grandmother’s real name was “Ann” and thus we all called her “Nannie” or sometimes “Nan”. My grandfather went by “Grandad”. Now my great-grandmother went by “Mimi” and now that you mention it, I have no idea what her first name was. I’m assuming she actually did have one. In any event, my father, uncles, and aunts all referred to various relatives as “Mum Mum” “Maw Maw” and even “Mi Maw”. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/3 "2000-08-01T00:25:38Z")
Granny and Grandpa for my dad’s parents. Grandmother for my Mom’s mom. Didn’t know her dad well, but he was “Grandpa Morgan” to us. Great-grandparents: Granny Hassie (Hassie was her name, I swear) and Mammaw and Papaw. But this is what my mom and her brothers called them. My other great grandmother was just Grandma Susie. That’s all the ones I knew. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/4 "2000-08-01T00:57:19Z")
I love this thread - I can’t wait to see the options, especially since I don’t think my mom will be thrilled to be called “Grandma” My “Grammas” became “Hamma” and “Lamma” after I spoonerized one of their names accidentally. Turned out to be very good shorthand! ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/5 "2000-08-01T01:12:40Z")
My Dad’s parents were Grandma and Grandpa. But my Mom is known as Mummo (finnish for grandma) to her grandchildren. ---
**Author:** ![GolfWidow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GolfWidow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GolfWidow)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/6 "2000-08-01T01:16:40Z")
Grammy and Grampa. Gosh, do I miss them. No one loves you more unconditionally than grandparents. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/7 "2000-08-01T01:16:52Z")
My grandparents on both sides are/were Nanny & Grandad. I think those are pretty standard in the UK. My mom is Grandma, and my daughter called her ‘margat’ until she could say it right. When my time comes I think I’ll go for Nana. ---
**Author:** ![DoZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@DoZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoZ)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/8 "2000-08-01T01:30:26Z")
Gramma Baas and Grampa Baas. ---
**Author:** ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/9 "2000-08-01T01:34:24Z")
My mother’s parents both died before I was born, but I still have Dad’s mother and stepfather. I call them Gramma and Pap Pap. My brother just calls Pap Pap Iggy (his name is Ignacious, he’s of Slovac origin). ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/10 "2000-08-01T04:29:27Z")
On my mom’s side, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop (also, for my great-grandparents, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop Marshall). On Dad’s side, Grandpa and Grandma (similarly for the great-grandmother I knew, Grandma Shawen). ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/11 "2000-08-01T04:33:40Z")
My paternal grandparents were Mimaw and Poppa (shortened to Pop later on). My maternal grandmother was always known as Mother or Mother Wilson. (My oldest cousin heard all his aunts and his mom call her “Mother” so he did too. The last name was added so he could separate hi maternal and paternal grandmothers.) My husband’s maternal grandmother was Mammaw and his paternal grandmother was Nonna. My niece calls my mother-in-law Mimi. (That’s all she could say until she was three years old.) She calls my step-father-in-law Grandbob. (His name is Bob and she just came up with that on her own.) She calls her other grandparents Mammaw and Pappaw. My husband’s cousin’s grandchildren (got that?) call her and her husband Nanna and Pawpaw. I think that just about covers it! ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/12 "2000-08-01T04:37:52Z")
My maternal and my paternal grandparents were both “Grandma and Grandpa” Usually I teased my maternal grandmother and called her “Granny Goose” (She didn’t appreciate that) My great-grandparents were simply Eliza and Wen. Sometimes “Grandma Eliza”. My other great-grandmarents were all known the same way. “Grandpa Lafe and Grandma Verda” “Grandma Mary” ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/13 "2000-08-01T04:53:02Z")
My dad’s parents were called Dada (female, pronounced Day-dah, from Ada) and Pop. My mom’s were called Gammy and Gramp. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/14 "2000-08-01T05:39:19Z")
I only had one grandparent, and I called her granny. She was a sweet old polish lady who doted on me, especially after my mother died. My dad goes my grampa, or moosum (I don’t know how to spell it) which is Cree for grampa. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/15 "2000-08-01T06:28:37Z")
I have a grandma and (had a) grandpa. I also have a bubbe, which is Yiddish for grandmother. My zeydeh died before I was born, but that is what I call my grandfather, when I think of him. ---
**Author:** ![Lazarus7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lazarus7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus7)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/16 "2000-08-01T06:41:16Z")
Oma (grandmother) and Opa (grandfather) … it is a dutch thing! ---
**Author:** ![JoeBlank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@JoeBlank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeBlank)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/17 "2000-08-01T15:49:48Z")
Great thread. A word of advice, I think it is best to let your children decide what to call their grandparents. Of course this allows the first child to set the precedent, but the results can be wonderful. My wife’s nieces and nephews established Gi-Gi (not Gigi, but pronounce like the last syllable of Soggy) for her mom. Her dad is Grandpa. Our son is the first grandchild for my parents. He is headed towards Grandaddy for my dad, but somehow came up with Gaboo for my mom. Now we use it, and she is starting to like it too. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/18 "2000-08-01T16:04:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JoeBlank \* > \*\*Great thread. A word of advice, I think it is best to let your children decide what to call their grandparents. Of course this allows the first child to set the precedent, but the results can be wonderful. > \*\* Or the results can be weird. One of my cousins established my grandmother as Gree. My grandfather is Pa. My fathers parents were Grammy and Poppy. ---
**Author:** ![OESGal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecae2f/32.png) [@OESGal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OESGal)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/19 "2000-08-01T16:23:37Z")
My boyfriend’s Grandfather is Jabbo. My bf was trying to say Jaberwakie(sp?), when he was about 2 or 3, from Alice in Wonderland that his G’f had just read to him and the name stuck. An old girlfriend of mine called her G’parents Mimi and Bumpy, I don’t know why that was though:) ---
**Author:** ![SaxFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SaxFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaxFace)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623/20 "2000-08-01T16:41:22Z")
My mother’s father was called Vectevs (Vetz-tehvs) which means grandpa (directly translated it’s “old father”)in Latvian. His wife died before we were born so we just call her by her first name, Elza. My father’s mother is called Ocite (Uh-tzee-te). My oldest cousin started calling her that as incomprehensible baby talk and the name stuck. My little brother couldn’t say Ocite, so he called her Izi (Ee-zhee). She answers to both. Her husband was called Jectevs (Yetz-tehvs) - similar to grandpa (see above), but he resented being called old, so we changed the first letter. My great grandparents were called Tetete (teh-teh-teh) and Memite (Mem-eete). I don’t even remember their real names. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/27623.md?page=2)