# What did you call your grandparents? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2001, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625 "2001-07-07T20:35:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/1 "2001-07-07T20:35:02Z")
My mom’s parents were regular old Grandpa and Grandma. Everyone called my dad’s mother “Mamaw”. His father died long before I was born, so I never knew him, but I believe I have heard him referred to by one of my older cousins who knew him, as “Papaw”. I think Mamaw-Papaw is an Appalachian thing. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/2 "2001-07-07T20:39:43Z")
I call my mom’s mom, whose name is Louise, “Nanny Lou.” My dad’s mom is “Nanny Kathy,” and his dad is “Papa.” My friends think this is funny and weird. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/3 "2001-07-07T20:39:59Z")
On my mom’s side I called my grandma “grandma”, and on my dad’s side I called them “baba”(grandma) and “dida”(grandpa), which are the customary names in Croatia. They had emigrated from Vela Luka which is an island in the Adriatic sea on the Dalmatian coast. Directly on the other side of the sea is Venice. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/4 "2001-07-07T20:55:41Z")
only my maternal grandmother is still living and she is Hooa (hoo ah) for no discernable reason i can gather. oddly my cousins call her Ooh Hoo. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/5 "2001-07-07T21:05:05Z")
[I thought this sounded familiar](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=32867) ---
**Author:** ![fenrir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/43a26b/32.png) [@fenrir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fenrir)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/6 "2001-07-07T21:07:14Z")
I called my grandfather papa and my grandmother amma. ---
**Author:** ![JadedNaive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/59ef9b/32.png) [@JadedNaive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JadedNaive)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/7 "2001-07-07T23:13:22Z")
On my Dad’s side it was just a plain ol’ Grandma and Grandpa. My mother’s mother is Mimi, my maternal grandfather was Papa. What’s odd is that I call my Aunt Julianna Nana; it was the baby-talk version my older cousin used, and it just stuck I guess. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/8 "2001-07-07T23:52:38Z")
My mom’s mom is Nana; Nana’s mom was Grammie Brown, but now she’s dead. Dad’s mom is Grandma; her mother was Nanny Werkheiser. I’ve never had grandfathers. Both my biological g’pas and my step-g’pa died before my second birthday. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/9 "2001-07-07T23:56:08Z")
I called my grandmother “Grandmother”. GrizzWife called her grandmother “Gramma”. We’re teaching the GrizzCub to call his paternal grandmother “Gramma”; and to call his mater grandparents “Grammy” and “Grampa”. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/10 "2001-07-08T00:07:34Z")
We were boring. It was Grandma lastname and Grandpa lastname on both sides. Now, my cousins called my mother’s mother Happy lastname. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![katiekilldare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@katiekilldare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katiekilldare)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/11 "2001-07-08T00:11:31Z")
Grandparents: “Nana & Papa” and “Grandmother and Daddy Bub”. Great Grandmothers: “Mama Pete” (short for “Peterson”) and “Mama Julie”. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/12 "2001-07-08T00:12:06Z")
On my mom’s side - “Grandmother,” my grandfather had died before any of us were born - but he’s always been referred to as “your grandfather” On my dad’s side, we didn’t see them very much, nor did we talk to or about them often. When we did, we tended to call them by their first names, mostly 'cause that’s what my dad called them. His brothers and sisters called them “mom” and “dad” and I think their children might have called them “grandma” and “grandpa” but we didn’t see them much either. ---
**Author:** ![Bubble\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@Bubble\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubble_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/13 "2001-07-08T00:31:11Z")
My dads parents were known as Memaw and Pawpaw. My mothers mom was Oma but grandfather died before I was born. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/14 "2001-07-08T00:34:08Z")
Maternal grandmother: Na-Na (which, believe it or not, is pronounced differently from Nana) Paternal grandmother: Granna (Grandma + Anna, her first name) Paternal great-grandmother: Gram These were all firmly established by older cousins by the time I came around. One of my aunts-by-marriage attempted a coup to change Na-Na to Grandmama, which she felt was more elegant, but the rest of family shunned her and her high-falootin’ ideas. Once, when I was a freshman in college, I decided to address the envelope of a letter to Na-Na to “Mrs. Firstname Lastname.” Not the actual letter, mind you, just the address on the envelope. I figured the US Post Office had enough to deal with as it is. Well. I got an earful from Na-Na on that one. \*What? You go to college and suddenly you’re too good to call me Na-Na? \* This is still brought up in our family as an example of how truly ungrateful young people shame and disrespect their elders at any given opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/15 "2001-07-08T00:40:35Z")
I only had one grandma (my mom’s mom) and one great-grandma (my mom’s dad’s mom). My grandma was “Gramma.” Her great-grandchildren were taught to call her “Granny,” which she was not thrilled about, but didn’t want to say anything. My great grandma’s last name was McCue. One of my cousins had tried to call her “Grandma McCue” when he was a child, and it came out as “Gramma Coo.” So the great grandkids always called her “Cue” (pronounced “Coo”). ---
**Author:** ![Qis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Qis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qis)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/16 "2001-07-08T00:56:36Z")
paternal, grannie and grandad maternal, grandma and grandpa dull = yes true = also straight dope = it is more interesting becasue of this = no me waffling on = yes me caring = no me feeling silly for making such a pointless post = much me going now = yes you saying ’ thank god’ = much ---
**Author:** ![Qis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Qis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qis)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/17 "2001-07-08T01:01:17Z")
paternal, grannie and grandad maternal, grandma and grandpa dull = yes true = also straight dope = it is more interesting because of this = no me waffling on = yes me caring = no me feeling silly for making such a pointless post = much me going now = yes you saying ’ thank god’ = much ---
**Author:** ![Qis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Qis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qis)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/18 "2001-07-08T01:16:03Z")
Sorry, tried to stop post so that i could correct spelling. now, not only have a bored you all to tears, i ahve done it twice. or 3 times including this apoligy. sorry guys :: blush :: ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/19 "2001-07-08T02:41:13Z")
Mainly because they live in Mexico and altjhough they speak English I never got them to use it around me I call my grandparents Abuelito and Abuelita, or when I talk to the family about my grandmothers I call one abuelita and the other my gramma madrina because she’s my godmother. Kitty ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625/20 "2001-07-08T03:53:37Z")
Bubby and (until he passed away recently) Zaydie, which are the Yiddish terms. I always found the name of the quarterback Bubby Brister funny, since it gave me the mental image of my 80-something year old tiny grandmother in a helmet and pads, throwing a football. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-call-your-grandparents/71625.md?page=2)