# When growing up, what did you call your father? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200 "2010-04-15T13:02:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/21 "2010-04-15T14:32:22Z")
I called him Daddy until I was four. Dad ever since. I’ve always called my stepdad by his given name. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/22 "2010-04-15T14:54:06Z")
Father. We were old-fashioned that way (although my sisters and I also coined the nickname “Pudder,” which we used a lot, too). I like my boys to call me Papa, and they do. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/23 "2010-04-15T15:12:08Z")
Papa, with short a’s on both. Now it’s just Dad. ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/24 "2010-04-15T15:16:54Z")
I called him Daddy when I was little, then transitioned to Dad sometime in elementary school. Then, in early high school, I started calling him Daddoo, which I’d heard on Animaniacs and liked. I still call him Daddoo most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/25 "2010-04-15T15:33:02Z")
My father was generally referred to as ‘that asshole’, and I never knew him. I called my stepfather by his first name. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/26 "2010-04-15T15:51:57Z")
“Dad” I’m white, in my early 30’s, and grew up in Michigan. My 2 1/2 year-old son calls me Daddy (sounds more like Da-yi). I assume it will transition to Dad later on. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/27 "2010-04-15T15:59:36Z")
Daddy, then Dad. Sometimes I still call him Daddy. I’m white, in my early 50’s, and was born and raised in Houston, Tx. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/28 "2010-04-15T16:00:11Z")
Dead. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/29 "2010-04-15T16:00:45Z")
White, Jewish, late twenties, grew up in NJ. I called my father Daddy when I was little, Dad when I was between the ages of six or so and my mid-teens, when I reverted to Daddy. My siblings stayed with Mom and Dad after the switch, but I still call my parents Mommy and Daddy. This creeps out Mr. GilaB, actually, but tough noogies. My mother says that I went through a brief phase at around six when I called her ‘Eema’ (the Hebrew word for mother, used by many of my peers), but I don’t remember it, or if I also called my father ‘Abba’ (Hebrew for father) at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/30 "2010-04-15T16:05:57Z")
I always called him by his first name. I think I picked it up from an older cousin, who for some reason never used “Aunt [Whoever]” or “Uncle [Whoever].” And my dad’s just that kind of person - almost everyone calls him by his first name. ETA, I’m 41, and grew up in western Kansas. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/31 "2010-04-15T16:18:23Z")
Dad - 30s, female, white, grew up in Upstate NY. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/32 "2010-04-15T16:28:18Z")
Previous [poll](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=370178) before we could poll. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/33 "2010-04-15T16:40:25Z")
Dad, but probably Daddy when I was really young. When I hear people use other words, it’s just jarring. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/34 "2010-04-15T16:54:40Z")
Wanja, while papa or vader is more usual in the netherlands. That’s just hoe my brother and me were taught. It was a nickname given to my dad by his nest brother, who thought my dad looked russian with his big beard. THE last five years i call him by his given name, becAuse hè usually has volunteers with him, and THE name wanja takes too much explaining. “hi! Can i speak to Reinder?” ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/35 "2010-04-15T17:35:41Z")
I call my father “dad.” For some reason, he and his brothers called their father “Pop,” which I see has no votes yet. I’m 40s, female, born/raised Chicago area. Dad is 70s, born/raised in Chicago & the suburbs. ---
**Author:** ![Neverender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neverender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverender)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/36 "2010-04-15T17:38:41Z")
20m Northern England. As **One And Only Wanderers** notes, everyone calls their male parent Dad here. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/37 "2010-04-15T17:47:49Z")
When I was little, he was Daddy. As I got older, that got shortened to Dad. Then I went through a “preppy” phase right around 1980 (as did half the country!) and started jokingly calling my parents “Mummy” and “Fa.” They thought it was funny–to this day they still sign things like cards that way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/38 "2010-04-15T17:50:48Z")
I’m Swedish so I voted _pappa_, which would translate into “dad”. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/39 "2010-04-15T17:52:02Z")
Old Man. However, that is a term from Ham Radio to refer to the guy that owns the rig. Dad, me and bro all have our licenses and when we found that in the study guide - Dad became Old Man. Still is to this day, though he forgot to renew his license (still got mine). ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200/40 "2010-04-15T17:55:39Z")
Caucasian, Georgian, born mid 20th century CE. I called him ‘Dad’ until I was about 15, after which I called him by his first name. From the time I stormed out of my childhood home at the advanced age of 17 years old until I was about 22, I didn’t call him much of anything except ‘asshole’. From 22 until his death a few years ago, he was ‘Dad’. I miss my Dad. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-growing-up-what-did-you-call-your-father/536200.md?page=3)