We boomers are shaking up how we want to refer to us. Canadian grandparents are setting aside traditional names for nicknames and variations of the traditional names.
Here are some tips when choosing your grandparent name?
Some considerations before you chose
Pick one that is popular
Go for a trendy one or a celebrity pick
Follow your own grandparents’ lead
Choose from one of Canada’s many diverse cultures
Make it formal, if you please
Some considerations before you choose
The name you choose will come from your heart. One that moves you when you hear it. You may want to consider how easy it is for a little toddler to say your name. Or fast forward and imagine your 17 year old grandson saying your name.
- How easy is it to say and hear
It takes time for our toddler grandchildren to enunciate names properly. Consider how easy it is to say. Some little ones will start saying Grammy and Grandpa or MomMom and PopPop before saying Grandma and Grandpa.
Also Gigi and Pop are easy names to say and they sound fun . Gigi is pronounced “gee-gee”.
Be sure to fast forward …. as cute as it is to hear your name when your grandchildren are small, ask yourself how will it sound when they have grown. Consider your 17 year old grandson saying your name. Still a good choice?
- Consider family traditions and family cultures
Where we grow up, our family’s culture and honouring family traditions all go into a grandparent’s name. Meet Lilia and Lucky, both Australian mothers who want their cultures reflected in the names their children call their grandparents. Lilia is a French woman who was born in Africa and spent the first six years of her childhood in Guatemala. Lucky is Filipino and her husband is Chinese and a seventh generation Australian.
- Consider your relationship with your blended family
Grandparents who are step-grandparents sometimes consider the relationship that still exists with the partner’s ex and the relationship with the grown step children. In her Toronto Star advice column Ellie Fisher shared query from a step-grandmother who wanted to be called “Grand Partner”. (Ellie advised against it.)
Be creative / create a nickname
Your name,your choice. Get creative and make a name that makes you laugh or smile with gratitude. Don’t hesitate to choose a name from another culture or a name that just sounds good. Glam-ma is popular now because grandmothers didn’t want the stereotyping that goes along with Grandma or Grandmother.
Pick one that is popular
Grandma and Grandpa; Nana and Papa
Go for a trendy one or a celebrity pick
Most recently, Paul McCartney, rock star and grandfather of eight, told the story of his grandson calling him “Grandude” one day. The nickname, instead of grandpa” made him laugh and hie welcomed the new name. It also inspired McCartney to write a children’s book “Hey Grandude!” about a grandfather who adventures around the world with his grandchildren
Other celebrities have spoken up about choosing their name instead of grandma or grandpa.
Maye Musk: Ouma
Jim Carrey: Grandpa
Tom Hanks: Papou
Goldie Hann: Glam-ma
Ozzy Osbourne: Papa
Sharon Ozbourne: Shazza
Nancy Pelosi: Grand Mimi
Lionel Richie: G-Pa
Susan Sarandon: Honey
Martha Stewart: Martha (Yes- that’s it)
Rita Wilson: YiaYia
Follow your own grandparents’ lead
“That’s what we call grandparents in our family“ may be one of your first thoughts. It was mine. I loved my maternal grandmother and I loved how she wrote her name “Grannie”. The “ie” was from her Scottish heritage. Grannie was an easy decision for me.
Fond memories of a grandparent or someone who was like a grandparent to you can create a name that is comforting and warm.
Make it formal, if you please
While you may consider yourself fun-loving and engaging, you may want a formal grandparent name to depict a place in the family hierarchy. Grandmother and Grandfather will do it while some grandparents are happy with the formality of Sir, Lady or as Martha Stewart decided – your own name. Her grandchildren call her “Martha”.
Choose from one of Canada’s diverse cultures
Canada welcomes all cultures from around the world so Canadian grandparents are choosing names simply because they like the sound of it.
Africa: Bibi (Grandmother) and Babu (Grandfather)
Swahili is spoken by many Africans who call their grandmothers Bibi and grandfather Babu.
Armenia: Tatik (Grandmother) Papi (Grandfather)
Grandchildren also refer to them as tati or papi.
Brazil Avo (Grandfather)
While most popular, another option in Avozinha.
China: NaiNai, Ma Ma, Po Po, and Wai Po (Grandmother)
These are popular names for grandmothers but the exact name depends upon the region, the language and whether a grandmother is on the maternal or paternal side.
Cambodia: Yeay or Yiey (Grandmother)
Grandmothers enjoy two popular names.
Croatia: Baka (Grandmother)
Dutch: Oma (Grandmother) and Opa (Grandfather)
These are probably the easiest grandmother and grandfather names to say. This was Maye Musk’s choice.
Filipino: Lola (Grandmother) and Lolo (Grandfather)
In this language, grandmother and grandfather roll off the tongue easily and has a loving rhythm to it.
Flemish: Bomma (Grandmother) and Bommi (Grandfather)
While these are most common, the Flemish also use Oma or Omi.
French Canadian: Mémé (Grandmother)and Pépé (Grandfather)
Grand-mére is the formal way of saying grandmother and for grandfathers it is Grand-père but Meme and Pépé are the more popular terms.
German:Oma (Grandmother) Opa (Grandfather)
Like the Dutch, Germans use this easy-to-say name. It is popular with grandmothers who are not German.
Greek: YaYa or YiaYia (Grandmother) and Papou (Grandfather)
Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks have chosen the Greek words. Rita Wilson is of Greek Heritage.
Hawaii: Tutu (Grandmother and Grandfather)
While it is common to call both grandparents Tutu, in Hawaiian, the formal term for grandfather is Kuku Kane. Kupunakane is an alternative too.
Hebrew Saba (Grandfather)
Another option is Zayde, the Yiddish word for grandfather.
Iceland Afi (Grandfather)
Afi is most commonly used while Fðurafi means paternal grandfather and Móðurafi means maternal grandfather in the Icelandic language. That makes it easy to distinguish between Mom’s dad and Dad’s dad.
Irish: Seanmháthair (Grandmother) Daideo (Grandfather)
The Irish accent makes this a beautiful word for grandmother but grandchildren in Ireland often prefer Maimeó or Móraí.
Italian: Nonna (Grandmother) Nonno (Grandfather)
Grandma and Grandpa in Italian is to simply to say. It is no wonder it is popular outside of the italian culture.
Japan: Obaasan (Grandmother)
This is the formal name for grandmother but Sobo or Soba tend to be more popular with Japanese grandchildren.
Korean: Halmoni (Grandmother) Hal-abeoji (Grandfather)
While this is the most commonly used name for grandmother, two alternatives are Halmeoni and the shortened version Halmi.
Malay: Nenek (Grandmother)
Malay is spoken in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia where they call grandmothers Nenek
Poland: Busia (Grandmother) and Dziadzia (Grandfather):
There are a few variations for grandfather that include Dziadzio , Dziadzi and Dziedzko.
Portuguese: Vovó and Vovô (Grandmother)
Grandmother is pronounced “vo-vaw” or “vo-voh”.
Romanian: Bunica (Grandmother)
Russian: Babushka (Grandmother) Dedushka (Grandfather)
If that name sounds familiar it is because the Russian nesting dolls are often referred to as “babushka dolls”.
Spanish:Abuel (Grandmother) and Abuelo (Grandfather)
Wherever Spanish is spoken there are lots of options for grandmother and grandfather including Abuelita and Abuelito and grandchildren Ita and Ito for short!
Swedish: Mormor & Morfar ( (Grandmother) Farmor & Farfar (Grandfather)
The Swedish distinguish which side of the family. “Mormor”means “mother’s mother,” and “morfar” is “mother’s father”.
What was your choice and why did you decide on that name?