Beyond 'Grandma' — Choosing A Grandmother Name That Suits You

Today’s grandmas want fun, young and fitting names.

By
Published September 19, 2024
photo of mug with worlds best grandma crossed off
Chris O'Riley

When my son and his wife were pregnant with my first grandson, my daughter-in-law’s mother and I hatched up our grandma names. She selected “Baba” because that’s what her girls called her mother in their Croatian dialect. I selected “Nonna” for my Italian roots. When we told the kids our fabulous grandmother names, my son said, “What the heck happened to grandma?”

Mimi, Gigi, Nonna, Yaya, Lovey, Mia, Gaga, Glam-ma… Today, grandmothers are redefining their roles and identities, moving from traditional titles like Granny and Nana to more personal and modern alternatives.

Kris Jenner’s grandkids call her Lovey, Goldie Hawn’s call her Glama and Sharon Osbourne goes by Shazza. Mimi may be an anglicized version of grand-mère — mémé from the French. I have a Dutch friend who goes by Oma to honor her heritage and Yaya (Yiayia) is popular with or without a Greek background.

Despite gray hair having its moment, the quintessential “grandma” in a rocking chair with spectacles and knitting needles is a far cry from today’s grandmother who wants a fun, young and fitting name that reflects her personality.

Where to find a grandma name.

Some grandmothers choose a cultural name, like mine, Nonna. An accepting woman I heard from was christened Mammo because that’s what the oldest grandchild first verbalized.

Others let the parents-to-be choose their name. One unsuspecting grandmother I know got the one her kids’ friends used to call her — Peaches. And a pregnant woman on Reddit complained that her mom wanted to be called Mimi, which she thought was ridiculous and not at all a grandma name — until hordes of Redditors corrected her.

Choosing your grandparent name may be one of the few fun naming choices a woman gets besides naming her children. Or not, since some parents-to-be prefer to select the name for you.

Take Teri Ronk, 62, from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, who wanted something more unusual. “I really wanted to be called Lollie, and my husband would be Pop.” (Lollie and Pop!) But Ronk’s daughter wasn’t feeling the name and couldn’t see her kids calling her mom that. Instead, the parents-to-be came up with Teddy. “So now, that is my official grandma name, and I love it. The kids think it's great and it’s easy to say at a young age.”

Brooke Shapiro, 37, from Oakland, California, agreed that her mother-in-law should have the cool name she wanted, so they chose Lala and then used GG for her child’s great-grandmother.

Linda Arroz, 48, of Los Angeles, “chose Mimi when my son announced he and his wife were expecting a child.” Arroz knew and loved two women named Mimi, one an aunt and the other a family friend, and wanted to honor them. However, Arroz’s son reacted negatively to the moniker. “He felt the name Mimi was me being self-absorbed,” she says. “He took the pronunciation of Mimi literally, [me-me].”

Once she explained the two Mimis, that softened his feelings, but he felt Arroz was letting everyone down by refusing to take on a more traditional name. “He loved his Granny and wanted me to be like her.”

Opt for a fresh, vibrant nickname.

Sheri Beck Paprocki also chose Gigi six years ago because it felt right and was easy for kids to say. She’s had three more grandkids in rapid succession, ages 5, 4 and almost 2, and all four call her the French nickname for grandma.

When Jackie Dishner, 60, of Phoenix, became a grandmother 13 years ago, her son didn’t think she looked old enough to be called grandma, so he suggested Lola, which ironically is a term of endearment for an elderly woman or grandmother in the Philippines. “I just went along with it and even use it to sign art I make for the grands,” says Jackie. “I love my role as Lola to five grandchildren.”

Holly Leiber Simmons of Baltimore’s mom wanted to be called Nanny (her first name without the c), but there was already a Nana in the family. Sometimes, the other grandmother may beat you to the name you want.

How to choose your new name.

There are usually less than nine short months to decide — so think about what you want the name to say about you. Talk to the parents-to-be and see if they have any input since they may want to collaborate.

Keep the name to a limited number of syllables. That’s why repeating sounds like Mimi, Gigi, Gaga and Lala are so popular; they’re easy for young babies to say. Shortened forms of your name also work, like Nan for Nancy or CeCe for Cecilia. Others take a first initial and double it, like TeeTee for Tracie or BeBe for Barbara. You may even want to share the same name your parents used or what you called your grandmother, especially if it was unique.

Sometimes you inherit a name based on the child’s earliest pronunciation of grandma or your first name, but most everyone who’s had that happen ends up loving their newfangled name.

If you pick a name that doesn’t fit, don’t despair. One friend told me that her ex’s wife started as grandma with the first grandkids but switched to Gigi with the next ones. It’s never too late to find a good name. No matter what name you choose, everyone agrees that being a Mimi, Gaga, Nonna or TeeTee is one of the most extraordinary loves of your life.

 

What would you want YOUR grandmother name to be? Let us know in the comments below.

Jennifer Nelson writes about health, home, work and money – essentially life, for brands, consumer publications and websites. She also edits health and medical content. When she’s not writing she hangs out with Phineas, her Beagle-Hound rescue, works on endless projects around her 40-year-old house, reads, travels and bikes to the beach.