It seems that the baby boomers are not liking to be called "grandma" or "grandpa." This gives illusions of blue hair, BINGO players, and slow drivers in gigantic cars. Ah, but people in their 50s have changed. So, there is a Web site (click "other name lists") that is tracking options for the new slew of first-time grandparent names.
Some examples are Moogie, Zsa Zsa, Murmur, Rubber Ducky, etc. See for yourself. They all sound like dog names, or worse, to me!
Are there any names that you or your family have used for grandparent names? What do you think grandparents should be called?
My Grandfather must have been ahead of the times. He hated to be called "Grandpa" or "Grandfather," and we had to call him by his first name, "Ed." He said it made him feel old to be called "Grandpa."
As a child, I called both my grandmothers "Nana". Both my grandfathers died before I was old enough to speak. Much later I was told that my paternal grandmother had said she felt old being called a grandmother, so "Nana" was used. My maternal grandmother was also addressed as "Nana" for consistency.
I also suspect it was used because a small child would have difficulty saying "Grandma" or "Grandmother".
My grandmothers were 'Nanny in Plymouth' and 'Nanny in Watford'. My cousins had 'Fat Nanny' and 'Thin Nanny'.
Spelling: Grandad (as on my Dad's mug) or Granddad (as in Chambers')? The first looks corrct (and is consistent with the fine pop band, Grandaddy). The second is more logical.
Our older son referred to his grandmothers as "grandma green car" and "grandma blue car".
Then grandma blue car bought a silver car and he had to explain that she was still grandma blue car but just happend to drive a silver car for the moment!
Richard English
Posts: 8038 | Location: Partridge Green, West Sussex, UK
One of my uncles had a bit of a speech impediment when he was young and called his mom (my grandmother) "Mimi" instead of Mama/Momma. He tried to call HIS grandmother "Mimi" as well, but it evolved into "Big Mimi". (She wasn't particularly large or anything; I think it was just an easy distinction.) He was the oldest boy and that name for my great grandmother stuck.
His mother (my grandmother) became a grandmother around the same time that LBJ was in office and there was LadyBird Johnson. My grandmother, Reneice, became "Necie Bird". My grandfather, her husband, was PawPaw. (Yes, I come from hillbillies--cut me some slack.)
My father's parents were just Granma and Granpa to me, although my cousins had Granny Schmidt and Granny Turner.
(Who in the hell would want to be called 'Granny'? Even at eight years old, I would think, "Granny?!")
I agree about "Granny." I don't even like "Grandma" that much. My cousins used to call their grandparents "Grandmother" and "Grandfather." Now that is rather formal, but I do like it.
Just today I came across the word "Dziadziu" for grandpa. It is the Polish word for it. If I knew how to pronounce it, I might like that.
He hated to be called "Grandpa" or "Grandfather," and we had to call him by his first name, "Ed." He said it made him feel old to be called "Grandpa."
