Since becoming a grandmother four days ago, I've been asked several times what my son's family is now going to call me. I'm perfectly content with "Grandma" or "Grandma Sally." As a child, my siblings and I had only one grandparent growing up, all the others having died before we were born. She was my mother's mother, called "Nana," because that was what the first grandchild had called her when he was learning to talk.

This week, one of my good friends, who is Jewish, named me and my husband "honorary Bubbe and Zeydeh," the Yiddish terms for "grandmother" and "grandfather."
And around here, in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with its PA-"Dutch" influence, grandparents are likely to be called "Mom-Mom" and "Pop-Pop."

What do/did you call your grandparents? What do/will your grandchildren call you? I found this list of various nationalities' terms for grandparents and thought it was fascinating how similar many of them are, across cultures and continents, and also that some languages have differing terms for the maternal and paternal grandparents.

Wordmatic

We used to call our grandmothers "Nana". Both grandfathers died before I was born.

Gran and Granddad.

My paternal grandmother I called grandma (the d was usually silent), and my maternal grandmother nonni. I was born after both of my grandfathers died.

As grandparents of just over a year's standing, we are using Grandma and Granddad - but I suppose Luke will make up his own mind when he starts to talk.

Granny was my maternal grandmother's name. Well, as far as I know. I'm not sure I actually had grandparents, or even parents, since when I was four I overheard what I thought was my mother yelling to what I thought was my father, "MY kid! Hell, I thought he was YOUR kid!"

Maybe Little Orphan Asa

We called my paternal grandparents Pop-pop and Grandma. My maternal grandparents were Grandpa and Grandma (although she was my mother's step-mom, and was usually referred to by my mother as just Viola, her first name).

My son calls my parents Pop-pop and Grandma, and my husband's parents are Grandpa and Grandma Jennie. That way, each of the 4 of them has a unique name and it saves some confusion. Some of the folks in my husband's family refer to their grandmothers as Mawmaw . . . which both he and I found to be too . .. well . . . Southern.

We called my maternal grandmother Da. For what reason? I don't know. Everyone called her that, including friends, so it may have been a nickname (although how they got it from Frances....).

I'm pretty sure I don't want to be either Mawmaw or Da!

WM

In her will it said, "To everyone who called me 'Da', nothing."

It is interesting to see so many variances.

I called my paternal grandparents "Grandma" and "Grandpa," and my maternal ones "Ed" and "Joy." The latter ones felt far too young to be called "Grandma" or "Grandpa."

Many of our Jewish friends do use "Bubbe" and "Zeydeh." Maybe when I am a grandmother (if it ever happens, and we're not even close!), I'll ask to be called "Bubbe."

I think the same question is interesting for parents. I called my mother "Mother" and my father "Dad." However, my 2 sisters still call our dad "Daddy." I used to but at some age decided I was too old for "Daddy."

P.S. Congratulations, WM! I am so jealous. <green with envy>

When our boys were young they called their maternal grandmother "Grandma Green Car" and their paternal grandmother "Grandma Blue Car". The names stuck even after the cars and their colours changed.

We were rather formal, in hindsight. When we needed to differentiate between grandmothers we called them by their last names, "Nana Abrams" and "Nana Palmer". In fact, Nana Palmer lived 10-15 years later than Nana Abrams, but she was still referred to as "Nana Palmer", although addressed as just "Nana".

That reminds me when I first met you, arnie. The lady in the hotel called my room and said a "Mr. Palmer was waiting for me." With that English accent, which sounds more formal, I had to think for a moment what she meant!