A List of Names Kids Call Their Grandparents

If you’re lucky enough to have your parents present in your life when you have children, it can be special and reassuring to have them as support, and for your children to know their family heritage.

Some families are blessed to have great-grandparents as part of their family. What a blessing for grandparents to see their grandchildren have children of their own.

I am blessed to have grandparents who enjoy spoiling my daughters. My daughters have gotten to meet my grandparents and my husband’s grandparents. Over the years, we’ve had to sadly say goodbye some of our grandparents, but what a joy it was for them to meet their great-grandchildren and see the family extend past two generations.

We put a call out to find out what your children call their grandparents and the list was astounding.

The traditional Grandma, Grandpa and Nanna and Poppa are still a popular name choice for grandparents.

But many families, like myself, who have multiple grandparents, differentiating names are required so the kids can decipher which grandparent is who.

Sometimes these names have been created due to cultural background, kids pronounciations to even the colour of their car.

It can be confusing to have three grandmas and only knowing them as grandma.

In these situations, it’s not unusual for one set of grandparents to be grandma and pa and another to be nanna and poppa.

All families have a unique family set-up. Here is a compilation of some of the names kids call their grandparents.

Classic

• Gramps & Grams
• Grampy & Nanny
• Grams & Pa
• Gran & Pa
• Gran & Pop
• Gran Nan & Old Pop
• Granda & Pa
• Grandma & Grandad
• Grandmother & Grandfather
• Grannie & Poppy
• Mama & Papa
• Nan & Bop
• Nan & Grumps
• Nan & Pa
• Nan & Pop
• Nan Nan & Pop Pop
• Nana & Nonno
• Nana & Poppy
• Nanny & Poppy
• Nanna & Pop
• Nanna & Poppop
• Nan-Nan & Nan-Dad
• Nanna & Poppa

Variations

• Baaba & Gogo
• Baba & Dida
• Baba and Deda
• Cece & Papa
• Gigi & Pappy
• Gaga & Nonno
• Gaga & Pop
• Gama
• Grandie & Puppa
• Gar Gar & Poppoo
• Grandmere
• Granmum
• Dadgan for grandpa
• Gramdad
• Granda & Nee Nee
• Grindy for grandma
• Grumps and Nanny Grumps
• Lolo & Lola
• Mamina
• Mamma & RaRa
• Mardy & Pardy
• Marsie & Parsie
• Mawmaw & PawPaw
• Meeky
• Me-Ma
• Meme & Pepe
• Mim & Pardy
• Mimi & Pa-pa
• Mimi & Pawpaw
• Mimi & Pop
• Nanny & Gommy
• Nanma & Da
• Nannymoo & Poppymoo
• Nema & Papa
• Ninny and Poppa
• Nonna & Nonno
• Noona & Poppy
• Omi & Opi
• Ona & Gaffa
• Pa and Memaa
• PaJo
• Papa & Yaya
• Pappy & Papa
• Pop Pop & GG
• Poppa
• Poppy
• Poppy & Bam
• Yia Yia & Papa

Combinations

Sometimes using a combination of first or last names with ma or pa can be popular. For example: Jackpa

According to Definition

• Nanny & Grandad Faraway (because grandparents live far away)
• Nana Tractor and Grandpa Tractor
• Yellow Nanny and White Nanny ( because of the cars they drive)

International

• Arabic: Grandmother = Jiddah (shid-dah) & Grandfather = Jadd (shudd) 
• Belgium: Grandmother = Bomma (bo-ma) & Grandfather = Bonpa (bone-pa)
• Brazil: Grandmother = Avó (ah-vah)  & Grandfather = Avô (ah-voh)
• Cambodia: Grandmother = Yeay (yay) & Grandfather = Taa (tah) 
• Dutch: Grandmother = Oma (Oh-ma) & Grandfather = Opa (Oh-pa)
• French: French Grandmother = Grand-mère (gran-mare) & Grandfather = Grand-père (gran-pear)
• German: Grandmother = Oma (Oh-ma) & Grandfather = Opa (Oh-pa)
• Greek: Grandmother = Yaya (yah-yah) & Grandfather = Pappoús (pa-poosch)
• Hawaiian: Grandmother = Tutu, Kuku (too-too, coo-coo) & Grandfather = Tutu, Kane (too-too khan)
• Hebrew: Grandmother = Savta (soft-tah) & Grandfather = Saba (sah-bah)
• India (Telugu ): Grandmother = Awa (ah-wah) & Grandfather = Tata (tah-tah)  
• Ireland: Grandmother = Maimeó (mam-o) & Grandfather = Daideó (dah-joe)
• Italian: Grandmother = Nonna (non-na) & Grandfather = Nonno (non-no)
• Japanese: Grandmother = Oba-chan, Sobo (oh-bah-chan, soh-boh) & Grandfather = Ojiisan, Sofu (oh-gee-sahn, soh-foo)
• Korean: Grandmother = Halmoni (hal-muh-knee)  & Grandfather = Halapoji (hal-ah-puh-jee)
• Laos (hmong): Grandmother = Pog (pahg) & Grandfather = Yawg (yahg)
• Philippines: Grandmother = Lola (low-lah) & Grandfather = Lolo (low-low)
• Romanian: Grandmother = Babushka (bah-boosh-kah) & Grandfather = Dedushka (day-doosh-kah)
• Russian: Grandmother = Bunica (boo-nee-ka) & Grandfather = Bunic (boo-neek)
• Spanish: Grandmother = Abuela (ah-bway-la) & Grandfather = Abuelo (ah-bway-low)
• Swahili: Grandmother = Bibi (bee-bee) & Grandfather = Babu (bah-boo)

Modern

• Nano & iPop

I’m surprised we didn’t have any glam-mas in the list.

If your children have multiple grandparents, how did you or your children decide on what to call them?