As the costs of raising a child continue to climb, from diapers to daycare, grandparents are stepping into a more significant role than ever before. They’re not just distant relatives anymore; they’re becoming indispensable members of the household, lending a helping hand with childcare, running errands, and providing much-needed support.
Just as the traditional roles of “grandma” and “grandpa” undergo transformation, so too does the language surrounding their titles. Today, it’s all about the nicknames. A recent study conducted by the online language learning platform Preply delved into the most popular nicknames for grandparents across all 50 states in the US. To get a better look, the platform surveyed 1,500 Americans with grandparents across the country.
When the traditional “Grandma” and “Grandpa” are set aside, intriguing trends emerge across state lines. Nana emerges as the top choice, particularly in the New England area, claiming the preference of 12 states. Following closely behind in a three-way tie are Grammy, Granny, and Gran. In third place, we have the classic Grandmother alongside the southern favorite Mamaw. The Spanish term for Grandma, Abuela, secures fourth place.
On the grandfather’s side, Papa takes the lead, preferred by 13 states. Granddad follows suit, particularly popular in Southern states, while Pop-pop earns its stripes across seven northern states. Abuelo, the Spanish counterpart, rounds off the top four, especially popular in California, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Yet, these traditional monikers aren’t the sole contenders in this evolving landscape. With a new generation entering grandparenthood, new names are making their mark. Researchers turned to Google Trends to analyze the popularity of new-age grandparent names over the last five years.
Popular trendy nicknames for Grandmothers include:
- Gigi
- Nana
- Mimi
- Gran
- Bibi
- Momo
Popular trendy nicknames for grandfathers include:
- Poppy
- Pops
- Papi
- G-Pa
- Grandude
- Papa
No matter what nickname you choose, the important thing is that you make an effort to be there for your grandchildren. Studies show that babysitting the grandkids might even extend your life a few years. Long live the grands!
FAQs
A list of the most popular nicknames for grandparents across the United States has been released— and some of the findings might surprise you. According to data pulled by Preply, a language tutoring company, Nana earned the top spot for grandma, while Grammy, Granny and Gran are tied for second place.
What is the most popular nickname for grandparents? ›
Nana sweeps the board, stealing hearts in 21 states. Nana is the go-to nickname in the Midwest, the Northeast, and the West. Granny, a southern belle, claims her throne in 11 states, predominantly in the South. Grammy is a modern favorite, securing its spot as the top pick in 8 states.
What do most people call their grandparents? ›
“Nana” and “Papa” are the most popular nicknames for grandma and grandpa in the U.S.
What do New Yorkers call their grandparents? ›
The most dominant grandparent nicknames in New York? Ma-Ma and Papa. Nationally, Nana was the most-used nickname in 12 states — mostly in the New England and Midwest areas. Some other states saw Nonna, Oma, Yiayia, Lola and Tata finish first.
What do Californians call their grandmas? ›
California's most popular nicknames for grandparents are “Abuelo” and “Abuela,” Spanish for “Grandfather” and “Grandmother” respectively, which reflects the large Spanish-speaking population throughout the state.
Do they say granny in the USA? ›
In Britain, Ireland, United States, Australia, New Zealand and, particularly prevalent in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and English-speaking Quebecers, Nan, Nana, Nanna, Nanny, Gran and Granny and other variations are often used for grandmother in both writing and speech.
What do British call their grandparents? ›
Some of the names cited for grandmothers include Boo, Mimi and Nanan. For grandfathers such terms of endearment include Pa, Papa and Captain. People living in Cardiff and Plymouth are more likely to use a unique name for their grandfather and those in Nottingham, London and Leicester likewise for their grandmother.
What do Southerners call their grandparents? ›
The most popular southern grandmother names are Mamaw, Mawmaw, Memaw, Nana, and Mimi. Curious about our national findings? While Nana took the top spot, Grammy, Granny, Nanny, Mamaw, Mawmaw, Mimi, Grandmother, Memaw, and Abuela/Abuelita rounded out the top ten list.
What is a cool grandpa name? ›
-Creole: The Haitian Creole name for grandfather is “Gran-papa.” -Filipino: In Filipino, the name for grandfather is “Lolo.” -French: French grandfather names include “Grand-père,” “Grand-papa” and “Pépère.” -German: The formal German grandfather name is “Grossvater” (or “Großvater”), but the informal version is “Opa.”
What is a cool name for a grandma? ›
But other commonly used Scottish grandmother names include “Nana,” “Nanna,” “Mhamó” and “Mamó.” Spanish: In Spanish, grandmothers are known as “Abuela” or “Abuelita.” Swahili: In Swahili, the word for grandmother is “Bibi.”
My most important tie to the culture and history of Appalachia was family, especially my grandparents, whom we called Mamaw and Papaw—normal hillbilly grandparent names, in case they are new to you.
What are hippie grandma names? ›
A list of Hippie Grandma Names included Cookie, Mimzy, Gram Cracker and Tootsie.
What is the slang for grandmother? ›
Grandma or Grandmaw. Grannie or Granny. Gammy or Gamma or Gams. Gram or Grams.
What is a cute way to call your Grandpa? ›
Unique Spins on Grandpa
- Gramp.
- Grampa.
- Gramps.
- Grampy.
- Granddad.
- Grandaddy.
- Grandfather.
- Grandpappy.
Another popular subset of unique names are those that are derived from the (most often) grandmother's first name. So Gabby McCree is Gigi. “It's an abbreviation for 'Grandma Gabby' and also my initials growing up,” she says.
What is the non binary term for grandparent? ›
Grandwa; queer, based on grandma and grandpa. Grandy; neutral, short for Grandparent, Grandma or Grandpa. Nini; queer, based on the N in NB, similar to nana and papa. Bibi; queer, based on the B in NB, similar to nana and papa.
