309 Grandma and Grandpa Names, Explained

We read the grandparent name lists that rank on Google before writing this one. None of them links an individual name to a dictionary entry, and the same mistakes travel from list to list. Nana was the second most common grandmother name in a 2013 US poll, yet lists that rank for it also give Nana as a Hindi grandpa name without saying the two collide. Baba turns up as a Turkish grandma name, when in Turkish it means father. Popo shows up as a grandpa nickname, though in Cantonese it is the mother's mother. Portuguese avó and avô lose their accents, and the accent is the only thing telling grandma from grandpa.

So every name here links to the dictionary, language institute or survey where we checked it. Pronunciations are simple respellings with the stressed syllable in capitals. Where a language uses different words for your mother's parents and your father's, we say which is which.

What are the most popular grandma and grandpa names?

Grandma and Grandpa, by a wide margin. In AARP's 2018 Grandparents Today survey, 70% of the 799 grandmothers were called some form of Grandma and 60% of the 522 grandfathers some form of Grandpa. Only 5% of grandmothers and 10% of grandfathers used a nontraditional name; AARP's examples were Yaya, Nanny and Lola, and GranDude, Pappap and Lolo.

The most detailed ranking comes from a 2013 BabyCenter poll of more than 2,100 new moms, reported by USA Today:

The shares add up to more than 100%, so read them as rough. The same poll found 41% of grandmothers and 28% of grandfathers used an individualized nickname.

Sixty years ago the picture was different. When the Dictionary of American Regional English sent fieldworkers to 1,002 communities in 1965-70, the most common answers for grandmother were Gramma (256), Granny (240) and Granmaw (231), all ahead of Grandma (211). For grandfather, Granddad (244) edged out Grandpa (229), with Grampa (215) close behind.

Classic grandma names

These are the English names with the longest paper trail. The dates are Merriam-Webster's earliest recorded use, and the counts come from the 1960s regional English survey above.

• Grandma. The everyday word, first recorded in 1772. Merriam-Webster
• Grandmother. The formal word, in use since the 15th century. Merriam-Webster
• Granny (also Grannie). First recorded in 1663; the American Heritage Dictionary calls it short for grandmother or grandam. In the Southern and South Midland US, granny can also mean a midwife. American Heritage, Merriam-Webster
• Gran. A shortening first recorded in 1829, now mostly British. Merriam-Webster, Cambridge
• Nana. "Probably of baby-talk origin," first recorded in 1899, and the second most popular grandma name in the 2013 poll. In Hindi and Urdu, nana is the mother's father (see below). Merriam-Webster
• Nanna. The British spelling of Nana. Oxford Learner's
• Nan. A British child's word for a grandmother. Cambridge
• Nanny. Another British child's word for grandmother, also heard in the US: 6% in the 2013 poll. Cambridge
• Gramma. An alteration of grandma, and the single most common answer in the 1960s survey. American Heritage
• Grammy. Third in the 2013 poll at 11%, and recorded 27 times in the 1960s. DARE
• Gram. First recorded in 1923. Merriam-Webster
• Grams. An alteration of gram. American Heritage
• Granmaw (also Grandmaw, Grammaw). The third most common grandmother word in the 1960s, ahead of Grandma itself. DARE
• Grandmom. Recorded 10 times in the 1960s, with Granmom and Grammom besides. DARE
• Grandmama. The long form, recorded as Grandmamma 15 times and Granmamma 8. DARE

Classic grandpa names

The grandfather side runs on the same pattern: a formal word, a handful of shortenings, and a set of baby-talk names built from pa and pop. Dates and counts come from the same two sources.

• Grandpa. First recorded in 1785, and the top answer in the 2013 poll at 47%. Merriam-Webster
• Grandfather. The formal word, from the 15th century. Merriam-Webster
• Granddad (also Grandad). First recorded in 1764, and the most common grandfather word in the 1960s survey. Merriam-Webster
• Granddaddy. Merriam-Webster's earliest citation is 1648. The 1960s survey heard it 189 times. Merriam-Webster
• Gramps (also Gramp). A shortening first recorded around 1900. Merriam-Webster
• Grampa. An alteration of grandpa first recorded in 1850-55, and the third most common grandfather word in the 1960s. Dictionary.com
• Grampy. Recorded 11 times in the 1960s survey. DARE
• Grampaw (also Granpaw, Grandpaw). The fifth most common grandfather word in the 1960s, with 134 answers. DARE
• Grandpop. Recorded 31 times in the 1960s, with Grampop and Granpop besides. DARE
• Pop. A word for father since 1828, and the grandpa name for 4% in the 2013 poll. Merriam-Webster
• Pops. Recorded in both the 1960s survey and its 2013-14 follow-up. DARE
• Pop-Pop. Fourth in the 2013 poll at 6%, and recorded 18 times in the 1960s survey. DARE
• Poppy. Fifth in the 2013 poll at 5%, and recorded 10 times in the 1960s survey. DARE
• Papa. From French baby talk, first recorded in English in 1677, and second in the 2013 poll at 28%. Merriam-Webster
• Pa. Short for papa, recorded as a grandfather word in both DARE surveys. Merriam-Webster

Southern and Appalachian grandparent names

Mamaw, Papaw and their cousins get called Southern names, but the public radio show A Way with Words, co-hosted by lexicographer Grant Barrett, found they turn up in families across the country, with Mamaw particularly common in Appalachia and less likely in the Northeast.

• Mamaw (also Mammaw). Recorded 31 times in the 1960s survey. An Ohio University linguist described it as common in Southeastern Ohio, alongside Papaw. DARE
• Meemaw (also Mee-maw, Me-maw, Meema). A Southern US word for grandma. Dictionary.com
• Mawmaw. Recorded 11 times in the 1960s survey. DARE
• Big Mama. Chiefly Southern, and in law professor Jessica Dixon Weaver's words the familiar name for the African American family matriarch. Dictionary.com, Weaver, 2011
• Papaw (also Pawpaw). Third in the 2013 poll at 9%. Merriam-Webster lists pawpaw only as a fruit, but the 1960s survey recorded Papaw and Pawpaw 61 times between them as words for grandfather. DARE
• Peepaw. Another member of the same family, which A Way with Words lists among the forms heard across the country. A Way with Words
• Pappy. Chiefly Southern and Midland for papa since 1722, and recorded 15 times as a grandfather word. Merriam-Webster
• Grandpappy. A dialect word for grandfather. Merriam-Webster
• Grandpap (also Pap, Pap-Pap). Recorded 18 times in the 1960s; AARP's 2018 survey gave Pappap as an example of a nontraditional grandpa name. DARE
• Big Daddy. Chiefly Southern; the American Heritage idioms dictionary says this use began in the South among African Americans. Dictionary.com

Cute and modern grandma and grandpa nicknames

Many grandparents now choose a name that sounds less like their own grandparents. "That grandparent name is really important to a lot of grandparents," Grandparents.com editor Ellen Breslau told USA Today in 2013, adding that Gigi and Mimi were very popular. None of these has a documented origin, so we report how families use them and leave it there.

• Mimi. Fourth in the 2013 poll at 6%. USA Today, 2013
• Gigi. One AARP writer settled on Gigi when her son and daughter-in-law asked for something a toddler could say. AARP, 2024
• Glamma (also Glam-Ma). The New York Times reported that Goldie Hawn's grandson calls her Glam-Ma. NYT, 2011
• Momo. One of the answers when a Massachusetts preschool asked 40 children what they call their grandmothers; only five said Grandma, Gram or Granny. NYT, 2009
• Honey. Chosen by one grandmother after a friend's mother whose grandkids called her that. AARP, 2024
• Lolly. Picked by another grandmother in the same AARP piece, whose grandchildren first said it as "Baboo." AARP, 2024
• Lovey. A British friendly form of address, and what Kris Jenner's grandchildren call her. Cambridge, AARP, 2024
• Nonnie (also Noni). An American grandmother name recorded in both DARE surveys. DARE
• Mom-Mom. A Parents magazine editor told Axios it is "a thing in Southern New Jersey." Axios, 2024
• G-ma. A clipped Grandma recorded in the 2013-14 survey. DARE
• G-pa. The grandpa version, from the same survey. DARE
• Granddude. Picked by a 70-year-old Manhattan actor who was "a little queasy" about Gramps or Grandpa. "I'm still a dude," he said. USA Today, 2013
• Bumpa. The name one grandson made when he tried to say Grandpa. Axios, 2023

What do Italians call grandma and grandpa?

Nonna and nonno, on both sides of the family; Italian adds paterna or materna when it needs to say which. Treccani's Italian dictionary traces both words to Late Latin, where nonnus and nonna meant a monk and a nun, and also a male nurse and a wet nurse.

• Nonna (NOHN-nah). Grandmother. Treccani
• Nonno (NOHN-noh). Grandfather. Treccani
• Nonnina (nohn-NEE-nah). The affectionate form, with nonnetta and nonnuccia. Treccani
• Nonnino (nohn-NEE-noh). The grandpa version. Treccani

Spell it with two n's and an o. In Italian, nana means a female dwarf (Treccani).

Irish, Scottish and Welsh grandparent names

The Celtic languages have both a formal word and a family word for each grandparent, and Welsh splits by region. The Irish entries are from Ó Dónaill's dictionary, the standard Irish-English reference.

What is the Irish word for grandma?

Mamó is the everyday word, and seanmháthair is the formal one. Sean means old, so seanmháthair is literally "old mother."

• Mamó (mah-MOH). Granny. When you call to her, Irish adds an h: a Mhamó. Teanglann, Irish vocative
• Daideo (DAJ-oh). Grand-dad. The dictionary spells it with no accent. Teanglann
• Móraí (MOR-ee). A child's name for grandmother. Teanglann
• Seanmháthair (SHAN-wah-her). The standard word for grandmother. Teanglann
• Seanathair (SHAN-ah-her). The standard word for grandfather. Teanglann
• Máthair mhór (MAW-her WOHR). Grandmother; mór means great or big. Teanglann
• Máthair chríonna (MAW-her KHREE-nuh). Grandmother; críonna means wise or old. Teanglann

Scottish Gaelic and Scots

Scottish Gaelic says seanmhair and seanair. Scots, the language of Lowland Scotland, has its own family words: Granda, Grandmither and, in Shetland, Minnie.

• Seanmhair (SHEN-uh-vir). Grandmother in Scottish Gaelic. Faclair
• Seanair (SHEN-ir). Grandfather; also an elder or ancestor. Faclair
• Granaidh (GRAN-ee). The Gaelic spelling of Granny. Faclair
• Granda (also Grandda). A grandfather in Scots, recorded from Shetland to Ulster. Dictionaries of the Scots Language
• Grandmither (gran-MITH-er). Grandmother in Scots. Dictionaries of the Scots Language
• Grandminnie (gran-MIN-ee). Grandmother, from minnie, an affectionate Scots word for a mother. Dictionaries of the Scots Language
• Minnie. In Shetland, minnie alone can mean grandmother. Dictionaries of the Scots Language

Welsh

North Wales says nain and taid; the South and Ceredigion say mam-gu and tad-cu, literally "dear mother" and "dear father."

• Nain (NINE). Grandmother, the spoken word in North Wales. Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
• Taid (TIDE). Grandfather, also from the North. Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
• Mam-gu (mam-GEE). Grandmother in the South and Ceredigion. Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru
• Tad-cu (tad-KEE). Grandfather in Mid and South Wales. Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru

German and Dutch grandparent names

Oma and Opa are the everyday words in both German and Dutch. Duden, the German reference dictionary, says they were reshaped from Großmama and Großpapa, not shortened from Großmutter.

• Oma (OH-mah). Grandma, in German and Dutch. Duden
• Opa (OH-pah). Grandpa, in German and Dutch. Duden
• Omi (OH-mee). The pet form of Oma. Duden
• Opi (OH-pee). The pet form of Opa. Duden
• Großmutter (GROHS-moot-er). The formal word, recorded in German since 1350. DWDS
• Großvater (GROHS-fah-ter). The formal word for grandfather. DWDS
• Grosi (GROH-see). The Swiss German grandma word. DWDS
• Grootmoeder (GROHT-moo-der). The formal Dutch word. ANW
• Opoe (OH-poo). An informal Dutch grandma word from children's language. ANW
• Bomma (BOM-mah). Grandma in Flemish, mainly in Belgium. ANW
• Bompa (BOM-pah). Grandpa in Flemish. ANW
• Bomi (BOH-mee). Grandma in Luxembourgish. Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire
• Bopi (BOH-pee). Grandpa in Luxembourgish. Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire

Spanish, Portuguese and French grandparent names

Grandma is abuela in Spanish, avó in Portuguese and grand-mère in French, and grandpa is abuelo, avô and grand-père. Each language also has a softer everyday word: abuelita, vovó and mamie.

Spanish, Catalan and Basque

Spanish abuela comes from Latin avia, grandmother, through a diminutive form, and Catalan gave Spanish its children's word yaya.

• Abuela (ah-BWEH-lah). Grandmother. RAE
• Abuelo (ah-BWEH-loh). Grandfather. RAE
• Abuelita (ah-bweh-LEE-tah). Granny, the affectionate form. SpanishDict
• Abuelito (ah-bweh-LEE-toh). Grandpa. SpanishDict
• Yaya (YAH-yah). A children's word for grandmother, borrowed from Catalan. RAE
• Nana (NAH-nah). A colloquial word for grandmother in Spanish, though in much of Latin America it also means a nanny. RAE
• Àvia (AH-vee-uh). Grandmother in Catalan. DIEC
• Avi (AH-vee). Grandfather in Catalan. DIEC
• Iaia (YAH-yuh). The everyday Catalan grandma word, and the source of Spanish yaya. DIEC
• Iaio (YAH-yoo). The everyday Catalan grandpa word. DIEC
• Amona (ah-MOH-nah). Grandmother in Basque. Elhuyar
• Aitona (eye-TOH-nah). Grandfather in Basque. Elhuyar

Portuguese

The accent decides everything here. Avó, with an open ó, is grandma; avô, with a closed ô, is grandpa.

• Avó (ah-VAW). Grandmother. Priberam
• Avô (ah-VOH). Grandfather. Priberam
• Vovó (vaw-VAW). The informal grandma word. Priberam
• Vovô (voh-VOH). The informal grandpa word. Priberam

What do French children call their grandparents?

Mamie and papi are the everyday words; grand-mère and grand-père are the formal ones.

• Grand-mère (grahn-MEHR). Grandmother. Larousse
• Grand-père (grahn-PEHR). Grandfather. Larousse
• Mamie (mah-MEE). The familiar word children use. Larousse
• Papi (also papy; pah-PEE). The familiar word for grandpa. Larousse
• Mémé (may-MAY). Grandmother in children's language, short for mémère. Larousse
• Pépé (pay-PAY). The grandpa equivalent. Larousse
• Mémère (may-MAIR). The longer form of mémé. Larousse
• Pépère (pay-PAIR). The longer form of pépé. Larousse
• Grand-maman (grahn-mah-MAHN). A child's word, used to address her. Larousse
• Grand-papa (grahn-pah-PAH). The grandpa equivalent. Larousse
• Bonne-maman (bun-mah-MAHN). A children's word for grandmother. Larousse

Jewish grandparent names in Yiddish and Hebrew

Bubbe and zayde are Yiddish, the language of Ashkenazi Jewish families; savta and saba are modern Hebrew, borrowed from Aramaic.

• Bubbe (also bubbie, bobe; BUB-ee). Grandmother, from Yiddish bobe, from Polish baba; first recorded in English in the late 1890s. Dictionary.com
• Zayde (also zeyde; ZAY-dee). Grandfather, from Yiddish zeyde. Dictionary.com
• Savta (SAHV-tah). Grandmother in Hebrew. Pealim
• Saba (SAH-bah). Grandfather in Hebrew. Pealim

Greek and Eastern European grandparent names

Greek yiayia is stressed on the last syllable, yah-YAH, and the standard Triantafyllidis dictionary classes it as a nursery word. Russian babushka also means a headscarf in American English.

Some Croatian regions also say baba for grandma, but its standard meaning is "old woman," which the dictionary marks as derogatory. Baka is the safe word.

Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish and Icelandic names

The Scandinavian words name the side of the family outright. Mor is mother and far is father, so mormor is literally "mother-mother," your mother's mother, and farfar is your father's father.

• Mormor (MOOR-moor). Mother's mother, in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. Lexin
• Farmor (FAR-moor). Father's mother. Lexin
• Morfar (MOOR-far). Mother's father. Lexin
• Farfar (FAR-far). Father's father. Lexin
• Bestemor (BES-teh-moor). Grandmother on either side, in Norwegian. Bokmålsordboka
• Bestefar (BES-teh-far). Grandfather, in Norwegian. Bokmålsordboka
• Bedstemor (BEST-eh-mor). Grandmother in Danish. Cambridge
• Bedstefar (BEST-eh-far). Grandfather in Danish. Cambridge
• Isoäiti (EE-so-ai-tee). The standard Finnish word, already in a 1678 dictionary. Kielikello
• Isoisä (EE-so-ee-sa). The standard Finnish word for grandfather. Kielikello
• Mummo (also mummu, mummi; MOOM-moh). The everyday Finnish grandma word, borrowed from children's versions of Swedish mormor. Kielikello
• Ukki (OOK-kee). An everyday Finnish word for grandpa. Kielikello
• Vaari (VAH-ree). Borrowed from Swedish far, father, then shifted to mean grandfather. Kielikello
• Amma (AHM-mah). Grandmother in Icelandic. Vísindavefurinn
• Afi (AH-vee). Grandfather in Icelandic. Vísindavefurinn

Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese grandparent names

Chinese and Vietnamese use different words for your mother's parents and your father's, and Korean can add a prefix to say which side. Japanese has one set of words, in a polite form and a familiar one.

What do you call grandma in Chinese?

It depends on whose mother she is. In Mandarin, your father's mother is nǎinai and your mother's mother is lǎolao or wàipó. Cantonese makes the same split with different words.

• Nǎinai (NIGH-nigh). Father's mother, in Mandarin. MDBG
• Yéye (YEH-yeh). Father's father. MDBG
• Lǎolao (LAOW-laow). Mother's mother. MDBG
• Lǎoye (LAOW-yeh). Mother's father. MDBG
• Wàipó (WHY-pwaw). Also mother's mother. MDBG
• Wàigōng (WHY-goong). Also mother's father. MDBG
• Maa maa (嫲嫲, MAH-mah). Father's mother, in Cantonese. words.hk
• Je je (爺爺, YEH-yeh, the second syllable rising). Father's father. words.hk
• Po po (婆婆, POH-poh). Mother's mother. words.hk
• Gung gung (公公, GOONG-goong). Mother's father. In Mandarin the same characters mean a husband's father, so keep it for Cantonese. words.hk

What is grandma in Vietnamese?

Vietnamese marks the side with nội, "inner," for your father's parents and ngoại, "outer," for your mother's.

• Bà nội (bah NOY). Father's mother. VDict
• Ông nội (ohm NOY). Father's father. VDict
• Bà ngoại (bah NGWAI). Mother's mother. VDict
• Ông ngoại (ohm NGWAI). Mother's father. VDict

What is grandma in Korean?

Plain halmeoni covers either grandmother. Add oe- for the mother's side or chin- for the father's when it matters.

• Halmeoni (HAHL-muh-nee). Grandmother. Korean Learners' Dictionary
• Harabeoji (HAH-rah-buh-jee). Grandfather. Korean Learners' Dictionary
• Oe-halmeoni (WEH-hahl-muh-nee). Mother's mother. Korean Learners' Dictionary
• Oe-harabeoji (WEH-hah-rah-buh-jee). Mother's father. Korean Learners' Dictionary
• Chin-halmeoni (CHIN-hahl-muh-nee). Father's mother. Korean Learners' Dictionary
• Chin-harabeoji (CHIN-hah-rah-buh-jee). Father's father. Korean Learners' Dictionary
• Halmae (HAHL-meh). The dialect form of halmeoni in Gyeongsang, Gangwon and parts of Jeolla and Chungcheong. Urimalsaem
• Halbae (HAHL-beh). The dialect form of harabeoji. Urimalsaem

Japanese

Watch the long vowels. Obaasan is a grandmother, but obasan with a short a is an aunt; ojiisan is a grandfather and ojisan an uncle.

• Obaasan (oh-BAH-sahn). Grandmother, the polite form. Jisho
• Ojiisan (oh-JEE-sahn). Grandfather. Jisho
• Obaachan (oh-BAH-chahn). Granny, the familiar form. Jisho
• Ojiichan (oh-JEE-chahn). Grandpa. Jisho
• Baaba (BAH-bah). Grandma in children's language. Jisho
• Jiiji (JEE-jee). Grandpa in children's language. Jisho
• Sobo (SOH-boh). The plain word for your own grandmother when talking about her to people outside the family, not a name to call her by. TKG Japanese-English
• Sofu (SOH-foo). The same for your own grandfather. Jisho

Filipino, Thai and Indonesian

Tagalog took lola and lolo from Spanish. Thai, like Chinese, has a separate word for each of the four grandparents, and Indonesian uses nenek and kakek on both sides.

• Lola (LOH-lah). Grandmother in Tagalog, from Spanish abuela; also a polite word for any older woman. Diksiyonaryo
• Lolo (LOH-loh). Grandfather. Diksiyonaryo
• Ya (YAH). Father's mother, in Thai. NIU SEAsite
• Yai (YAI, rhymes with sky). Mother's mother. NIU SEAsite
• Pu (BPOO). Father's father. NIU SEAsite
• Ta (DTAH). Mother's father. NIU SEAsite
• Nenek (neh-NEK). Grandmother in Indonesian. KBBI
• Kakek (kah-KEK). Grandfather in Indonesian. KBBI

South Asian grandparent names

Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi give each of the four grandparents a word of their own: nani and nana on your mother's side, dadi and dada on your father's. For Tamil, Marathi and Kannada, the dictionaries give one word for both grandmothers and one for both grandfathers.

In Bengali, didima and dadamoshai can also be used on the father's side, and dadu is a general word for grandfather. Blank cells are words we could not confirm in a dictionary.

Arabic, Persian and Turkish grandparent names

Levantine Arabic families say teta and jiddo, while standard Arabic has jadda and jadd. Sitti, another Levantine word, is literally "my lady," because sitt means both lady and grandmother.

• Teta (TAY-tah). Granny, in Lebanese and Palestinian Arabic. Living Arabic
• Sitti (SIT-tee). "My grandmother." Living Arabic
• Jiddo (also jíddu; JID-doo). Grandfather, in Lebanese Arabic. Lingualism
• Sido (SEE-doh). How Levantine grandchildren call their grandfather. Living Arabic
• Jiddi (JID-dee). "My grandfather." Living Arabic
• Jadda (JAD-dah). Grandmother in standard Arabic. Living Arabic
• Jadd (JADD). Grandfather in standard Arabic. Living Arabic
• Madar-bozorg (mah-DAR boh-ZORG). Grandmother in Persian, literally "great mother." Hayyim
• Pedar-bozorg (peh-DAR boh-ZORG). Grandfather, "great father." Hayyim
• Anneanne (ahn-NEH-ahn-neh). Mother's mother, in Turkish: literally "mother-mother." TDK
• Babaanne (bah-BAH-ahn-neh). Father's mother: "father-mother." TDK
• Nine (nee-NEH). Grandmother on either side. TDK
• Dede (deh-DEH). Grandfather. TDK

African and Caribbean grandparent names

In Swahili bibi also means wife. In Amharic speech, ayate, "my grandparent," is used for either one. In Yoruba, "gb" is a single sound.

Hawaiian, Māori and Samoan grandparent names

Tūtū is the everyday Hawaiian family word. Kupuna is the respectful word for elders and ancestors, and it shares a Proto-Polynesian root with Māori tupuna.

• Tūtū (TOO-too). Grandparent, either one. Hawaiian Dictionary
• Tūtū wahine (TOO-too vah-HEE-neh). Grandmother. Hawaiian Dictionary
• Tūtū kāne (TOO-too KAH-neh). Grandfather. Hawaiian Dictionary
• Kūkū (said TOO-too). Granny or grandpa, or anyone of the grandparent generation, said with affection. Hawaiian Dictionary
• Kupuna (koo-POO-nah). Grandparent, ancestor or elder. Hawaiian Dictionary
• Kuia (KOO-ee-ah). Grandmother or female elder, in te reo Māori. Te Aka
• Kui (KOO-ee). Grandma, used to address her. Te Aka
• Koro (KAW-raw). Grandad. Te Aka
• Koroua (KAW-raw-oo-ah). Grandfather or elderly man. Te Aka
• Tupuna (also tipuna; TOO-poo-nah). Ancestor or grandparent. Te Aka
• Tinā matua (tee-NAH mah-TOO-ah). Grandmother in Samoan: tinā is mother, matua is old. NZALT
• Tamā matua (tah-MAH mah-TOO-ah). Grandfather. NZALT

Native American words for grandmother and grandfather

These are kinship words used within Ojibwe, Navajo, Cherokee and Lakota families and nations. We list them, with their tribal or university sources, so a reader can look up a word they have heard. They are not offered as nickname ideas. The Lakota word for grandfather, Tȟuŋkášila, is also how Lakota prayers address the Great Spirit, so it is not a casual name.

• Nookomis (NOO-koh-miss). "My grandmother" in Ojibwe; the word always takes a possessor, and it is the source of Longfellow's Nokomis. Ojibwe People's Dictionary, Wikipedia
• Nimishoomis (nih-MISH-oo-miss). "My grandfather" in Ojibwe. Ojibwe People's Dictionary
• Shimásání (shih-MAH-sah-nee). My mother's mother, in Navajo. Yale National Initiative
• Shicheii (shih-CHAY). My mother's father; his clan is the third of four a Navajo person names when introducing themselves. Yale National Initiative
• Shinálí (shih-NAH-lee). My father's parent, one word for both paternal grandparents. Yale National Initiative
• Agilisi (ah-gee-LEE-see). My mother's mother, in Cherokee. Western Carolina University
• Aginisi (ah-gee-NEE-see). My father's mother. Western Carolina University
• Agiduda (ah-gee-DOO-dah). My grandfather. Western Carolina University
• Uŋčí (oon-CHEE). Grandmother in Lakota. SD Office of Tribal Relations

Which languages use different names for each side of the family?

Plenty of them, and the split is the detail grandparent lists get wrong most often. If your family speaks one of these languages, the grandparent's own side decides the word.

Each word links to its dictionary in the language sections above.

Grandparent names that mean something else

Check a name against the languages your family speaks before it goes on a birthday card. Each of these means something different somewhere else.

What do you call great-grandparents?

In English, families often put Great in front of the grandparent name they already use: the 1960s survey recorded Great Grammy and Great Grandmaw and Great Pappy. Other languages add a prefix to the grandparent word.

• Great-grandmother, great-grandfather. The grandparent of one of your parents. Cambridge
• GG. One family in AARP's reporting chose Lala for the grandmother and GG for the great-grandmother. AARP, 2024
• Bisnonna, bisnonno (beez-NOHN-nah). Italian. Treccani
• Uroma, Uropa (OOR-oh-mah). German, short for Urgroßmutter and Urgroßvater. Duden
• Overgrootmoeder (OH-ver-groht-moo-der). Dutch. ANW
• Arrière-grand-mère (ah-ree-AIR grahn-MEHR). French. Larousse
• Bisabuela, bisabuelo (bees-ah-BWEH-lah). Spanish. RAE
• Bisavó, bisavô (beez-ah-VAW). Portuguese. Priberam
• Sin-seanmháthair (shin-SHAN-wah-her). Irish; sin-seanathair for great-grandfather. Teanglann
• Sinn-seanmhair (sheen-SHEN-uh-vir). Scottish Gaelic. Faclair
• Prababcia, pradziadek (prah-BAHB-chah). Polish. Cambridge
• Oldemor (OL-deh-moor). Norwegian and Danish. Bokmålsordboka
• Langamma, langafi (LOWNG-ahm-mah). Icelandic. Árni Magnússon Institute

Why do so many grandparent names sound like baby talk?

Because they are built from baby babble. Nana, Mimi, Papa and Pop-Pop repeat one simple syllable, the shape of a baby's early babbling. The linguist Roman Jakobson argued in "Why 'Mama' and 'Papa'?", an essay he wrote in 1959 and published in 1960, that these nursery words grow out of a baby's earliest sounds. In the same year the anthropologist George Peter Murdock compared parent words across historically unrelated languages and found the same handful of sounds again and again: ma and na for mother, pa and ta for father.

The linguist Larry Trask of the University of Sussex, summarized that research: once parents have assigned mama and papa, they may hand further babble syllables to other relatives. English does little of this, he noted, "though nana or nan is used for grandmother in some British varieties of English." Dictionaries agree: Merriam-Webster calls Nana "probably of baby-talk origin."

Grandparents choosing a name today use the same logic. One grandmother told USA Today she picked Yah Yah because, from her years working with children, "repetitive syllables are always fun for them."

How do you choose a grandparent name?

Most new grandparents now pick their own. Nearly 3 in 4 parents of babies six months old or younger said the grandparents had chosen their own nicknames, according to Everyday Health Group research reported by Axios. These are the questions that settle it.

• Can a toddler say it? Doubled syllables like Nana, Mimi and Pop-Pop are built from the sounds babies babble early.
• Is it already taken? If the other grandmother is Grandma, add a first name (Grandma Jo) or pick a different word, so the child can tell you apart.
• Does it pair with your partner's? Nonna and Nonno, Oma and Opa, Lola and Lolo, Bubbe and Zayde all come as sets. Mixing a grandma word from one language with a grandpa word from another works, but the pairs are easier.
• Does it mean something else? Check the table above against the languages your family speaks.
• Is it yours to use? A heritage word from your own family's language carries that history with it. Kinship words from Native nations belong to those families.
• Will the grandkids rename you anyway? Often. One grandmother in AARP's reporting chose Lolly, and her grandchildren first made it Baboo.

Once the name sticks, the first cards and gifts follow. Our birthday wishes for a granddaughter are written to be signed with whatever she calls you.

Old-fashioned grandma and grandpa names for babies

Some people searching "grandma names" want a vintage name for a baby. These were top-200 names in the 1910s or 1920s, according to the Social Security Administration's decade lists, and the right-hand column shows where each stood in 2025, the latest year of data. Each name links to its full US history on Behind the Name.

Ranks are from the Social Security Administration, based on Social Security card applications; 1920s ranks are for the whole decade. August and Otto missed the 1920s top 200, so their 1910s rank is shown.

Seven names in the 2025 top 10 were top-100 names in the 1920s: Charlotte, Emma, Theodore, Henry, James, Evelyn and William. Some popular "old-fashioned" picks are newer than they sound. Ezra, Silas, Ivy, Iris and Hank were not in the SSA top 200 in any decade from the 1900s to the 1930s; all five rank higher now than they did then.

Grandparent name myths, checked

These claims appear on pages that rank for grandparent names. The right-hand column has what the source says.

How we checked these names

Each name links to the dictionary, language institute, academic source, survey or news report where we checked it. Where dictionaries disagree on a date or a meaning, we give the more cautious one. Names we could find only in other lists, such as Birdie, Sugar and Lita, were left out. Pronunciations are approximate respellings for English speakers. Survey numbers are quoted with their year, and with their sample where one was published, because none of them is a census of every grandparent. Checked October 2026.

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