grandparents holding their grandchild
Grandparents Lists Parenthood

Ultimate List of 500+ Names for Grandparents

By Amy Morrison

Coming up with grandparent names can be surprisingly difficult.

After I told my mom I was pregnant with my older son she cautiously asked, “What do the kids call Helen?”

Crap.

My mother-in-law already had three grandchildren under her belt and they all call her ‘Grandma’. I braced myself as I told my mother that ‘Grandma’ was kind of taken to which she shouted, “Can I be Nana then?!? I want to be called Nana!!”

Turns out she loved her Nana and wanted to be a glorious Nana to my kids.

Oh, okay, Nana it is. Phew.

My dad wanted to be called, ‘Jeff’ because “that’s his damn name” but I wanted something that was grandpa’ish without being Grandpa because my Father-in-law already held the title. Sure, they could share the name but I wanted everyone to have their own handle because it seemed easier.

What wasn’t easy was finding name options so I asked readers what was used in their families and, man, do I have a list for you!

Here are all the suggested grandparent names and nicknames in alphabetical order.

I think my favorite has to be Annie and Bruce  – it isn’t even remotely close to their real names but something they wanted to be called.

Maybe I should have named dad ‘Jeff’ instead of ‘Grandad’ after all.

Grandparent Names

Here's a very long list of all the great names for grandmas and grandpas out there.

Grandmother and Granddaughter

Grandmother names:

A

  • Aanaga (Aana commonly) (maternal Inupiaq Eskimo)
  • Abuela (maternal Formal Spanish)
  • Abuelita, Uelita, Tita, Abby, Abbi, Lita (maternal informal diminutive Spanish)
  • Aggie
  • Ajji (maternal Southwestern – India)
  • Ama
  • Ama sani (maternal grandmother Navajo)
  • Amatchi (maternal Basque (region in NE Spain/SW France)
  • Ambuya (maternal African Shona dialect)
  • Amm
  • Amma (maternal Icelandic)
  • Ammamamma (maternal India)
  • Ammaw
  • Amona (maternal Basque)
  • Anneanne (maternal Turkish)
  • Anya, Yanya (maternal informal Hungarian)
  • Anyoka, nagyanya (maternal Hungarian)
  • Anyu
  • Apohang babae (maternal Formal – Filipino Cebuano)
  • Audie
  • Àvia, Iaia (maternal Catalan Spain) (used by small children)
  • Avino (maternal Esperanto)
  • Avó (maternal Portuguese)
  • Avoa ( maternal Galician)
  • Awa (maternal India)

B

  • Ba (maternal Vietnamese)
  • Baba (maternal Ukranian)
  • Baba, Mica (maternal Serbian)
  • Babaanne  (maternal Turkish)
  • Babicka, Babi (maternal Slovakian)
  • Babka, Babcia, Babcia, Baba, Boucha, Busia, Busha (maternal formal Polish)
  • Babs
  • Babushka, Busha, Buka, Baboo (maternal Russian)
  • Baka (maternal Croatian)
  • Bammer
  • BB, BeBe
  • Bé già, Ba (maternal Informal Ba Vietnamese
  • Bebia (maternal Georgian)
  • Bedstemoder (maternal Formal Danish)
  • Beppe – (bep-ah maternal Frisian)
  • Bestemor, Godmor (maternal Norwegian)
  • Beybey
  • Bibi, Nyanya ( maternal African Swahili)
  • Big Meme
  • Bo
  • Bomma (maternal Flemish)
  • Bubby, Bubbe, Bube, Bubbie (maternal Yiddish)
  • Bumba
  • Bunica, Bunical (maternal Romanian)
  • Bunny
  • Buyuk Anne (maternal Turkish)

C

  • CeCe, ChiChi
  • ChooChoo
  • Cookie
  • Cuppa

D

  • Da
  • Dada / Dada-Abu/ Dadajaan (paternal Grandmother Urdu)
  • Dadie / Dadiejaan / Dadie-Amma (maternal Grandmother Urdu)
  • Daadima (maternal Hindi – India)
  • Dandy
  • Danh tá (maternal Formal Vietnamese)
  • Deeda
  • DeeDee, DiDi
  • Deedle
  • Dida, Didima (maternal Grandmother Bengali  – India)
  • Dido
  • Donda
  • DooDah

E

  • Elisi (pronounced similar to ay-lee-see) (maternal Cherokee)
  • Enisi (ay-nee-see) (paternal Cherokee)

F

  • Fafa (paternal grandmother Danish)
  • Farmor (paternal grandmother Sweden)

G

  • Ga
  • Gabba
  • Gamma
  • Gam Gam
  • Gee, Gee-ma, Gee-Mama, Gege
  • GG, Giggy, Gigi
  • Gigia, YaYa (Greek)
  • Gima
  • Ging
  • Gjyshe (Albanian)
  • Glama
  • G-Ma
  • Godmor, Bestemor (Norwegian)
  • Goobie
  • Goona
  • Gr-mere, Meme (informal French)
  • GraGra
  • Gram
  • Grammie, Grammy
  • Grambo
  • Gran
  • Grand-mere (formal French)
  • Grandma
  • Grandma Nana
  • GrandMaman (semi-formal French)
  • Grandmama
  • Grandmommy
  • Grandy
  • GranGran
  • Granni
  • Granna (combination of Grandma and Nana)
  • Grannie
  • GrannyMama
  • Grootmoeder (Dutch)
  • Grossmami (Formal Swiss)
  • Grossmutter (Formal German)
  • Guggy
  • Gummy

H

  • Hajurmua – shortens to Mua (Nepal)
  • Halmoni (maternal Korean)
  • Hammaw
  • Henna (maternal African Berber dialect)
  • Honey
  • Hopie

J

  • Jadda, Teta (Syrian)
  • Jaddah, Jiddah (maternal Formal Arabic)
  • Jaja, Zsa-Zsa, Busha, Gigi (maternal informal Polish)
  • Jaryi (maternal Guarani)

K

  • Kapuna Wahine (maternal Formal Hawaiian)
  • Kuku, Tutu Puna (maternal Informal Hawaiian)

L

  • Lala, Lela
  • Lola (Tagalog Philippines)
  • Lolly, Lolli
  • Lolo (maternal informal Filipino)
  • Lovey

M

  • Ma-Gar
  • Ma-maw
  • Ma’saani (maternal American Indian Navajo)
  • Maataamahii (maternal Grandmother Sanskrit)
  • Madar Bozorg (maternal Farsi)
  • MaeMae, Mah-meh
  • Maimeo (maternal Informal – Irish/Gaelic)
  • Makhulu (maternal African Venda dialect)
  • Mamaay (paternal Aborigine Australian)
  • Mamae
  • Maman
  • Mamar
  • Mamgu maternal Southern Welsh)
  • Mami, Mamie
  • Mamm-Baour (Breton NW France)
  • Mamm-gozh (maternal Breton)
  • Mamo, Mamoo
  • Marmee
  • Mater
  • Mavoureen (maternal Informal – Irish/Gaelic)
  • MawMaw (maternal Cajun)
  • Meema
  • Meemer
  • Meepa
  • Mémé (maternal Informal French)
  • Memere
  • Metzmayr (maternal Armenian)
  • Mimi
  • Mimiere (maternal French Canadian)
  • Mimz
  • Mimzy
  • Mociute (maternal Lithuanian)
  • MomMom
  • Momo
  • Momsie
  • Momu (maternal Aborigine Australian)
  • MooMaw, MooMoo
  • Morai (maternal Informal – Irish/Gaelic)
  • MorMor (maternal Grandmother Norwegian & Swedish)
  • Mummo ( maternal Finnish)
  • MumMum
  • Muner
  • Munga
  • Mutti

N

  • Nagyanya (Formal Hungarian)
  • Nahnee
  • Naini, Nain (maternal Northern Welsh
  • Nali’ (paternal Grandmother American Indian Navajo)
  • Nami, Nan, Nani
  • Nana, Nanna
  • Nanni (maternal Grandmother Urdu India) Nannie, Nanny
  • Nanu (maternal Bengali)
  • Nenek (Indonesian)
  • Nenibe (Malagasy)
  • Neske’e (maternal American Indian Cheyenne)
  • Ngin (paternal Grandmother Cantonese)
  • Nina
  • Nini
  • Ninny
  • Nkuku (maternal African Botswanan)
  • Nona, Nonna (maternal Italian)
  • Nookmis (American Indian Ojibway)
  • Nookomis (American Indian Ojibway)

O

  • Oba-Chan (maternal Formal – Japanese)
  • Obaasan (maternal Formal – Japanese)
  • Obaba (maternal Informal – Japanese)
  • Old Meme
  • Oma (maternal informal German, Dutch)
  • Ommy
  • Ouma (maternal Afrikaans)

P

  • Pathi (maternal Tamil)
  • PoPo (maternal Cantonese)

R

  • RahRah
  • RooRoo

S

  • Safta (maternal Hebrew)
  • Sasha
  • Sassy
  • Savta (maternal Hebrew)
  • Seanmhair (maternal Formal – Irish/Gaelic)
  • Senele (maternal Lithuanian)
  • Sitti (Lebanese)
  • Sobo (maternal Formal – Japan)
  • Stara Mama (maternal Slovenian)
  • Sugar

T

  • Tata
  • Tatik (maternal Armenian)
  • Teta (informal Arabic & Syrian)
  • Thakur-ma (Bengali Paternal – India)
  • Tipuna Wahine (Aborigine Polynesian Maori dialect)
  • Toots
  • TuTu (Informal Hawaiian)

U

  • Ugogo (African Zulu dialect)
  • Umakhulu (African Xhosa dialect)
  • Una

V

  • Vanaema (Estonian)
  • Vavo, VuhVuh
  • Vecmate (Latvian)

W

  • Wài pó (maternal Grandmother Mandarin)
  • Weeto

Y

  • Ya (maternal Grandmother Thai)
  • Yai (paternal Grandmother Thai)
  • Yanya, Anya (Informal Hungarian)
  • Yaya, Gigia (maternal Greek)

Z

  • Zsa-Zsa, Busha, Gigi, Jaja (informal Polish)
  • Zumu (paternal Grandmother Mandarin)
Ultimate List of Names for Grandparents

Grandfather names:

A

  • Aba (paternal Guarani, South America)
  • Abuelito, Tito, Lito (paternal informal diminutive Spanish)
  • Abuelo (paternal formal Spanish)
  • Afi (paternal Icelandic)
  • Agiduda, E-du-di (paternal Cherokee)
  • Aitona (paternal Basque)
  • Ajja (paternal Southwestern India)
  • Ampa
  • Apohang lalaki (paternal, formal Filipino)
  • Ataataga (paternal Eskimo, Inupiaq dialect)
  • Aviah (paternal Catalan)
  • Avô (paternal Esperanto, Galician, Portuguese)

B

  • Baba (Turkmen)
  • Babagjysh (paternal Albanian)
  • Babakoto (Malagasy)
  • Babu (Georgian & paternal Swahili)
  • Bamper
  • Bedstefader (paternal formal Danish)
  • BeeBop
  • Bestefar (Norwegian)
  • Big Bear
  • Big D
  • Big Papa
  • Big Pepere
  • Bobo, Doda (Uzbek)
  • Bonpahttp, Bonpa  (Flemish)
  • Boochie
  • Boom-pa
  • Boopa
  • Bop-O
  • Boppa
  • Boss
  • Boy
  • Bpoo (paternal Grandfather Thai)
  • Bubba
  • Bug
  • Bullet
  • Bumpa
  • Bumper
  • Bumpie
  • Bungie
  • Bunic, Bunicut (Romanian)
  • Bunky

C

  • Cebuano (Filipino)
  • Chei (maternal Grandfather Navajo)
  • Commander in Chief
  • Cuppa

D

  • Da
  • Daa-daa-jee (paternal Hindi)
  • Daada (paternal Grandfather Gujarati)
  • Dad
  • Dadju (paternal formal Ukranian)
  • Dadu (paternal Grandfather Bengali)
  • Daidoe, Daddo (paternal informal Irish/Gaelic)
  • Ded (Slovenian)
  • Deda (Serbian)
  • Dede (paternal Turkish)
  • Dedek, Dedi (Slovakian)
  • Dedushka (paternal Russian)
  • Dido
  • Djed (paternal Croatian)
  • Duke
  • Dumper
  • Dyado (paternal Bulgaria)
  • Dziadek, Dziadzi, Dziadziu, Jaja (paternal formal Polish)
  • Dziadzio (paternal informal Polish
  • Dzied (paternal Belarusen)

E

  • Edudi, Agiduda (paternal Cherokee)

F

  • Farfar (paternal grandfather Swedish, Danish)

G

  • G-pa
  • GaGa
  • Gampy
  • Garrimaay (maternal Grandfather Aborigine Australian Formal)
  • Gedo
  • Geta
  • Gido
  • Gigi (informal Ukranian)
  • Gimmpy
  • GongGong (maternal Grandfather Cantonese)
  • Grampie, Grampy
  • Grampo
  • Gramps
  • Grampy
  • Grand Duke
  • Grand-papa (semi-formal France)
  • Grand-pere (paternal formal France)
  • Grandaddy
  • Granddad
  • Grandpa
  • Grandpop
  • Grandy
  • Grapa
  • Grootvader, Opa (Dutch)
  • Grosspapi (Swiss)
  • Grossvader (Formal German)
  • Grossvader (Formal German)
  • Grumpa
  • Grumps
  • GumGum
  • Gumpy
  • Guy

H

  • Hajurbua – shorten to Bua (Nepal)
  • Halabeoji (Korean)
  • Hot Shot

J

  • Jadd (paternal formal Arabic)
  • Jid (Lebanese)
  • Jidu (Syrian)

K

  • Kupuna Kane (paternal Formal Hawaiian)

L

  • Lolo (Tagalog Philippines)
  • Laos (Hmong)

M

  • Maataamaha (maternal Grandfather Sanskrit)
  • Maili (paternal formal Australian aboriginal)
  • Metzhayr, Papik (Armenian)
  • Mishomis (paternal Ojibway)
  • Mmakhulu (paternal African Venda dialect)
  • Morfar (maternal Grandfather Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)

N

  • Nagyapa (formal Hungarian)
  • Nali (paternal Grandfather Navajo)
  • Nana / Nanajaan (paternal Grandfather Urdu)
  • Nani/ Nanijaan / Nani-Amma (maternal Grandfather Urdu)
  • Nannu (Maltese)
  • Nanu (maternal Grandfather Bengali India)
  • Nonno (Italian)
  • Ntatemogolo (Botswanan Africa)

O

  • Ojiisan, Sofu (formal Japanese)
  • Ong (formal Vietnamese)
  • Ong Noi (informal Vietnamese)
  • Opa (informal German)
  • Oppy
  • Oupa (Afrikaans)

P

  • Pa
  • Paca
  • Pacaw
  • Pampa
  • Panka
  • Pankar
  • Pake
  • Papa
  • Papa Bear
  • Papi
  • Papie
  • Papik (Armenian)
  • Papo
  • Papoo
  • Pappoús (Greek)
  • Pater
  • PawPaw  (Cajun)
  • Pe-Pa
  • Pedaer Bozorg (Farsi)
  • Pepe (French Canadian)
  • Pépère (informal French)
  • Petulu (Indonesian)
  • Pitaamaha (Sanskrit)
  • Pocky
  • Poopaw
  • Pop-Op
  • Popaw
  • Popeye
  • Poppa
  • Poppie
  • Pop-Pop
  • Poppy
  • Pops
  • Popsie
  • Pots

S

  • Saba (Hebrew)
  • Seanathair (formal Irish/Gaelic)
  • Seedo (informal Arabic)
  • Sekuru (Shona dialect)
  • Senelis (Lithuanian)
  • Shi’choo (Cheyenne)
  • Simba
  • Sofu (informal Japanese)

T

  • Tad-cu, Taid (northern Welsh)
  • Tad-Kozh (Breton)
  • Taidie (southern Welsh)
  • Tamazight (African Berber dialect)
  • TanTan
  • Tata (informal Hungarian)
  • Thatha (Tamil)
  • Tipuna Tane (polynesian Maori dialect)
  • Topa
  • Tutu
  • Tutu Kane (informal Hawaiian)

U

  • Ubabamkhulu (African Zulu dialect)
  • Utat’omkhulu (African Xhosa dialect)

V

  • Vaari (Finnish)
  • Vanaisa (Estonian)
  • Vectevs (Latvian)
  • Voovoo

W

  • Waayamaa (paternal Grandfather Australian)
  • Wài Gong (maternal Grandfather Mandarin)
  • Weeta

Y

  • Yeh Yeh (paternal Grandfather Cantonese)
  • YeYe (paternal Grandfather Mandarin)

Z

  • Zeidy, Zaide, Zeydeh, Zeyde, Zeide, Zede, Zayde (Yiddish)

Unique Ideas for Grandparent Names

  • WOW – Mom upside down
  • HoneyDeux – Grandmother was Honey mother was HoneyDeux
  • Grandma Jeep, Grandma Honda – Grandmas of boys
  • Grannie back on the farm
  • Banana
  • Lolly & Pop
  • Annie & Bruce (not their actual names)
  • Happy – couldn’t say Pappy
  • Where’d he go – Grandpa likes to play hide & seek
  • Grandpete
  • Serious Sam the Garbage Man (his name isn’t Sam)
  • Boy
  • O’grammie (she’s Irish)

What are the grandparents called in your family?

Let me know in the comments!

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