Goldie Hawn Has the Best Grandma Nickname EVER
The best thing about grandparenting in this day in age? There are no rules, starting with the fact that today's grandparents don't have to be called grandma or grandpa anymore. Don't get us wrong: "Grandma" will always be a stone-cold classic — but the options have multiplied dramatically.
And while some grandparents are sick of the unique baby names that Millennials and Gen Zers are giving their kids, they're delighting in picking unusual or hip nicknames for themselves.
But with the field wide open, which do you choose? If you don't know if you're more of Granny or a Nona, or feel closer to a Cookie or a Mimi, try some of these cool grandma names on for size.
One word of warning, though: No matter how carefully you choose, sometimes toddlers have a way of picking their own grandparent nicknames, too. Even if you have your heart set on Gigi, sometimes a kid will decide you're just more of a Boo-boo. (But, chances are, you'll love that nickname, because you'll adore the kid who gave it to you.)
Looking for more great grandparenting advice? Check out these Good Housekeeping stories:
Unique Grandpa Names | The New Age of Grandparenting | How to Stay Connected as a Long-Distance Grandparent
Grandma Names With a Twist
If you like the sound of Grandma but just want to put your own little spin on it, these names have the same sounds you'll find in the word "grandma," but gussied up to be much cuter. They still have that classic, traditional feel to them.
Gam-Gam
Gammy
Geema
Gigi
Glamma
Gramma
Grammy
Grams
Gran
Gran-Gran
Grannie
G-Ma
Marmee
Mamaw
Meemaw
Celebrity Names for Grandma
Jane Fonda is famously called "Grandma" by her grandkids. But these other celebrities went outside the box, coming up with everything from fun nicknames to their own first names.
Aba Daba (Debbie Reynolds)
Boom Boom (Caitlyn Jenner)
Bunny (Terri Irwin)
Glam Ma (Goldie Hawn/Nene Leakes)
Granny (Whoopi Goldberg)
Honey (Susan Sarandon)
Lalo (Blythe Danner)
Lovey (Kris Jenner)
Martha (Martha Stewart)
Mawmaw (Naomi Judd)
Nana (Chaka Khan)
Oopi (Whoopi Goldberg)
Shazza (Sharon Osbourne)
Yia Yia (Rita Wilson)
Zeze (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Names for Grandma in Different Languages
You might consider honoring a part of your culture or heritage with your unique grandma name. Below is a sampling of words for "grandma" or "grandmother" from various languages. Of course, this is by no means comprehensive: These are only a few languages, and even then many of these languages also have formal/informal ways of referring to grandparents, different words for maternal and paternal grandparents or shortened nicknamed versions of the words below. But if you're looking for some inspiration, here are some grandma names to get the wheels spinning.
Abuela (Spanish)
Avó (Portuguese)
Bà (Vietnamese)
Babcia (Polish)
Babushka (Russian)
Bedstemor (Danish)
Bibi (Swahili)
Bomma (Flemish)
Bubbe (Yiddish)
Dadi/Nani (Hindi)
Grand-mère/Mémé (French)
Halmoni (Korean)
Jadati (Arabic)
Lola (Tagalog)
Maimeó (Irish)
Mormor (Norwegian)
Nenek (Indonesian)
Nonna (Italian)
Nai Nai (Mandarin)
Obaasan (Japanese)
Oma (German)
Ouma (Afrikaans)
Savta (Hebrew)
Thakurma/Didima (Bengali)
Tutu (Hawaiian)
Modern Grandma Names
At the outset, these names don't sound anything like Grandma — they're almost secret code words between you and your grandchild. Some are cute, some are sweet and some are hip.
Abba
Birdy
Cha-Cha
Cookie
Deedee
Gaga
Kitty
Mimi
Minnie
Nan
Nina
Pippa
Pippy
Tootsie
Queenie
In the end, no matter what you choose, you have to be careful — your grandkids may end up picking something else!
Did we miss your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
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