What Will You Select as Your Grandparent Name?

Pops and Baba

A few years ago when my sister had her first child–my niece–I was fascinated by the discussion that ensued so my parents could select their grandparent names.

It seems like there are very few opportunities in our lives to decide what people call us. We’re given a name, and occasionally we start using a nickname or our middle name, but the vast majority of people I know use their given name or some slight variation thereof.

But with grandparent names, all bets are off. You can declare that your grandkids will call you Mr. Broccoli, and they will grow up thinking that’s perfectly normal.

I also think the process itself is interesting. You have to talk to your kid (the parent), the other set of grandparents, and each other. You need a name that a kid can easily say and that doesn’t sound too silly when other adults start using it.

My parents settled on Baba and Pops. I asked them about it today, and they’re mildly satisfied with the names.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be a grandparent, but I really liked calling my grandmother Grandma, so I think I’d take the traditional “Grandpa” as my grandfather name.

Which name will you choose, and what do you call your grandparents?

2 thoughts on “What Will You Select as Your Grandparent Name?”

  1. Jamey,

    Your post topics are wide and wonderful!

    So, it’s interesting to watch the evolution of names for grandparents in my own family.

    On my mother’s side, I called her mother, Mom-Mom Nana (and I never knew my maternal grandfather) and on my dad’s side, Mom-Mom and Poppy. My daughter used the names I had “given” my paternal grandparents for my folks, and on her mother’s side, she calls them Papa Rich (his given name is Richard) and CeCe (pronounced See-See, as her given name is Nancy).

    As for me…I haven’t given it much thought, but I’m personally not a fan of Gramps, Grandpop, Grandpa, or anything else that sounds like it came from a bygone era.

    Cheers,
    Joe

    Reply
  2. Interesting that you wrote about this. My mother-in-law had a very awkward conversation with my mom about what to call them. My mom’s response was “I don’t really care what he calls me.” I think I feel the same as my mom. I like the idea of having a more organic name that the kid chooses. I suspect we will have my son call his grandparents “Grandma and Grandpa.” Though my wife’s family always calls grandparents by their first name. “Grandpa Bob.” Of course, since both of our dads are Bob, that’s a lot of Grandpa Bobs.

    Reply

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