Names

It was really a new concept to consider, creating my own name. It wasn’t until my oldest daughter asked me to please come up with a name for her soon-to-be-born son to call me. Because in her husband’s family, names were a combination of the first name and grandma. This just didn’t appeal to her at all. 

When we moved to the south, we discover that ‘Granny’ is the most common name for grandmothers. Being a born-and-bred northerner and baby boomer, the only mental connection I had with the name ‘Granny’ was watching The Beverly Hillbillies as a kid. 

Not exactly the emotional or endearing term I was looking for. Instead of a loving older woman, it brought images of a scrawny, overworked, bossy woman ready to knock you upside the head. 

A dear friend, who is around twenty years my senior, had all of her children call her grandmother. I really loved that. Not because it has an air about it. But honestly, because of just how darn cute the little ones sound saying it. 

There are those of us who never dreamed of diverting from the traditional names.

About.com lists these as the most common traditional names.

Big Mom or Big Momma
Gadgi or Gadgy
Gammy or Gamma or Gams
Gram or Grams
Gramma
Grammy or Grammie
Grandma or Grandmaw
Grandmama
Grandmom
Grandmother
Grannie or Granny
Gran or Gran-Gran
Marmee or Marmi
Ma or Maw
Mammy
MawMaw or Mawmaw
Mema or MeMa or Mima
Memaw or MeeMaw or Mimaw
Mom-Mom
Nana or Nanna
Nanny or Nannie

Then there are those who shun names that age.

They choose names like Lolo, Babe and Honey. These are most common, and becoming trendy within the boomer generation of grandparents.

The trendy run from MamaMia, MeMom and Nama to Sugar and Umma. Then there is the more fun, playful names such as MaxiMa, Muddy, Muffy, NuNu Peaches and Pumpkin. The sweetest, most oringnal I’ve found is Tinkerbell, Toots and Tootsie.

Then there are great-grandmother names. My mother dubbed herself GiGi, or Grandma GG. Another name that’s fairly common is grandma-great. 

Whatever you decide to call yourself, it should suit your personality, but most importantly it should become a term of endearment. 

Which of course, if that’s really all you want, is your grandchildren to call you by their chosen name of endearment you can always just keep the name they give you.

Often times the sweetest names are those given by toddlers trying to pronounce a proper or traditional name. That’s usually where you get the names like MeMaw, and PePaw. But then, when it comes out of your grandchild’s mouth it always sounds sweet.

 

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