Names for Grandmother

[Bejeena]

Hi everyone!

I am new to the community and am 10 weeks pregnant, so still early days.

Only the family know and are over the moon of course, this is my first baby and for my parents will be the first grandchild, my husband's sister and her husband have a child aleady. It is a very exciting time.

Since my husband's parents already have a grandchild we have assumed that our baby will also take same grandparents names (Gran & Grandpa) as their cousin so they are sorted.

I asked my mother what she would like to be called and she said Grandmummy. This is what I called my Dad's Mum.

I have told her no and I have given her the reason that I will always think of my own Grandmummy when I hear the name. But the other reason (I did not tell her this) is that I think it is a bit pretentious and stuck up. However with the reason I gave it also meant that I have to say no to her being called Nan because that is what I called her Mum (but to be honest I would be happy for her to be Nan)

She accepted it although I don't think she was very happy about it. Have I been really unfair?

To be honest as much as I loved my Grandmummy and she was an amazing woman (who I also firmly believe can never be replaced) I just really don't like the name. Being brought up in the working class town where I came from it was almost a bit embarassing to use Grandmummy and others kids used to tease me for it. This is something I do not want for my own child!

I am a bit concerned that I have gone to far, that it should be her right to choose but I really do not want it and quite frankly my husband is going to find it very wierd, it really just doesn't suit us.

What do others think and what names have you got for grandmothers? My suggestion is Nanna/Nana which I think she is ok with.

Thanks for the opinions - I'd love to hear what others think.

[amck5700]

I never had any grandparents so can't comment on my own behalf, and my kids only have my mum who is Granny. However, my nieces and nephews have a variety of other grandparents and some are also Granny and then they add on the surname e.g. Granny Smith and Granny Jones. Some are Nana and the men are usually granddad or Pappa and my brother is simply called G which is nice too. I don't think you are being unfair banning Grandmummy but for the reason that it comes across a bit posh which you don't like rather than the fact that it was used by someone else - there is only a finite number of names that are usually used and to ban your mum from half of them seems a bit of a shame and takes the shine of her excitement I think.

[HelenofSparta]

My girls call my mum Grandma.....

[Floralnomad]

Your problem is of course that you offered her a choice , why can't she just be Gran like your OH parents. We had our children years ago and no one got a choice , his parents are nan and granddad , my mum is nan , never gave it much thought TBH.

[Patsy99]

TBH I find "Grandmummy" odd, although I see it could evolve as a cute nickname from a child. Whilst your Mum should be able to choose what to be called, I think that still has to be a name which is reasonable to you.

Sounds like you're down to Granny or Grandma, if Nan is ruled out.

[SavoyCabbage]

I know a

Granny (and a Grannie)
Grandma
Mamma (mam-mar)
Nannie

And a Glamour...

[NormanTheForeman]

My ds had Granny and Grandad on one side of the family and Grandma and Grandpa on the other side. A lot of people use Nan/Nana though.

My own grandmothers, one was grandma and the other was always known as Kiki (which wasn't her actual name) as she didn't want to be a Gran/Nan etc. And I knew another friend whose grandmother was known as Tigger. I guess you can choose whatever you like!

[dontmixthecolours]

My girls call my mum Nonna. only because MIL said she should stop being ridiculous and ba called Gran

[RoomForALittleOne]

This has been a bit of a contentious issue with one grandparent (MIL). My parents asked what we would like them to be called so I said that I would prefer that my mum wasn't Nanny because that's what I call my grandmothers and I associate that with a grandmother who is elderly (my mum was 53 when DC1 was born). Together we settled on Grandma and Grandad.

My MIL suggested lots of names that were (in my opinion) non-traditional and all VERY close to Mummy. I firmly said 'no' because she had a tendency to take over and make everything about her in life. I did not want my children calling her Mumsy or any other variant. In the end, she asked what my parents were being called and settled on 'Grandma MIL'. She wasn't particularly keen on the 'Grandma' part but refused to be Nanna MIL as her step grandchildren referred to her (long story and I appreciate the reasons). When DC1 started talking, she approximated Grandma to Mamma (said Ma-mar) and this was pounced upon by MIL who said "I always said that I would go with what the children called me". We pointed out that DC1 was actually saying Grandma but ever since, MIL signs everything as Mamma MIL and refers to herself as this. DH and I think it sounds a bit silly and still call her Grandma MIL (as do the 3 DC). No-one knows what she is saying when she introduces herself as Mamma MIL.

Recently MIL referred to her XH (FIL) as Grandad FIL and the children didn't know who she was talking about! I had to point out to her that he is known as Grandad (or more commonly Scottish Grandad!) and it's fine that she uses her first name with the children but none of the other grandparents have, so please don't! MIL found this hard but she can't accept that the children think he's fab anyway.

[marriednotdead]

TBH I think you are being a little bit unfair. It's quite usual for grandparent names to continue through the generati

[marriednotdead]

Sorry, posting on phone...

TBH I think you are being a little bit unfair. It's quite usual for grandparent names to continue through the generations and my mum is known as nanny to my DCs, even though I associate it more with her mother (my GM).

She is the one on the receiving end of the name as it were, so I'd expect her to have final say.

I speak as a 'step grandmother' who insists on being called auntie! (Don't want to tread on the toes of the 'real' grandmothers although I regard them as my grandchildren)

[DoItToJulia]

All of our parents (and there are quite few...all are divorced and most remarried) chose their names.

We have Nonna, granny , ma (short for grandma) nanny, great grandma, muddie, etc.

Also have oopa which is Dutch or grandad and the female equivalent is ooma.

Suggest an alternative, but ultimately I think it's a bit mean to insist. Tough one.

[BigSpork]

When I was wee, it was Grandma and Grandpa, referred to as Grandma/Grandpa [surname] if talking about them at home.

For my kids, it's all a bit more complicated. They call my in-laws Grandma and Zaidy, one older cousin calls them Grandma and Firstname (as he was born before StepFIL was around), the younger pair (stepBIL kids) call them Grandma [first name] and Grumpa. I also know a few Nans and Bubbies.

When in the presence of Great Grandma, Grandma is either Grandma or Big Grandma and Great Grandma is Little Grandma (she's very petite, though has a giant matriarch personality) or Grandma [first name] as she doesn't like Great Grandma (which is what my kids called her first before she told them her preference, we go by what she wants - in this as with almost everything ).

My mother refers to herself as Nanny, though went through a few name options when my eldest was little as she didn't want to be Grandma or any of the usual variants. But she lives overseas and has never visited so my kids don't really use it or know it.

[Bejeena]

Thank you all for the replies - I wasn't expecting such a response but then I guess this is a topic that we have all dealt with.

If I am really honest I think the main reason I don't want it is because it comes accross as quite posh and not because of my own Grandmummy.

Also I do see the point about family tradition but to me this isn't a family tradition, my grandmother was just Grandmummy and it was my Dad's mother that was this name, not my Mum's mother. My mothe didn't call her own grandmother Grandmummy either. If it was my Mum's mother maybe it would be different.

I would be happy for her to be called Nan but I then know she will ask me why am I ok with Nan but not Grandmummy, since we said Nan to my mother's Mum.

I guess maybe the easiest solution would be to tell her that firstly we think it is to posh and also that my husband won't like it (he is going to scoff and even ask if it is a name and I very much doubt he'll use it). As I said we come from very working class towns so it just sounds strange.

[Anonymumous]

We have a Grandmummy. A bit odd or unusual maybe, but it never occurred to me that it was remotely posh, pretentious or stuck up - are you sure you're not confusing it with Grandmama (prounounced Grand-ma-mar)?

We have Grandmummy because Great Nan is still alive and known to all as Nan. So the grandmothers are Grandma and Grandmummy (to avoid confusion). Neither of them wanted to be Granny - apparently this is strictly for sweet old silver-haired ladies over the age of 85. Hmmm... maybe we should have rebranded Nan instead...

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

It's a tough one but don't let it get to you, something will get suggested and hopefully you'll feel happy with it. Whether or not your DH will get chippy about it is another matter.

Your infant will probably eventually call her by something cute that will stick, that'll be her own special name!

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

[Snowflakepie]

We have granny and grampy (my parents) and grandma and grandad (ILS). This is what me and DH called our grandparents, and they just happened to be different from each other, as we both only knew one set of grandparents each. There was no issue, it was just the first thing we said and it seemed right. If you don't like the name then use something else and your DC will sort it out for themselves. My nephew calls my mum gogon and she thinks it is cute, as he made it up himself. But don't fret over it, these things sort themselves out in the end!

[atthewelles]

I called my grandmothers Granny (Surname). My mother is called by a name that would probably out me. Other grannies in my family are known as Granny (christian name) which I think is quite nice.

[Top1000NameChange]

My DC call my mother Grandma. As my mother's mother is still alive and has always been Grandma to me and DBro, she is now called "Grandma [first name]" to distinguish. DD1 often calls them, respectively, "Grandma [first name]" and "Normal Grandma" - which is not far off the truth

[FranglaisMaman]

I always called my paternal grandmother "Nanna or nanny surname" (she preferred Nanna) and my maternal grandmother was just 'nan/nanny surname'. I think my baby will probably do the same as it's just what's normal for us, I prefer Nanna though as it's cute.

I know someone who has enforced that her children call their grandparents: 'Nonna and Grand-Papa' - that knocks Grandmummy out of the park for pretentiousness!

[wonderstuff]

I would be honest with your mum and say why you don't like grandmummy - and then I would leave it up to her.

We have Nanna, NannyB, Granny and Mamgu - v. lucky that I still have two grandmothers. My mum thought granny sounded too old, mil was happy with it. My maternal grandmother also thought she was too young to be a granny (she's 81 now) Mamgu is south Welsh. When I was little living in SE England friends would be baffled about me calling my grandmother 'monkey'.

[recall]

Nanma and Nandad

[wonderstuff]

atthewelles I had nanny(surnames), and my mother is now nanna(firstname) interesting social change over last 30 odd years.

[CitizenOscar]

My grandad (my only GP) is Grandad. My DS has a Granny X; Nana X; Grandad X and something unique which is a bit like grandad but incorporates my dad's name (where X is their first name).

We chose the GMs' names at least partly because of how the word goes with their first names.

MIL wanted to be called "Grangran" as that's her family tradition but we weren't comfortable with it (esp as her family history is not a happy one) so suggested an alternative with a good reason - easy to say & goes with her name. She accepted it ok.

My grandad's partner wants to be known as Oma. Not sure it'll catch on

[Bejeena]

Thanks all for the ideas.

Our situation is that we are from South Wales originally too, although I never really thought about Mamgu or Nain to be honest. We live in Germany and to be honest to me hearing Oma when English is spoken sounds wrong as Oma is a German word for me. But it might catch on.

I will be honest with her about Grandmummy and tell her I think it is pretentious, but I am loathed to leave it up to her as she will still chose it anyway, regardless of my wishes.

[birdofthenorth]

I grew up with a Nan and a Grandma and likewise avoided repeating those for our folks. They are Nana and Granny instead.

I think Grandmummy is a bit ott, too, tbh. A bit Downton!