Calling people Aunty who are not your aunty

[Snog]

Does this still happen or was it unique to the 1970s?
And did it happen in middle class families or only in working class families?
Did you have aunties who were not actually your aunty?

I love being called this by children of my friends!
And my kids call some of my friends Aunty too. It's nice!

I do it- my husbands black and I it stemmed from him, my Indian/ black/ Middle Eastern friends all use the auntie and uncle terms too. It’s just become a term of respect for my friends- I wouldn’t have my children call their friends parents from nursery and future school it though.

I had Aunties who were not my Aunties in the 80's and my children have Aunties who are not now. One because they are my parents close friend and much older generation and the other two because they are as close as Aunties.

We called all family friends Auntie and Uncle. DD 9 rarely used the term for her real ones. She prefers names.

I'm called Aunty Covic by various small children that aren't related to me.

I think there is a north-south gap (it's more common in the North) and a cultural gap - my asian friends all get their kids to call me auntie (n=2). I'm white scottish.

There also seems to a cultural gap about what we do ourselves -I've noticed both my close asian friends (we are in our 40s) still use the term auntie to refer to what are essentially their parents friends. Whereas I reverted in my late teens to calling all mine by either their first name or an abbreviation of their surname eg. Mrs T.

Even though my parents have died I remain in correspondence with some of mine. Those long term friendships run deep!

My young cousins call me auntie even though I'm not. I used to call a lot of people auntie as a child who weren't.

Yes we always called my mums close friends aunties (90s)
My husbands Nigerian, him and my children call any female on his side, family or friends Aunty.

Yes I had it (borns mid-80s, godparents and older family friends like grandparents friends and next door neighbour) and am auntie to friends' young children as they are to mine. Mix of middle and working class.

I think auntie is a horrible word. Ours call their aunts and uncles by their first names. Once invited to do so, they’ve usually called family friend by first names. The same with friends parents - Mrs Smith until invited to use first name.

In the 70s I called my parents friends "Auntie" & "Uncle", also the neighbours, close friends parents etc (for example ones I went on holiday with). My children have never done this. I don't know why, it just hasn't been a thing.

Yes, I had Aunties that weren't actually.

Middle class upbringing.

I think it's less common now than it was. But I'm Aunty to my god children's children who are small & close friends children - now they're getting older though, it's more often 'shortie' though 🤣.

Growing up I knew they weren't actually Aunties, but I loved them just the same & they were a big part of my life.

I think it's nice.

Yes, but it is also a cultural Indian thing. My grandma's cousins we called Aunty Firstname as it was respectful not to call an older adult by their first name.

It's still a thing, my mum's much younger Indian cousins visited a few years ago. They called me and DBro by our first names, but mum - their actual cousin - Aunty (we thought that was hilarious 🤣).

My children call my best friends Aunty and vice versa. They’re my childhood best friends and we all grew up calling our mum’s closest friends aunty too.

Its still going strong in Asia. The offspring of Asian friends call me auntie. I don't like it much but recognise that this is what they have been taught.

Im foreign all female family and friends are auntie and all male are uncle regardless.

Except grandparents they get called by gran/garanddad ect but they are also called that by everyone.

I Loathe & Detest JUST being called 'Aunty' though. I'd rather be called Witches than Aunty. But do love being called Aunty Witches.

Oh & some other friends kids call me another Nick name which I'm happy with (bit like Samantha being called SamSam)

Was that middle class? My mother used to look down on it a bit I think.

My DC have no aunties, real or fake :-(

I didn’t have this as a child, but am honoured to be Auntie to various small people now, especially as I am not and won’t ever be a mum or an actual auntie.

South Africans do this. It's just a bit more respectful for kids to use Aunty X and Uncle Y as opposed to first names for adults.

I had loads of non-related aunties and uncles.

Ds has a couple.

I get called auntie by ds2's Sikh friends.

Doesn't everyone have aunties that aren't there real aunties just there mums mates who she goes to bingo with

@LemonRoses

I think auntie is a horrible word. Ours call their aunts and uncles by their first names. Once invited to do so, they’ve usually called family friend by first names. The same with friends parents - Mrs Smith until invited to use first name.

How do the uncles and aunts feel about this? My niece doesn't call me aunt (her parents choice not mine) and it makes me feel sad and rejected as though I am just a random adult to her, no special family connection. I think it's fine if the aunt/uncle themselves choose to reject the title but it should be the aunt/uncles choice what they they are called.

I never had any 'Aunties' that weren't blood related but my best friends kids refer to me as Aunty... makes me a bit comfortable to be honest, not sure why.

God no this is just annoying. My Aunty (actual Aunty) would try to get us to call people Aunty just because she had called them Aunty as a child or because they were older than about 40.... It's just confusing for children and if its about being polite Mrs and Mr whatever is less annoying than having 102 Auntys and Uncles everywhere. I had friends at school in the 00s and 10s that didn't call their actual Auntys and Uncle that and just used first names so its become less common but there are still people who do it.

UNcomfortable*