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?

Neices for goodness sake ( she's got a spectacular set of kitchen knives!)

I didn't have any non related aunties/uncles when I was a kid but my dd calls a few of my friends auntie. But my actual niece and nephew refer to me as my name (but with a y on the end so it's kind of turned into a nickname/'term of endearment' sounding name)

I remember it well. All down to bring respectful. Im 46 and still see mum’s friends and call them aunty,

I grew up in a very upper middle class family and we had 2 women who were in no way related to us who we called aunt/aunty

Have half a dozen kids (late 20s) all call me aunty even tho I'm just best friends with their mums. It's a northern thing

I have one close family friend who is Aunty (name), I grew up calling her this in the 80s and have never stopped. She remains a close family friend, bow in her 80s, and my children also call her Aunty (name). I’ve asked her about it on occasion over the years and she assures me she loves it which is good as I’d find it hard to call her anything else now!

All the neighbours were aunty or uncle in the 70s. Have fond memories of Aunty Sheila and Uncle Dennis - no relation

1970’s child born in naice cul de sac in naice town.
Called all the adult neighbours aunty or uncle!

Can’t imagine children doing that now!

We never did as children. Only aunts were auntie - otherwise they were Mrs So and so.

In some cultures it’s usual for adults to address other adults as uncle, auntie, grandfather, sister etc. if they don’t know their name. When I worked in the Middle East I was often addressed as ‘sister’ - which I thought very nice.
They’d call me ‘granny’ now. 😄

I never called any one auntie specifically, but grouped my mothers friends as "the aunties" as in "I'm seeing my auntie on Saturday." Or "I'm going to my auntie's for tea tonight." That was simpler for me to explain to friends or school etc. Instead of "I'm going to my mam's friend Julie's for my tea."

However my partner has a myriad of "Aunties" and I am "Auntie Shop" to my friends children.

Both of us come from working class background, but he and my friends are Northern and I am Welsh.

No have enough aunts and uncles so don't need to add extra
Understand in some cultures it is norm though

I suspect it has become less common as we’ve got more used to kids calling adults by their first names. I was a very late baby born into my generation and had to call various people Aunty and Uncle who were really first cousins.

An older lady from church took me under her wing when I had my babies and my mum was already compromised by dementia. They have grown up calling her Auntie Jenny. She is wonderful.

Yes I had Aunties who were not my Aunty. But were close family friends who were at least in their 60's.

I think it was out of respect really.

My dc dont have 'Aunties', we call them by their first name. In fact I get called by my first name by my nieces and nephews. I am ok with this.

I had an uncle and aunt who where my god parents. I had an Aunty who was married to my grandfather. I have an Aunty now who is my MILs best friend and the whole family call her Aunty.
My actual aunts, well one was called by her first name and the other has the same name as me, so I was little Stanford and she was big Stanford.

There is a lady I know who has a huge number of grandchildren. I’ve been teaching at the same school for 15 years and every year I have taught one of her grandchildren. I call her nanny Firstname!

All other adults were Mr or Mrs. I can’t cope these days when children call their friend’s mum by their first names. Even the people next door were Mr and Mrs.
White upper working class.

1940s South London ........Auntie Vera and Auntie Gladys, mother's school friends. I also had 'real' aunties; Mother and Father's sisters.

Calling adults by first names considered rude until well into the 1990s perhaps even 2000s. Cant quite think when I stopped thinking this.
Yes aunty/uncle common in 70s and 80s. (And before...my parents had friends of family they still called aunty and uncle when they were in their 50s and said aunty n uncle were aged 80s and the year was 2005!)
Also never calling any adults by their first name. School friends parents were always addressed as Mrs Whatever. No one ever said 'just call me Sue'. I was at 6th form before I was told to address an adult by their first name.. felt weird and daring.... and it was only in the art department we did that. My own parents also used to refer to neighbours by there surnames... e.g Mr Smith at 29 or the Watson's at number 8 and they were people same age. I don't even know my neighbours surnames! First names all round...
I call our CEO by his first name. My grandfather worked in a shop for 30 years with same 2 other people and the day he retired he still called the manager Mr Jones... this was in the 80s. They weren't on first name terms...
Glad it's changed... I hate being called Mrs Curtains.. But if I ask friends of dc to call me by first name I notice they do struggle a bit and revert to 'Curtainsdc's mum'

My neighbours are Asian and their kids call me Auntie. I think its so sweet and respectful, I've tried to get my kids to do the same back to the ground ups but they won't

None of the real Aunty and Uncles want to be called that now though!

Child of the 80s here I had an Auntie and an Uncle (married to each other) who weren't actual Auntie and Uncle my kids just call my friends by their first names.

When I was a kid (mid 90s) I remember men would call any older lady mum but that has gone now. As in "come on mum, let me help you onto the bus". Working class, East End of London.

I grew up with lots of non relative aunties. Figured it was a cultural thing as it was mostly on my Jamaican side.

Now, I'm funny about using it. My friends who have been friends for decades are Auntie XYZ, but I get funny if DC get introduced to my DBIL's or DB's girlfriends with a "say hello to Auntie so and so". Fine if married but not until then.

We used auntie and uncle for family friends as children. Working class. I plan for DS to do the same too, I love it

*aunty - maybe, not sure!

I did as a child - and I grew up in a working class area. I still call the mothers of my Asian friends 'Auntie', it would be considered wry disrespectful not to do so.