What do children call their grandparents?

[Dalooah]

What do your children call your parents/partners parents? Why?

I don't understand why people call their grandmas 'nanny'? Is it something cultural I don't understand?

We've got specific and different words for each maternal grandparent and paternal grandparent that is derived from the language of the culture.

But as far as I know, this doesn't exist in the English language? Can someone explain and/or share the different things kids call their grandprents?

I don’t like Nanny. It’s not something by family uses.
We have Grandma and Grandad/Grandpa

I don’t mind Granny, but my mum hates it. So it’s Grandma.

No cultural specifics in English I don't think, usually grandparents choose the name they want to to be known as, e.g. Gran/Granny/Grandma Nan/Nanny/Nana etc.

Nanna and Grandad. My DS only has one set of grandparents (my mum and stepdad).

My mum did not want to be called Grandma/Granny as she thinks they sound old. She was 44 when DS was born and my stepdad was 40.

Grandma and grandad but nan, nanna, gran, granny are all used in this country. It’s just the persons preference

Mine had grandma and grandad, a great grandma and a grandmother who had an affectionate nickname.

We let our parents/step parents choose what they’d be called. It worked out that the grandmothers wanted different names anyway. The grandfathers wanted the same, so we differentiate another way. We have Gran, Grandma, Nanny and a collection of Grandad’s.
I was never keen on Nanny either, but it was mil’s preference. It’s her name not mine. Dc is four now, and I can’t imagine her being called anything else.

One is granny, one is nanny. The grandads are Grandad xx and Grandad xx.

When I had grandparents they were Granny surname and granny surname.

Mine have Granny, Grandad, Nanny, Grampy. Then Granny X and Nanny X (their names rather than X of course, they're step grandmothers.) And a step Grandfather that they just call by his name.

DH and I are granny and grandad to the DGC.

It is 'cultural' in that some regions and/or classes seem to have preferences for some names over others, but it isn't in any way universal even within that as far as I can see.

Hi @Dalooah

What you’re describing are the words that come from English culture though.

Grandmother / grandma / gran / granny / nanny / Nan / nana all essentially mean the same thing, just depends on personal preference.

There are also colloquial versions depending on your background and the part of the U.K. you grew up in. Eh grandad vs da vs pa, or grammy,

And Americans say things like “me-maw” for grandma which are English words but I can’t speak for/to them culturally.

Which linguistic culture are you from and what do you call your grandparents?

My parents are granny and grandad. MIL is nana which is the name she chose for herself when her first grandchild was born. She called her grandmothers' nana so that's probably why.

Nanny and Grampa -can't imagine using Granny or grandma!

It’s not a culture thing but is probably a class thing.

My children call my mum ‘ nanny around the corner’ because that’s where she lives.

Where as DH parents are ‘nanny grandad’.

My mother is Nan(Nanny when littlies)her partner is Grumpy when great grandparents were alive they were Grandma and grandad (Nan and Grancha to me) this is in Wales.

There are regional variants that it would be hard to get to the bottom of.
I'm pretty glad that I moved away from where I grew up, where many grandmothers are called Nannaah. I have an unreasonable hatred of it!

I'm grandma. I'm not keen on it, but I don't like any of the options very much, and chose it as the least bad. I hope that my DGD will some up with something cute when she starts to talk!

My parents are Nanny and Grandad, nanny just because that’s what we’ve always had and I guess you replicate your own experience? Grandad as he didn’t like the fact Gramps sounded like Grumps (my dad is definitely a grumpy sod…)

Other side is Grammy and DH’s late dad is referred to as Grandpa.

My DC have a granny, nanna & nanan.

They also have gogar (One of DDs first words which stuck , grandpa & grandad

Gran and Papa here. In all honestly they were easier to say and spell.

All four of DS' grandparents have entirely made up names (albeit somewhat based on variations of Grandma / Nanny / Grandpa etc). I can never remember what they all are so goodness only knows how DS will remember in due course!

Nan and Pap (Nanny and Pappy) are regional terms.

I had a nan and pap
Grandma and grandpa

Dd has a nan and pap
Granny and grandad

If I'm lucky enough be be a grandparent, I will be grandma. Exdh and his wife will choose nan and pap and I want to be something different

Thing is, there isn't a single 'thing' or word(s) that all British children use, there are regional and class based variations as well as personal preferences. Nan/Nanny/Nana for example are to some extent a Northern and to some extent a working class thing (starts class war).

Granny and Grandad would be perhaps the most generic term for grandmother/father but lots of people use gramps or gran or pop or poppa or other words as well...

There are lots of different words for grandparents, some cultural, some specific to certain areas.

Some people live in such a bubble ignorant to anything that’s not their norm, you don’t need to “understand” everything.

Nanna and grandad here for my kids, just like I called my grandparents. My great grandmother was grandma though

I had Grandma and Grandad and Nannie and Gramps.

My dc have
Grandma and Grandpa
Nana and Grandad.
Gran and

Grandad.
Great Grandad.
Great Nannie
And Grandpa's Mum