Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What do you call your grandmother?

143 replies

JoanThursday1972 · 31/03/2023 17:15

I'm using the 'correct' term there, which I don't use, but the reason for asking this is I have heard of her being called "mamar" (not sure of spelling) and I've never heard it. Is it a regional thing?

OP posts:
Marsyas · 31/03/2023 19:30

Nana Surname and Nana MumsMaidenname when talking about them and just nana when talking to them.
My kids have nanny and gran.

flapjackfairy · 31/03/2023 19:33

I had a lovely gran when I was a child and I miss her still so I chose to be gran myself a year ago when my darling grandson was born.
My own mother thinks it is old fashioned and was always Nanny ( though she was only 38 when she became a grandmother so fair enough ) but I feel sentimental about the name so I am.sticking to it.

Diversion · 31/03/2023 19:35

My Grandmother was Grandma and then Granny, my MIL is Nanny and my Mum was Granny. I am also Granny although I am my Grand dogs Nana. I would love for my grandchildren to come up with something original to call me

Gunpowder · 31/03/2023 19:36

JumpToRecipe · 31/03/2023 19:22

It’s partly regional, partly demographic. I remember a GCSE unseen extract causing absolute chaos in one school where I worked because it featured a ‘nanny’ and understanding the piece hinged on the understanding that this meant paid childcare. The students all thought it meant a grandmother and completely misinterpreted the text.

I only knew one grandmother and called her Grandma. DH had a Nan and I remember MIL telling me that although she loved the woman, ‘Nan’ set her teeth on edge but was long established by multiple grandchildren by the time DH and BIL came along. Both MIL and my DM preferred Grandma so the DC call them Grandma Firstname to distinguish them from each other.

Oh no Jump! what happened to their marks? - was there an appeal?

I called my grandmothers by their pet names/abbreviations of their first names.

MarshaMelrose · 31/03/2023 19:37

My paternal grandparents were grandma and grandad.
My maternal grandparents were granny and grandpa.
The four names meant they could be distinguished.

Nellieinthebarn · 31/03/2023 19:37

I had a Nan, my mum is Grandma which has morphed into G-ma, and I am now a Nanny.

NewYearNewUsername23 · 31/03/2023 19:38

Granny and Nanny. As I got older Granny pretty permanently became Gran. I used Nanny and Nan as an adult, Nanny more constantly now she’s gone.

RotundRuby · 31/03/2023 19:41

Nan, Nanny and for my great Nan it was Nanny first name.

I'm from London and was told Granny/Grandma was a northern thing (by northern people) as everyone I knew and grew up with used Nan or Nanny. We are very common though 😉

sanityisamyth · 31/03/2023 19:45

Granny. My dad likes DS calling him Granfer thought which I'd not heard of. It is a tradition in his family though.

FlutterbButterfly · 31/03/2023 19:54

All but one grandparent was dead by the time I was born, she was Grandma.

My lovely mum was Nanna to my children, DHs mum is - Dad's mum- take what you like from that 😬

ShannonMcFarland · 31/03/2023 20:01

JoanThursday1972 · 31/03/2023 17:15

I'm using the 'correct' term there, which I don't use, but the reason for asking this is I have heard of her being called "mamar" (not sure of spelling) and I've never heard it. Is it a regional thing?

"Mamar" is very specific to the Erewash area on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border. The dialect is an acquired taste for sure.

Fantapops · 31/03/2023 20:02

Mam gu

hippygirllucky · 31/03/2023 20:03

Oma.

avocadotofu · 31/03/2023 20:04

I called my dad's mum grandma and my mum's mum Oma (a German version of granny).

bcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyza · 31/03/2023 20:05

Tunnel granny and tunnel grandpa (my parents) cat granny (MIL)
Other grandpa (FIL)

Iamacatslave · 31/03/2023 20:06

A much loved and missed Nanny ❤️

Samsonsmum · 31/03/2023 20:07

Anything you like. She's deaf so can't hear you anyway

fairtrauchled · 31/03/2023 20:08

I had a Gran and a Grandma.
My DC had a Nana and a Grandma
I'm a Grandma

StaceySolomonSwash · 31/03/2023 20:08

Never knew my paternal grandparents (my grandfather died the actual day I was born) and my maternal grandparents were Nanny and Grandad. Nan as we got older.

Grandad's been gone 35 years, Nan 27 and I still miss them both dearly.

EmotionalSupportWyrm · 31/03/2023 20:09

I had two grandma's - distinguished by surname so Grandma Smith and Grandma Jones. My DC had a Gran and a Grandma

Sausagerolex · 31/03/2023 20:11

Nonna and Grangee

ContadoraExplorer · 31/03/2023 20:11

Gran for my parents' mothers and granny for my great grandmothers. If talking to someone about them it would be Gran or Granny then their surname.

polkadotpixie · 31/03/2023 20:19

I had a Mammar (pronounced Mommar) and a Grandma, both now dead. I grew up in Leicester

DS has a Grandma (my DM) and DH's Mum was Nanna (also now dead)

Quent · 31/03/2023 20:41

Yeah, I had a few friends who called their grandmothers 'mamar' growing up (East mids), but I've never heard it anywhere else.

MosquitoBuffet · 31/03/2023 20:42

Mamgu. But I'm Welsh.

Swipe left for the next trending thread