Anyone else's Grandma....

[me4real]

I happened to see this mentioned somewhere presumably as a joke, but my nan insisted on being called Grandma, as she said nan was a goat etc etc.

I hadn't heard the above reason until my uncle mentioned it a while back. Also presumably she thought it common.

I always thought it was sooo formal - quasi-Victorian, although she will've been born in about 1915 or something. She died in the early 90s. I don't recall ever challenging the status quo.

She wasn't well off financially or anything.

Anyone else?

Always called my grandmother Nan, my mum wanted to be called nan/nanny by my kids - bit mother-in-law is called Grandma.

When it comes to my turn I quite like nana 🤷🏻‍♀️

We’ve always used grandma in this house. Much prefer it to nanny.

I called both Grandmothers Nanny, DH called his Nanan.

I prefer grandma. I was 45 when I became one but I hate 'nan', 'nana' and 'nanny' (depsite using 'nana' for my own grandmothers) I couldn't be more working class

Mine were Grannie and Nanna. My kids have Grandma and Gran. I like to have different names for everyone. It makes life easier

I had two Grandmas and a Granny, all very working class- don’t think Grandma is posh or old fashioned at all.

My mum is a Granny, I quite fancy being a Nana just to mix things up a bit.

Count yourself lucky, mine insisted on being called Grandmother!

She was actually a very warm and generous person. She was just very posh and had strict ideas about titles.

My other grandmother was a Gran. I don’t know anyone who had Nans / Nanas - Gran and Granny was much more common when I was growing up. It may be a regional thing (I’m in Scotland).

(That should say were, not was!)

Both my grans were alive when my niece was born so to distinguish between her grans my mum asked to be called grandma, so my 2 have followed suit.

They have a granny(my gran) , a gran (mil) and grandma(my mum)

Works well for us.

I had never heard of Nan or nanny until
In my late teens.
I think of it as someone who you pay for childcare for or a goat.

It's interesting that there are names very similar to Nana in other countries, Nonna in Italy, Nanni in India, Nain in Wales, and probably more!

I haven't heard that reason but have had "nannies are paid childcare" as the reason for Grandma over Nanny.

I call my grandparents grandma and grandad. I think it's regional, but I've always felt nan sounds unpleasant, like it's not a proper word.

In our family it’s grandma ( and grandad)

I had Grandmas. I think the word Nan sounds hard, so when my time comes, I’d like to be Grandma too.

My children had a Scottish granny and an English nana. My grandchildren have the same. I couldn’t be anything but granny or gran.

I had a Kiwi Grandmother and a British Nana.
I am determined to be Grandma and nothing else.

My nana was a working class Cockney and she also said Nanny was a goat. She was nana surname, and my other grandmother was also nana surname.
Weirdly my mum, daughter of “don’t call me nanny that’s a goat” nana, has chosen to be called Nanny. So my kids have nanny and gran.

I’m N.Irish so I’ve always used the word Granny. Now I live in England and my MIL announced when I was pregnant that she would be Grandma. I personally think it sounds ugly - like an ancient lady in a rocking chair - but we just went along with it to keep her happy. MIL is definitely a bit of a snob too.

It was always grandma in my family. Born in 1914 & 1915.

Both of mine were Gran Surname. I'm in Scotland.

I think it is regional, always Granny in my Scottish family. I also have a vague memory of reading it is/ was Class related, ie Nana was more Working Class. I suppose it would sound odd if the Queen was referred to as Nana. I do remember a programme years ago where you could hear her being called Granny by the Grandchildren.

@Finknottlesnewt

In Southern England it has historically been very easy to see what 'class' someone comes from by the use of certain words. Female Grandparent is one of these. Nan /Nanny - working class (code for perceived lower class)

Grandma - Middle class.

Granny. - Upper class/Aristocracy

Nanny - A woman paid to care for children in the private home.

Other similar ' class identifiers' are the use of Dinner /Tea in place of Lunch/Dinner. Serviette/Napkin. Sitting room/Lounge. Settee/Sofa. (hundreds more..)

Obviously time has moved on and lines have thankfully blurred - but those are the origins.

This. @Finknottlesnewt has reflected how I grew up. I had a grandma and a granny though so somewhat mixed but Nan/nanny was definitely seen as ‘common’. My mother did also concern herself on the settee/sofa thing etc too.

What I have learnt in life though is that properly ‘posh’ people don’t give a toss what people think and just get on with it, it’s the aspirational ‘middle class’ who occupy themselves with these things.

That said, I still can’t stand nanna or nanny.

My mum wanted to be Grandma. Her mum was Grandma. I’d have preferred MIL also to be grandma but we gave her the choice and she wanted Granny, which I don’t particularly like, but it does mean we don’t get confused with who is who. We have Granda and late FIL was Grandad. I just think Granny and Grandad sounds old.

I wonder why this elicits such extraordinarily strong feelings and opinions. Do people feel as strongly about grandfather names?