Why does MIL insists on being called "Nan"?

[HoppityBunny]

She feels very strongly and defensive about it being called Nan not Grandma to the point I feel she would be prepared have a show down and debate about it in front of my 3 children! So I always duly remembered to refer her as 'Nan' or 'Nanna' to my children. This puzzles me why does my MIL feels so strongly about it? Is Nan a more prestige title than Grandma? In fact I thought MIL was rather rude to insist being called that, cos my mother died a year before my 1st baby was born. I felt she wasn't respecting my mother. Isn't the word 'Nan' is for mother's side of the family? My MIL has 12 grandchildren, a half of them by her sons, and she still strongly insists she's labelled "Nan" by all of them and is prepared to fight for the title??! Which is utterly daft and I also think she's a bit of a bully don't you? I have had always called my mother's mother's grandma and I am happy to be called grandma or whatever by my future grandchildren when I am old!

I do like a Zombie thread!

How strange that such an old thread has come back up.

I had literally no idea that people got worked up over this.

My family its Granny no matter which 'side' its on. Or Gran as you get older but no-one cares and we're in Scotland and Northern England.

DH its Nana, again on both sides but his family are from the North of England.

We've always assumed when we have children that his side will have Nana's and my side will have Granny's. Made complicated by extra step relations and a generation of our grandparents very much alive and kicking. They'll have about six Nana/Grannys probably.

I think old threads come back up because of people correctly using the search facility

you know, the one that newbies get told off for not using if they post to ask a question that's been asked before?

...

just sayin'

Quite, Ponders!! So I (not a newbie but nc) can now add my 2p-worth without being the actual zombie awakener...

My parents: Grannie and Grandad. Although my mum signs it Granny

DH parents: Grandma and Grandpa (I decided this to differentiate) although FIL had made a weird bid to be called 'Gramps' when DS either still in utero or too young to be contracting familiar words.

My GPs were subtly different for thankyou letter writing - Grannie and Granddad (paternal) and Granny and Grandad (maternal, still very much alive and completely besotted with their GGS). To my DS they are GREAT grannie and GREAT grandad (with reverential emphasis on the Gt). When young I referred to them as Big G&G and Little G&G, which might be to do with build rather than height, but it is now difficult to recall.

So I suppose I did use the fact that DS was PFB on both sides to get my choice of GP monikers. My parents got the name I was used to, ILs got something else. I would expect this to be fairly normal - as long as not done in spite, can't see an issue.

My parents are Granny M and Poppa

MIL is Nana

FIL and his new wife are Grandad and O (her name)

Out of interest I called none of my grandparents any of the usual granny/nana/grandad variations... All had weird-arsed nicknames specific to our family.

We ave so very many grandparents for our ds's that they all have different 'names'. There is oopa (Dutch)' Nonna(Italian)' Muddie (made up?), Granny, great grandma, Nanny, grandad, etc. all chose their own!

Nan/nanny is a servant for the middle and upper classes.

Both my grandmothers were Nan. One in the UK the other in South Africa. The latter was called Nan by all my S African cousins.

Nan was also popular at one time as a name ( nn for Anne?), as well as the job role of nanny. My nannies (employees) caused confusion for my children's classmates on a few occasions, for those who called their grandparents nanny, and could not understand why ours was so young and theirs so old.

Both my DM and MIL are referred to as Nanny as they feel Grandma is for old ladies and they don't want to be old . My DM is from a middle class back ground and MIL is working class.

I can't see it is a big deal- just let them choose.

My PILs were called by their first names by their other grandchildren. When DD1 was born I persuaded DH that they needed to have a title. So we sat them down and offered them alternatives. MIL is south american so wanted to be called Abuelita and FIL chose Grandpa, I think he thought Grandad was common which i'd never come across. Of course my nieces now call their grandparents abuelita and grandpa as well. Everyone is happy.

Puppymonkey ~ I'm originally from Notts too and absolutely hate mam mmar, nan nnar. I'm going to be a granny [in July] and daughter's partner's mum will be nanny (she already has 3 dgc so obviously wants to be called the same by all but this is my first].

My mum is vair middle class and she's Nana.
We are northern though. Hmm.

I've always thought it was a class thing too to be honest.

both of my grandmothers were Nana to me

I never knew of any rules.

When DS was born I asked what MIL wanted to be called and she said Nanny, so that was that. If my DM was still alive she would have used the same. I guess we would have differentiated by adding their first name onto the end (e.g. "Nanny Eileen").

I am definitely mum not mom, and I'd fight over that too TBH.