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Grandma names: 190+ cute grandma nicknames from around the world

190 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

The most popular grandma names are Grandma, Nana and Granny, but families also use names from their heritage, like Oma (German), Nonna (Italian) and Lola (Tagalog). Cute grandma nicknames such as Gigi, Mimi and Lolly are often family-made; Gigi and Gaga can start as a toddler's first try at saying Grandma.

Below are 190+ different names for grandma that grandchildren call their grandmothers. The first sections cover classic English names, Southern favorites, family-made nicknames and funny ones, clearly labeled, plus names for great-grandmas. The rest are real words for grandmother in other languages, with the language each comes from and a simple pronunciation where it helps.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Avó

    Portuguese for grandma. Say ah-VAW

  • Ayeeyo

    Somali for grandma. Say ah-YAY-yoh

  • Kupuna Wahine

    Hawaiian, literally grandparent woman

  • Yiayia

    Greek for grandma. Say yah-YAH

  • Grandma

    The most common choice in the US

  • Obaachan

    Japanese, affectionate. Say oh-BAH-chahn

Find a grandma name on this page

Narrow 190 names by section, length or first letter, or search the notes.

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Classic grandma names

The traditional English names for a grandmother, from formal to cozy.

  1. Grandma: The most common choice in the US
  2. Grandmother: Formal and dignified; often used in writing
  3. Granny: Warm and homey, a centuries-old favorite
  4. Gran: Short and brisk; Scotland's top grandma name in a 2024 poll
  5. Grandmama: Old-fashioned and a little grand
  6. Grammy: Soft, sweet and widely loved
  7. Gram: One syllable, all warmth
  8. Grams: A breezy, modern twist on the classic
  9. Gramma: Spelled the way little kids say it
  10. Grandmom: A friendly blend of Grandma and Mom
  11. Grandmum: The British spelling of Grandmom
  12. Nana: A top US pick; also Akan for grandparent. In Hindi and Urdu, nana means mother's father
  13. Nanna: A spelling common in Australia and Britain
  14. Nan: Britain's most-used grandma name in a 2022 poll
  15. Nanny: A British and Irish favorite
  16. Granny Annie: Classic pattern: Granny plus her first name

Southern and regional grandma names

Names from the American South, Appalachia and the Mid-Atlantic.

  1. Meemaw: A Southern and Texan classic
  2. Mamaw: Common in Appalachia, the South and the Ohio Valley
  3. Mawmaw: Another Southern spelling of the same name
  4. Memaw: Another Southern spelling, often said MEE-maw
  5. Mom-Mom: Common around Philadelphia and Delaware
  6. Mammaw: Another Appalachian spelling, said MAM-maw
  7. Granny Mae: Southern style: Granny plus a middle name
  8. Mama Jean: Mama plus her first name, a Southern custom
  9. Grandmaw: Old-time country spelling of Grandma
  10. Grandmommy: A sweet, drawn-out Southern version

Cute grandma nicknames (family-made)

Mostly nicknames families make up, often from a toddler's first try at a word. A few, like Mamie, are also real words.

  1. Gigi: Two G sounds for Grandma; sometimes Glam Grandma
  2. Mimi: One of the most popular modern grandma nicknames
  3. Lolly: Sweet, silly and impossible to say crossly
  4. Lala: A toddler's favorite to pronounce
  5. Gaga: Often a baby's first try at Grandma
  6. Nonnie: A soft cousin of Nonna and Nana
  7. Mamie: Also French for grandma
  8. Coco: Chic, playful and easy to say
  9. Dee Dee: Great for a grandma whose name starts with D
  10. Kiki: Bright, bubbly and short
  11. Honey: For the sweetest grandma in the family
  12. Sugar: A Southern term of endearment turned name
  13. Lovey: Cuddly, cozy and old-fashioned
  14. Birdie: For a grandma who loves her garden feeder
  15. Sunny: For an always-cheerful grandma
  16. Goldie: For a grandma with a heart of gold
  17. Bunny: Soft, cute and a little vintage
  18. Mimsy: A whimsical spin on Mimi
  19. Jojo: Bouncy and fun for a young-at-heart grandma
  20. Nini: Short, sweet and easy for babies
  21. Momo: Easy for the littlest grandkids to say
  22. Gammy: A baby-talk Grammy; in Britain, gammy also means lame
  23. Gram-Gram: Twice the warmth of plain Gram
  24. Nan-Nan: A doubled version of Nan
  25. Mumsie: A British pet word for mum; mumsy can also mean frumpy

Funny and glam grandma nicknames (invented)

Playful, made-up nicknames for grandmas with a sense of humor. Not traditional terms.

  1. Glamma: Glamorous plus grandma, for a grandma in heels
  2. Glam-Ma: The hyphenated, extra-fabulous version
  3. Grandmaster: For a grandma who always wins at cards
  4. Nana Banana: Rhymes, so toddlers love it
  5. Granny Smith: For a grandma who bakes apple pie
  6. Gram Cracker: A snack-time pun for a sweet grandma
  7. Super Gran: For the grandma who does it all
  8. Queen Bee: For the head of the family hive
  9. Nana Llama: A rhyme for an animal-loving grandma
  10. G-Ma: Short and a little bit cool
  11. Mimi Bear: For the best hugger
  12. Honey Bun: Sweet as her cinnamon rolls
  13. Lady G: For an elegant grandma
  14. Grandma Goose: For the storyteller of the family

Great-grandma names

Different names for grandma's own mother, from English nicknames to real words in other languages.

  1. Great-Grandma: The clear, classic title for the family's eldest generation
  2. Great-Gran: Short and brisk, with a British feel
  3. Great-Nana: Perfect when the family already has a Nana
  4. Great-Mimi: For a great-grandma who was Mimi to her own grandkids
  5. Grandma Great: A playful flip that puts the familiar name first
  6. Nana Great: The same flip for a family of Nanas
  7. Granny Great: Folksy and warm, with a nod to a long life
  8. Uroma: Informal German for great-grandma. Say OOR-oh-mah
  9. Urgroßmutter: Formal German for great-grandmother
  10. Bisabuela: Spanish for great-grandmother. Say bees-ah-BWAY-lah
  11. Bisnonna: Italian for great-grandmother. Say beez-NOHN-nah
  12. Arrière-grand-mère: Formal French for great-grandmother
  13. Bisavó: Portuguese for great-grandmother. Say beez-ah-VAW
  14. Overgrootmoeder: The standard Dutch word for great-grandmother
  15. Prababcia: Polish for great-grandma. Say prah-BAHB-chah
  16. Prababushka: Russian for great-grandma. Say prah-BAH-boosh-kah
  17. Prababička: Czech for great-grandma. Say PRAH-bah-beech-kah
  18. Oldemor: Norwegian and Danish for great-grandmother
  19. Hii-obaachan: Japanese, affectionate. Say hee-oh-BAH-chahn

Grandma names from Western Europe

Real words for grandmother in German, Dutch, French, Breton, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan and Basque.

  1. Oma: German and Dutch. Say OH-mah
  2. Großmutter: Formal German. Say GROHS-moo-ter
  3. Grootmoeder: Formal Dutch. Say GROHT-moo-der
  4. Opoe: Cozy Dutch, used more in the Netherlands than in Belgium; the oe sounds like oo
  5. Grand-mère: Formal French. Say grahn-MAIR
  6. Mémé: Cozy French. Say may-MAY
  7. Grand-maman: Used in Quebec and France
  8. Mémère: North American French, from Quebec to Louisiana
  9. Bonne-maman: Old-fashioned French, literally good mama
  10. Nonna: Italian for grandma. Say NOHN-nah
  11. Nonnina: Italian for little grandma
  12. Abuela: Spanish for grandma. Say ah-BWAY-lah
  13. Abuelita: Spanish for little grandma
  14. Yaya: Informal Spanish, common in Spain; in the Philippines, yaya means nanny
  15. Àvia: Catalan for grandma. Say AH-vee-ah
  16. Iaia: Informal Catalan. Say YAI-ah
  17. Avó: Portuguese for grandma. Say ah-VAW
  18. Vovó: Brazilian Portuguese. Say voh-VAW
  19. Vó: Short, informal Portuguese for grandma
  20. Amona: Basque for grandma. Say ah-MOH-nah
  21. Amama: Also Basque, common in the Basque Country
  22. Mamm-gozh: Breton, from Brittany in France

Grandma names from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Europe

Celtic, Scandinavian, Finnish and Baltic words for grandmother.

  1. Mamó: Irish for grandma. Say MAH-moh
  2. Seanmháthair: Formal Irish, literally old mother
  3. Nain: Welsh, used in North Wales. Say NINE
  4. Mam-gu: Welsh, used in South Wales. Say mam-GEE
  5. Seanmhair: Scottish Gaelic, literally old mother
  6. Mormor: Swedish, Danish and Norwegian for mother's mother
  7. Farmor: Swedish, Danish and Norwegian for father's mother
  8. Bestemor: Norwegian, literally best mother
  9. Bedstemor: Danish, literally best mother
  10. Amma: Icelandic for grandma. Say AHM-mah
  11. Mummo: Finnish for grandma. Say MOOM-moh
  12. Mummi: A softer Finnish form
  13. Isoäiti: Formal Finnish, literally great mother
  14. Vanaema: Estonian, literally old mother
  15. Močiutė: Lithuanian word for a grandmother

Grandma names from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus

Slavic, Hungarian, Romanian, Albanian, Georgian and Armenian words for grandmother.

  1. Babushka: Russian for grandma. Say BAH-boosh-kah
  2. Babulya: Affectionate Russian. Say bah-BOO-lyah
  3. Babusya: Affectionate Ukrainian and Russian
  4. Baba: Bulgarian, and informal in many Slavic languages; it means dad in Turkish and Hindi
  5. Babcia: Polish for grandma. Say BAHB-chah
  6. Babunia: An affectionate Polish pet form
  7. Babička: Czech for grandma. Say BAH-beech-kah
  8. Baka: Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian; in Japanese, baka means fool
  9. Bunica: Romanian for grandma. Say boo-NEE-kah
  10. Nagymama: Hungarian for grandma. Say NAHJ-mah-mah
  11. Nagyi: Affectionate Hungarian. Say NAH-jee
  12. Gjyshe: Albanian; also a respectful word for older women
  13. Bebia: Georgian for grandma. Say BEH-bee-ah
  14. Tatik: Armenian for grandma. Say tah-TEEK

Greek, Middle Eastern and Jewish grandma names

Words for grandmother in Greek, Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Hebrew and Yiddish.

  1. Yiayia: Greek for grandma. Say yah-YAH
  2. Teta: Levantine and Egyptian Arabic; in Czech and Slovak, teta means aunt. Say TEH-tah
  3. Sitti: Levantine Arabic, literally my lady
  4. Jaddah: Standard Arabic, more formal
  5. Babaanne: Turkish for father's mother: baba plus anne
  6. Anneanne: Turkish for mother's mother: anne plus anne
  7. Nine: A warm, older Turkish word for grandma
  8. Maman Bozorg: Persian, literally great mom
  9. Madar Bozorg: Formal Persian, literally great mother
  10. Savta: Hebrew for grandma. Say SAHV-tah
  11. Bubbe: Yiddish for grandma. Say BUB-bee
  12. Bobe: Another Yiddish spelling. Say BUH-beh

South Asian grandma names

Many South Asian languages use different words for your mother's mother and your father's mother.

  1. Nani: Hindi and Urdu for mother's mother. Say NAH-nee
  2. Dadi: Hindi and Urdu for father's mother. Say DAH-dee
  3. Nanima: Nani with a loving ma added
  4. Dadima: Dadi with a loving ma added
  5. Ba: Gujarati; also an old word for mom
  6. Aaji: Marathi for grandma. Say AH-jee
  7. Ajji: Kannada for grandma. Say UJ-jee
  8. Paati: Tamil for grandma. Say PAH-tee
  9. Ammamma: Telugu for mother's mother. Say um-MUM-mah
  10. Nanamma: Telugu for father's mother
  11. Thakuma: Bengali for father's mother, common in West Bengal
  12. Didima: Bengali for mother's mother
  13. Aachchi: Sinhala, from Sri Lanka
  14. Hajurama: Nepali, a respectful word for grandma

East and Southeast Asian grandma names

Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino and Indonesian words for grandmother.

  1. Nainai: Mandarin for father's mother. Say NYE-nye
  2. Laolao: Northern Mandarin for mother's mother
  3. Waipo: Mandarin for mother's mother. Say WHY-poh
  4. Popo: Cantonese for mother's mother
  5. Mah Mah: Cantonese for father's mother
  6. Ah Ma: Hokkien, widely used in Taiwan and Singapore
  7. Obaachan: Japanese, affectionate. Say oh-BAH-chahn
  8. Obaasan: Polite Japanese, also for any older woman
  9. Baachan: Japanese, casual and cozy
  10. Sobo: Formal Japanese, used when talking about her
  11. Halmeoni: Korean for grandma. Say HAHL-muh-nee
  12. Oehalmeoni: Korean for mother's mother
  13. Bà Nội: Vietnamese for father's mother
  14. Bà Ngoại: Vietnamese for mother's mother
  15. Ya: Thai for father's mother
  16. Yai: Thai for mother's mother
  17. Lola: Tagalog and Filipino. Say LOH-lah
  18. Nenek: Indonesian and Malay. Say neh-NEK
  19. Eyang Putri: Javanese for grandma, from Indonesia

African, Hawaiian and Pacific grandma names

Words for grandmother from across Africa, Hawaii and New Zealand.

  1. Ouma: Afrikaans for grandma. Say OH-mah
  2. Gogo: Zulu, said with the prefix u-
  3. Makhulu: Xhosa, said with the prefix u-
  4. Nkgono: Sesotho for grandma. Say n-KHOH-noh
  5. Bibi: Swahili for grandma. Say BEE-bee
  6. Kaka: Hausa, for a grandparent; it means brother in Swahili
  7. Ayeeyo: Somali for grandma. Say ah-YAY-yoh
  8. Tūtū: Hawaiian, for a grandparent. Say TOO-too
  9. Kupuna Wahine: Hawaiian, literally grandparent woman
  10. Kuia: Māori, for a grandmother or female elder

How to pick the right name

Let the grandchild decide

Many grandmas pick a name and then a toddler renames them. Gigi and Gaga often start as a baby's first try at Grandma. Be ready to answer to whatever sticks.

Honor your heritage

A word from your family's language, like Oma, Nonna, Lola or Bubbe, passes on a little culture every time a grandchild says it.

Avoid a name clash

If both grandmothers want Nana, one of them can add a first name (Nana Jean) or choose a different word. Languages with separate words for each side, like Nani and Dadi, solve this neatly.

Pick something easy to say

Short, repeated sounds like Mimi, Nana and Gigi are easiest for babies. You can always grow into Grandmother later.

Grandma names: 190 ideas from Nomezo

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Grandma names: what grandmothers are really called, words for each side of the family, and the ones that mean something else

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names

Polls agree on the favorites. In a 2018 Road Scholar poll of more than 750 US grandparents, Nana (11%) edged out Grandma (10%), ahead of Grammy, Mimi and Gigi. In Britain, Nan topped a 2022 poll of 2,000 adults, but Scotland prefers Gran and Northern Ireland Granny.

Many families need two names, one for each grandmother, and some languages already have a word for each side. The finder above narrows the names on this page by type, length and first letter, and the tables below flag the words that mean another relative somewhere else.

  1. Step 1See what others are calledNana, Grandma and Grammy lead US polls.
  2. Step 2Name both grandmothersNani and Dadi, Mormor and Farmor.
  3. Step 3Check other languagesBaba means dad in Turkish and Hindi.
  4. Step 4Narrow the listBy type, length or first letter.

What grandmothers are actually called

  • Regions differ. In a 2024 Legal & General poll of more than 2,000 UK adults, Gran led in Scotland (32%), Granny in Northern Ireland (48%) and Nan, Nanna or Nanny in Wales (21%) (Legal & General). In the 2022 poll, 65% of Liverpool grandmothers were Nan.
  • Why baby-talk names look alike. Mama, papa, baba and nana use the easiest sounds a baby can make, m, b, p and n with a, so unrelated languages arrive at similar words (Wikipedia).
Grandma names in two polls
US (Road Scholar, 2018)ShareUK (emporia, 2022)Share
Nana11%Nan33%
Grandma10%Grandma32%
Grammy7%Nana24%
Mimi6%Nanny22%
Gigi6%Granny14%

Sources: Road Scholar, more than 750 grandparents, August 2018; emporia poll of 2,000 British adults, reported by Who Do You Think You Are?. Polls by companies with self-selected samples are a rough guide, not an official count.

A word for each grandmother

Languages with separate words for your mother's mother and your father's mother
LanguageMother's motherFather's mother
SwedishMormorFarmor
Hindi and UrduNaniDadi
MandarinWaipo or LaolaoNainai
VietnameseBà NgoạiBà Nội
KoreanOehalmeoniHalmeoni

Source: Wiktionary: grandmother, translations. In Korean, halmeoni alone also means any grandmother.

Grandma words that mean something else

Words on this page with another meaning in another language
NameGrandma inBut also
NanaEnglish, AkanMother's father in Hindi and Urdu
BabaBulgarian, other Slavic languagesDad in Turkish, Persian, Hindi and Chinese
YayaInformal SpanishNanny in the Philippines
TetaArabicAunt in Czech and Slovak
KakaHausaBrother in Swahili
BakaCroatian, Serbian, BosnianFool in Japanese
GammyEnglish baby talkLame, in British English

Sources: Wiktionary (nana, baba, yaya, teta, kaka, baka, gammy).

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular grandma names?

Grandma and Nana lead most polls. In a 2018 Road Scholar poll of more than 750 US grandparents, Nana came first at 11%, then Grandma (10%), Grammy (7%), Mimi and Gigi (6% each). In Britain, Nan topped a 2022 poll.

What are some cute grandma nicknames?

Mimi, Gigi, Lolly, Nonnie, Lala and Honey are cute grandma nicknames. Many are family-made, and Gigi and Gaga often come from a grandchild's first try at saying Grandma.

What are different names for grandma?

Different names for grandma include Grandma, Nana, Granny, Grammy, Gigi and Mimi in English, and Oma (German), Nonna (Italian), Abuela (Spanish), Yiayia (Greek), Babushka (Russian) and Lola (Tagalog) in other languages.

What does Gigi stand for in grandma names?

Gigi usually comes from the letter G, for Grandma, said twice. Some families say it stands for Glam Grandma or Great-Grandma.

What should a new grandma be called?

Pick a name that feels like you and is easy for a baby to say, such as Nana or Mimi, or a word from your heritage like Oma or Nonna. Many grandmas end up with whatever name the first grandchild gives them.

What do British people call their grandma?

Nan and Grandma, mostly. In a 2022 poll of 2,000 British adults, Nan led with 33%, just ahead of Grandma (32%), Nana and Nanny. Scotland prefers Gran and Northern Ireland Granny.

What do you call your mom's mom versus your dad's mom?

In English both are Grandma, so families often add a name or pick two different words. Many languages already split them: Swedish mormor and farmor, Hindi nani and dadi, and Mandarin waipo and nainai.

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