If we're being honest, "Grandma" is already a pretty adorable name as it stands — it's a classic for a reason. But these days, it isn't a given that's what you'll be called. Whether it's because they want to differentiate themselves from their grandkid's other grandmother or just don't feel that the traditional moniker suits them, many women are choosing their own personal alternative titles.
If you are expecting, then you and your own mom can have fun brainstorming grandma names (as well as baby names, of course) using this list as inspiration.
From cute three- or four-letter grandma names to longer, more modern nicknames for the hip Gam Gam, to international grandmother titles for bilingual households, you are sure to find a name that fits. When it rolls around to grandma's birthday or Mother's Day, she'll be excited to see her new nickname on the attached card alongside a meaningful grandparent quote.
"Grandma" Spinoffs
Sometimes "grandma" can be too difficult for a baby or toddler to pronounce. If you love the traditional vibe, that's where shorter (and just as cute) classic nicknames come in to make it easier for younger kids to refer to the best grandma ever.
- Gammy
- Gram
- Grammy
- Grams
- Granny
- Meemaw
- Mimi
- Momsie
- Nana
- Nanny
- Nene
Double-word Grandma Names
Once your kids start forming sentences and referring to family members by name, pretty much anything that comes out of their mouths is adorable. But there's something super-sweet about a repeated phrase or name that will just melt her heart every time she hears it.
- Gam Gam
- Gran-gran
- Bun Bun
- Maw Maw
- Mom-mom
Modern Grandma Names
There are a fair amount of current nicknames for grandma that are perhaps more relevant to her specific personality, whether she loves Instagram or wants to partake in the retro comeback going on in the twenty-first century (as counterintuitive as that sounds).
- Birdie
- Bunny
- Coco
- Cookie
- Didi
- Gaga
- G-ma
- Gigi
- Glamma
- Grammakins
- Grancie
- Gogo
- Honey
- Lovey
- Lolly
- Mimzy
- Nina
- Titi
- Tootsie
Grandma Names in Other Languages
Whether you speak your mother tongue at home or are raising your child bilingually, these international names are a great way to have them organically connect with a second language on a daily basis.
- Chinese: Nai Nai
- Filipino: Lola
- Flemmish: Bomma
- French: Grand-mère
- German: Oma
- Greek: Yiayia
- Hawaiian: Tutu
- Hebrew: Savta
- Indonesian: Nenek
- Italian: Nona
- Japanese: Obaasan
- Korean: Halmoni
- South African: Ouma
- Russian: Babuskha
- Spanish: Abuela
- Yiddish: Bubbe
Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the digital editorial assistant for Woman’s Day, where she covers seasonal recipes, holiday gift ideas, and other lifestyle topics for the website. When she isn’t assisting with day-to-day editorial needs, Elizabeth is baking dairy-free cakes, reading romance novels, or strolling through nature.