Alternative names for "grandfather"

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Larry1700

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My DIL is pregnant, so I’m wondering what to have my granddaughter call me. I kind of would like a southern flavor, but I’m open to anything.

I’m considering:
Papa Larry
Paw-paw (I spelled it phonetically, to distinguish it from the above).
Granddad (that’s what I called my grandfather)

I would appreciate suggestions.

And BTW, how is such a thing typically decided? Should it be me, when “introducing” myself to the baby for the first time: “Come to Papa Larry, honey” ?
 
Growing up, I had Grandpa Firstname and Grandma Firstname (my dad’s parents) and Granddad Lastname and Grandma Lastname (my mom’s parents).

On reflection, it’s a little weird to call your grandma by her last name! But that’s the convention in certain parts of my family–I grew up hearing about “Grandma Gilbert” and “Granddad Taylor.”

I use the first name system with our kids.
 
Growing up it was Grampie for my mom’s dad and Grammie for both my parent’s mothers.
Weirdly enough we used locations to distinguish the difference between them. However, never to their face but if we were going to visit of if they were coming to see us.

I really don’t know how that started but we’d say “town” Grammie.

For my dad’s father we actually used the term “Bunkie”
My dad used that for his grandfather. My dad’s entire side of the family was from Oklahoma and Texas.

However, I don’t know if it’s actually a Southern term or just something that the family came up with.

I liked it and my girls use the name Bunkie for my dad.

They also use the term Grammie for my mom. It’s Grandpa for my MIL and Grandma for my MIL.
 
On our house we went with Nana and grandpa.
Since one set of grandparents lived out of town, there was little confusion.
We’d refer to “your grandpa in Texas” if we needed to.
Papa is a nice alternative though.
 
Xantippe said:
On reflection, it’s a little weird to call your grandma by her last name! But that’s the convention in certain parts of my family–I grew up hearing about “Grandma Gilbert” and “Granddad Taylor.”
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But is Gilbert or Taylor the first/last name ?😃
 
My grandparents were called (addressed) “Nanny” and “Poppy” (maternal) and “Nanny” and “Grandpa” (paternal). They were referred to (third person) as, say, “Nanny Surname”. I never called my grandmother “Nanny Surname”, any more than I would call my father “Dad Surname”.

My mom called her maternal grandfather “Old Dad”. Donna’s father is called “Pop” by his grandkids and great-grandkids; she called her grandfathers “Poppy” and “Pop”.
 
This is definitely not southern, but I’ve never heard anyone else use these names. My maternal grandparents were called Me’me and Pe’pe. They were French Canadian, so it might be more common in Maine and Louisanna than here in Arkansas. My Pe’pe was the greatest, so I’m particularly fond of it.
 
10gr8kids said:
This is definitely not southern, but I’ve never heard anyone else use these names. My maternal grandparents were called Me’me and Pe’pe. They were French Canadian, so it might be more common in Maine and Louisanna. My Pe’pe was the greatest, so I’m particularly fond of it.
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We had visitors from Fl. that called their Grandmother “Big Mama”, and Grand father “Big Daddy”. God Bless, Memaw
 
My kids called their paternal grandparents “Grampy” & “Grammy”. My husband called his paternal grandparents “Nanny” & “Pappy” and his maternal grandmother “Nana”.

Our grandson calls his paternal grandparents “Grandpaw” and “Grandmaw”, he calls DH “Grampy” & me “Mamie” (it’s French). Those are names we chose for ourselves as in “Come to Grampy.”

My friend is “Nana” to her 5 grandchildren but for a while the second youngest insisted on calling her “Nanny”, a term she loathes. When the youngest would insist “It’s ‘Nana’,” she would reply “Your ‘Nana’, my ‘Nanny’.”
 
I had a Grandma and Grandpa on my mom’s side, and a Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw on my dad’s side.

My son now has a Grandma and Grandpa (though my dad really wanted to be a Paw-Paw, but my oldest nephew already was using it with his other grandparents), and a Nee-Nah (corruption of Nana since he could pronounce it) and a Grandpa (first name).
 
pamnbam said:
I had a Grandma and Grandpa on my mom’s side, and a Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw on my dad’s side.

My son now has a Grandma and Grandpa (though my dad really wanted to be a Paw-Paw, but my oldest nephew already was using it with his other grandparents), **and a Nee-Nah (**corruption of Nana since he could pronounce it) and a Grandpa (first name).
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My friend’s grandson has always called her Nee-Nah.
 
10gr8kids said:
This is definitely not southern, but I’ve never heard anyone else use these names. My maternal grandparents were called Me’me and Pe’pe. They were French Canadian, so it might be more common in Maine and Louisanna than here in Arkansas. My Pe’pe was the greatest, so I’m particularly fond of it.
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Started thinking some might think the pronunciation for Pe’pe is pee pee, here is the correct pronunciation

Pronunciation: Pepe is “Pep-aye” not pee pee.
Meme is Mem-aye.
 
My grandparents are : Nana and Poppy/Pop. Maw-maw and Paw-paw and Granny Dee. (My mother’s father was remarried before I was born and it wasn’t until I was 10 that I realized maw-maw wasn’t my real grandmother lol) and Dee is short for Diane. She’s also Aunt Dee to her nieces/nephews.
 
10gr8kids said:
Started thinking some might think the pronunciation for Pe’pe is pee pee, here is the correct pronunciation

Pronunciation: Pepe is “Pep-aye” not pee pee.
Meme is Mem-aye.
Click to expand...
I’m Francophone from New Brunswick. Yours is a variation of the “Memére” & “Pepére” (muh-mayr & puh-payr) that we called our grandparents (adding surname to each to distinguish between Mom’s parents and Dad’s parents).

Grand-maman & Grand-papa or Grand-mère & Grand-père are probably used more in Québec (I don’t think I ever heard any of my peers call their grandparents that). Mamie & Papi (mah-me & pah-pee) are common in France.

Memére & pepére are also used in a derogatory fashion to describe someone who is old-fashioned. I opted to use the France ‘Mamie’ for myself since I don’t feel old and I still associate 'Memére" with my 94 year old grandmother.
 
Anglewannabe said:
But is Gilbert or Taylor the first/last name ?😃
Click to expand...
Those are last names!

Yes, looking back, that was a little weird. Very helpful in making sure kids get the genealogy, though!

All the grandparents I saw day-to-day (my paternal grandparents plus a great-grandma) I called “Grandma Firstname” or “Grandpa Firstname.” My parents also used “Uncle Firstname” and “Aunt Firstname” religiously, although I notice that a lot of my cousins just call my parents by their first names.

Still waiting for the invite to call my in-laws by their first names…I think MIL would like to be called “mom” by me.
 
I’m a big fan of calling people what they are. I dislike the adult driven egoism of changing names. I have seen may women who do not ever want to be called grandma because of the old person connotation. So they come up with all sorts of oddities that usually indicate a relationship that is false. Men do this too, just a few examples.

Paw Paw. Or Papa… This is a name for a dad…
Nanny This is the name of someone you pay money to take care of your kids…

Now, here is where I give in a little. If the child calls them something or babytalks a name or title I am fine with that being the term of endearment they use.
For instance
: Gammy gam gam, g-pa

One of my childrens grandparents name is Ernie. They try to say “grandpa Ernie” and it comes out Gurney. So that is what the name became.

None of this is a social norm for everyone. Families are different and relationships can be complicated. No need to complicate them more by deciding what you will or won’t be called. Just let the natural name happen.

I just cringe though when I can see the vanity or silliness of denying a relationship because of the connotation of age. But I think that is common.

I will be a proud grandpa someday, or whatever it is those sweet little things call me…
 
Our grandkids had 2 great-grandfathers, who were addressed as 'Grandpa Last-Name" or just “Grandpa.”

They called their maternal grandparents Grandpa First-Name and Grandma First-Name. When really little we were Nana and Papoo. As they got older it became Grandma First-Name and Grandpa First-Name. Sometimes I’m Grammy.

I answer to any name if it’s one of my sweet grandbabies doing the talking!!!
 
My nephew came up with Granddaddy years ago. We all called my father Daddy and I guess the “dad” part of Granddad didn’t sound right to him. 🤷
 
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