Just as with everything else, the generation that's becoming grandparents is deciding to do things their own way. This starts with what they're calling themselves. Sure, some grandmothers want to stick with the tried-and-true designation of Grandma — a timeless classic that will never go out of style. But there are other, non-conforming grandparents who don't want to just follow tradition, and who want a name that speaks to them.
Those mold-breaking grandmas can try these unique grandma names on for size, and see if they're a fit. Some of them are twists on Grandma, with just enough spin to keep them interesting. Others are wild, out-there names that only bold and daring grandmas can pull off. In the end, no matter which name emerges as the winner, be careful — grandkids have a way of coming up with their own names!
Traditional Grandma Names
These still have that classic "Grandma" sound to them, but they also change it up a little to make the names feel more unique.
- Gam-Gam
- Gammy
- Gangie
- Geema
- Gigi
- Gramby
- Gramma
- Grammy
- Grams
- Gran
- Gran-Gran
- Grandy
- Grannie
- G-Ma
- Marmee
- Mamaw
- Meemaw
- Mumsie
Unique Celebrity Names for Grandma
Celebs are always making news when it comes to names, grandma names included. Try one of these celebrity creations on for size. (Or, opt for the name Jane Fonda chose: "Grandma.")
- Aba Daba (Debbie Reynolds)
- Boom Boom (Caitlyn Jenner)
- Bunny (Terri Irwin)
- Glam Ma (Nene Leakes)
- Gogo (Katie Couric/Goldie Hawn)
- Grandi (Randi Mahomes)
- Honey (Susan Sarandon)
- Lalo (Blythe Danner)
- Lovey (Kris Jenner)
- Martha (Martha Stewart)
- Mawmaw (Naomi Judd)
- Nana (Chaka Khan)
- Oopi (Whoopi Goldberg)
- Shazza (Sharon Osbourne)
- Yaya (Demi Moore)
- Yia Yia (Rita Wilson)
- Zeze (Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Names for Grandma in Different Languages
Names are often a way of celebrating a heritage, so finding the name for "grandma" in another language could be a way to honor both past and future. Of course, this is by no means comprehensive: These are only a few languages, and even then many of these languages also have formal/informal ways of referring to grandparents, different words for maternal and paternal grandparents or shortened nicknamed versions of the words below. But if you're looking for some inspiration, here are some grandma names to get the wheels spinning.
- Abuela (Spanish)
- Amma (Icelandic)
- Avó (Portuguese)
- Bà (Vietnamese)
- Baba (Ukrainian)
- Babcia (Polish)
- Babushka (Russian)
- Bedstemor (Danish)
- Bibi (Swahili)
- Bomma (Flemish)
- Bubbe (Yiddish)
- Dadi/Nani (Hindi)
- Grand-mère/Mémé (French)
- Halmoni (Korean)
- Jadati (Arabic)
- Lola (Tagalog)
- Maa Maa (Cantonese)
- Maimeó (Irish)
- Mormor (Norwegian)
- Nenek (Indonesian)
- Nonna (Italian)
- Nai Nai (Mandarin)
- Obaasan (Japanese)
- Oma (German)
- Ouma (Afrikaans)
- Po Po (Cantonese)
- Savta (Hebrew)
- Seanmhair (Scottish Gaelic)
- Thakurma/Didima (Bengali)
- Tutu (Hawaiian)
- Ugogo (Zulu)
- Zumu (Mandarin)
Modern Grandma Names
For "Glammas" who are too young and hip to go by anything fusty-sounding, these names feel totally contemporary.
- Abba
- Birdy
- Bosh
- Cha-Cha
- Coco
- Cookie
- Deedee
- Dottie
- Gaga
- Gabby
- Glamma
- Honey
- Kitty
- Ladee
- Lottie
- Lolo
- Lala
- Maisie
- Meems
- Mimi
- Mimzy
- Minnie
- Momu
- Moo Moo
- Nan
- Nina
- Nonnie
- Pippa
- Pippy
- Punky
- Tootsie
- Queenie
- Za-Za
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.
