Grandpa is an original. He's one-of-a-kind. They broke the mold when they made him. So why should he settle for the same title as every other grandfather in the world?
Sure, there's nothing wrong with going by the name "Grandpa." It's tried-and-true, and there's a reason it's a classic. But it doesn't work for everybody, and some grandfathers are looking for something that feels more unique to them. (And why not? They deserve it.)
These trailblazers can try these unique grandpa names on for size. Some of them are tendy and popular, and just a little different from the standard "Grandpa." Others are far-out names only gramps of a certain attitude can pull off. Take a look at the list, and see which one best fits his personality.
Unique Spins on Grandpa
Some grandparents aren't looking to wholly reinvent the wheel — they just want to put their own little spin or twist on "Grandpa." Those slight non-conformists can try these on for size:
- Gramp
- Grampa
- Gramps
- Grampy
- Granddad
- Grandy
- Grandfather
- Grandpappy
- Grandpop
- Pa
- Pappy
- Pop
- Pop-Op
- Pops
- Poppy
Grandpa Names That Sound More Like Titles
Grandparent is a title worthy of respect — and these title-like names ensure the grandkids know whose in charge:
- Ace
- Boomer
- Boss
- Captain
- Chief
- Coach
- Doc
- Duke
- King
- Major
- Professor
- Saint
- Senior
- Sir
- Skipper
Celebrity Grandpa Names
Celebrities are known to start baby-name trends, but the same goes for grandpa names, too. They can get inspired with these celeb monikers:
- Bubba (Michael Douglas)
- G-Pa (Lionel Richie)
- Gogi (Kurt Russell)
- Grandaddy (Flavor Flav)
- Grandpapa (Damon Wayans)
- Jefe (President George W. Bush)
- Nono (Robert Wagner)
- Papa (Ozzy Osbourne)
- Papou (Tom Hanks)
- Peach (Martin Sheen)
- Popci (Cedric the Entertainer)
- Pop Pop (Alice Cooper)
Names for Grandpa in Different Languages
Honor the man and the heritage in one shot by using the word for "grandpa" in a language that's meaningful to the family. While this is just a fraction of the global gramps in the world, and some languages have multiple words (or different words for maternal/paternal grandfathers), here are few to try on:
- Abuelo (Spanish)
- Avô (Portuguese)
- Babu (Swahili)
- Daada/Nana (Hindi)
- Dedushka (Russian)
- Dziadek (Polish)
- Grand-père/Pépère (French)
- Halabeoji (Korean)
- Jaddi (Arabic)
- Kakek (Indonesian)
- Lolo (Tagalog)
- Nonno (Italian)
- Ojiisan (Japanese)
- Ong Noi (Vietnamese)
- Opa (German)
- Oupa (Afrikaans)
- Thakurda/Dadu (Bengali)
- Tutu Kane (Hawaiian)
- Yéyé (Mandarin)
- Zeyde (Yiddish)
Cool Grandpa Names
Hip grandfathers who don't want to be associated with anything old and fusty can try these, which have a little zip to them:
- Big Daddy
- Bop
- Buck
- Buzzy
- G/Gee
- G-Da
- G-Dad
- G-Dog
- G-Pop
- Geepa
- Gopa
- Granddude
- Gus
- Papi
- Papu
- Pip
- Popdaddy
- Poppi
- Popz
Sweet and Cute Grandpa Names
Grandfathers who love hugs and cuddles might want to try out something short and sweet, like one of these:
- Baba
- Baboo
- Boppa
- Boppy
- Bubs
- Buddy
- Grady
- Grand Bear
- Grandbop
- Grumpy
- Grumpus
- Gumpa
- Grandsie
- Pap Pap
- Paw-Paw
- Peepaw
- Pepe
- Popo
- Pop-poppy
Be warned, though: Some kids have their own ideas about what to call their grandparents and won't be deterred! But no matter what they go with, it's always a name filled with love.
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.
