‘Round the Square: Who’s your g’ma?
GRANDMA: These days, it just isn’t chic to be called “Grandma.”
Families are looking for titles to give that don’t bring to mind aged women in aprons, with her gray hair in a bun, baking cookies in the kitchen. These women are often still in the workplace, and traditional names might not be the right fit.
Nana is always popular, and easy for toddlers to say. Gigi is a popular, energetic name, like Mimi, which is popular in the South.
Versions of the classic “Grandma” are more popular today, like Gram, Grammy, Grams, Granny or Gran.
Trendy names might include Glamma, for the glamorous, fashionable grandmother, or affectionate terms like Lovey, Lolly, Honey, Cookie or G-Ma.
Some folks turn to their heritage for names, with Italian families choosing Nonna, or German families choosing Oma. There’s also Yaya, which is Greek, Bubbie, which is Yiddish, Busha, which is Polish, Lola, which is Filipino, Tutu which is Hawaiian, and so on.
Large, Southern families may choose a name like Big Mama for their matriarch, reflecting respect, leadership and family wisdom.
Mamie was popular in the early 1900s, and it appears to be making a comeback.
Nan is a simple and classic British term for a grandmother that is often paired with a name, like Nan Amelia.
Kaitlyn Jenner is known as Boom Boom. Sharon Osbourne is known as Shazza. Debbie Reynolds went by Aba Daba. Terri Irwin is known as Bunny to her grandchild.
Martin Sheen is known as Peach to his grandkids. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are Gogo and Gogi. Susan Sarandon is known to her grandkids as Honey.
Snoop Dogg is, of course, Papa Snoop.


