Unconventional Titles Aff opted by some Mothers and Mothers-in-Law, opting away from the traditional "Grandma"

Mothers encouraged to reveal unique, peculiar nicknames grandmothers prefer to be addressed as.

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2025 September 16 . 1:54 AM

2 min read

Unconventional Titles Some Mothers Prefer Over the Traditional 'Grandma'

Unconventional Titles Aff opted by some Mothers and Mothers-in-Law, opting away from the traditional "Grandma"

In a trend that's sweeping social media, particularly on TikTok, grandparents are embracing unique and personalised names given to them by their grandchildren.

A Gen X grandma named Gia, who shared a video on the topic, saw thousands of grandparents weighing in on their unique names. One commenter chose the name "Oma" for her unique grandma name, while another opted for "Lolo."

The tradition of choosing a grandma name seems to have originated from the children themselves. A Reddit user, identified as a grandma, shared that the child in question gets to choose their grandma name, with examples given including Rara, Grambo, Nini, and Mimi.

Demi Moore goes by "Yaya" with her grandkids, which seems to be adapted from the Greek word for grandma, "Yiayia." Another example is where a grandma's name is "George" because of her grandkids.

The article suggests that choosing an appellation that feels right to a grandparent is acceptable, and examples of alternative grandma names include GlamMa and Baked Bean. In some cases, the grandkids do the naming themselves, such as one example where a grandma is called "Baked Bean."

The Italian word for grandma, "Nonna," has been modernized into everything from "Noni" to "Nini" and in some cases even "Nina." In Filipino, the word for grandma is "Lola," a name that is gaining in popularity among hip grannies.

As families evolve, grandparent names need to keep up. Children may not have just two sets of grandparents anymore, and the traditional term may no longer feel relevant to today's grandparents who don't feel like they look or act like grandparents of a generation ago, as stated by Dana Points, the editor in chief of Parents magazine.

Alexandra Blogier, MFA, a writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories, also weighed in on the topic. She noted that it's an honor to receive a unique name from one's first grandchild.

The article also mentions that no prominent person is identified in the search results as having taken the nickname "Gogo" for their grandmother. However, in some cases, unique grandma names reflect the individual rather than just the title.

One notable example is a TikTok user named Courtney, who shared her experience telling her mom that she was pregnant and discussed her mom's request not to be referred to as "grandma." Instead, her mom preferred the name "Gram."

This trend of unique grandma names is a testament to the evolving dynamics of modern families and the importance of personal connection and individuality in relationships.