What are grandma and grandpa names that go together?

Nana and Papa, Mamaw and Papaw, Meemaw and Peepaw, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop, Grammy and Grampy. From other languages: Nonna and Nonno, Oma and Opa, Abuela and Abuelo, Yiayia and Papou, Bubbe and Zayde, Lola and Lolo.

What are some goofy names for grandparents?

Mostly ones a toddler made: Gamma, Grambo, Bam-Bam and Rara for her; Bumpa, Gampy and Boppa for him. A few are self-inflicted, like Grumps, Glamma, and Mops, which happened because he picked Pops.

Do names for grandma and grandpa have to match?

No. Mimi and Grandpa or Nana and Grandad are ordinary pairs. Just watch the register: a young-sounding name next to a formal one can make the two sound like different generations.

What do you call grandma and grandpa in other languages?

Usually a pair from one root: Nonna and Nonno, Abuela and Abuelo, Oma and Opa, Babcia and Dziadek. Swedish, Danish and Norwegian split by side: Mormor and Morfar for the mother's parents, Farmor and Farfar for the father's.

When should you decide on grandparent names?

Between the birth and the first words. The parents need something to call you in front of the baby every day, and they'll default to Grandma and Grandpa if nobody offers anything else.

Journal · 5 min read

Names for Grandparents: 150 Ideas, Sorted as Pairs

Names for grandparents on a postcard: a confetti-pattern card back addressed to Nana and Papa — Two names, one card, one address.

What are good names for grandparents?

Good names for grandparents usually come as a pair: Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Papa, Mimi and Pop, Mamaw and Papaw, Oma and Opa, Nonna and Nonno, Bubbe and Zayde. Pick one and you have often named the other. The 150 names below are sorted by how much the first name decides the second.

Popular grandparent name pairs

Grandma and GrandpaThe default, everywhere
Nana and PapaThe most common American mix
Mimi and PopShort, warm, no age attached
Grammy and GrampyNew England
Mamaw and PapawKentucky, Tennessee, Appalachia
Meemaw and PeepawThe South
Mom-Mom and Pop-PopPhiladelphia and New Jersey
Oma and OpaGerman and Dutch
Nonna and NonnoItalian
Abuela and AbueloSpanish
Bubbe and ZaydeYiddish
Yiayia and PapouGreek
Lola and LoloTagalog
Gigi and PopsModern, and easy to say

Choosing just one side? Her list is longer: grandma names by vibe and culture.

So is his, with Papaw or Pawpaw and 29 languages: names for Grandpa, from Pop to Zayde.

Grandparent names that settle the other one

In most languages the two names share one root. Take Nonna and he's Nonno, asked or not.

Narrow 150 names

Heritage or language

Which one is still undecided

Only the goofy ones

Showing 150 of 150 names

All four tables narrow at once. Pick the side that is still open and the list becomes the names that would go beside the one you have already settled.

Names that settle the other one: showing 80 of 80
Name	Whose it is	Language it comes from	Settles the other half as	Worth knowing
Nonno	Grandfather	Italian	Nonna	Nonnu is the Sicilian form.
Nonna	Grandmother	Italian	Nonno	Nonnu is the Sicilian form.
Abuelo	Grandfather	Spanish	Abuela	Abuelito and Abuelita are the affectionate forms, and they pair too.
Abuela	Grandmother	Spanish	Abuelo	Abuelito and Abuelita are the affectionate forms, and they pair too.
Abuelito	Grandfather	Spanish	Abuelita	What small children usually say.
Abuelita	Grandmother	Spanish	Abuelito	What small children usually say.
Avô	Grandfather	Portuguese	Avó	One accent is the whole difference: ah-VOH is him, ah-VAW is her.
Avó	Grandmother	Portuguese	Avô	One accent is the whole difference: ah-VOH is him, ah-VAW is her.
Vovô	Grandfather	Brazilian Portuguese	Vovó	The everyday affectionate forms.
Vovó	Grandmother	Brazilian Portuguese	Vovô	The everyday affectionate forms.
Papi	Grandfather	French	Mamie	The everyday words. Grand-père and Grand-mère are the formal pair.
Mamie	Grandmother	French	Papi	The everyday words. Grand-père and Grand-mère are the formal pair.
Pépé	Grandfather	French	Mémé	Older and more rural in register.
Mémé	Grandmother	French	Pépé	Older and more rural in register.
Opa	Grandfather	German and Dutch	Oma	Großvater and grootvader are the formal terms. Used far beyond German- and Dutch-speaking families.
Oma	Grandmother	German and Dutch	Opa	Großvater and grootvader are the formal terms. Used far beyond German- and Dutch-speaking families.
Farfar	Grandfather	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian	Farmor	The father's parents, said literally: father-father and father-mother.
Farmor	Grandmother	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian	Farfar	The father's parents, said literally: father-father and father-mother.
Morfar	Grandfather	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian	Mormor	The mother's parents. Taking this pair announces which side of the family you are.
Mormor	Grandmother	Swedish, Danish, Norwegian	Morfar	The mother's parents. Taking this pair announces which side of the family you are.
Afi	Grandfather	Icelandic	Amma
Amma	Grandmother	Icelandic	Afi
Ukki	Grandfather	Finnish	Mummi	Isoisä is the formal word for him.
Mummi	Grandmother	Finnish	Ukki	Isoisä is the formal word for him.
Dziadek	Grandfather	Polish	Babcia
Babcia	Grandmother	Polish	Dziadek
Dziadziu	Grandfather	Polish	Busia	The affectionate forms, and far easier for a two-year-old than Dziadek.
Busia	Grandmother	Polish	Dziadziu	The affectionate forms, and far easier for a two-year-old than Dziadek.
Děda	Grandfather	Czech	Babička	Dědeček is the fuller form.
Babička	Grandmother	Czech	Děda	Dědeček is the fuller form.
Dedushka	Grandfather	Russian	Babushka	Deda is the short form children use.
Babushka	Grandmother	Russian	Dedushka	Deda is the short form children use.
Deda, Djed	Grandfather	Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian	Baba
Baba	Grandmother	Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian	Deda, Djed
Daideo	Grandfather	Irish	Mamó	The everyday words. Seanathair and Seanmháthair are the formal pair.
Mamó	Grandmother	Irish	Daideo	The everyday words. Seanathair and Seanmháthair are the formal pair.
Taid	Grandfather	Welsh (north)	Nain	Marked as northern speech by Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, the University of Wales dictionary.
Nain	Grandmother	Welsh (north)	Taid	Marked as northern speech by Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru, the University of Wales dictionary.
Tad-cu	Grandfather	Welsh (south)	Mam-gu	The same dictionary places these in Ceredigion and the south.
Mam-gu	Grandmother	Welsh (south)	Tad-cu	The same dictionary places these in Ceredigion and the south.
Papou	Grandfather	Greek	Yiayia	Papou is the everyday form of Pappous.
Yiayia	Grandmother	Greek	Papou	Papou is the everyday form of Pappous.
Zayde	Grandfather	Yiddish	Bubbe	Ashkenazi. Saba and Savta are the Hebrew pair, and mixing the two shows.
Bubbe	Grandmother	Yiddish	Zayde	Ashkenazi. Saba and Savta are the Hebrew pair, and mixing the two shows.
Nagypapa	Grandfather	Hungarian	Nagymama	Nagyapa is the more formal word for him.
Nagymama	Grandmother	Hungarian	Nagypapa	Nagyapa is the more formal word for him.
Saba	Grandfather	Hebrew	Savta	Modern Israeli usage.
Savta	Grandmother	Hebrew	Saba	Modern Israeli usage.
Jiddo	Grandfather	Arabic (Levantine)	Teta	Jadd is the formal standard word for him; Sido is the other everyday form.
Teta	Grandmother	Arabic (Levantine)	Jiddo	Jadd is the formal standard word for him; Sido is the other everyday form.
Dede	Grandfather	Turkish	Babaanne	Nine is also used for her. Büyükbaba is the formal word for him.
Babaanne	Grandmother	Turkish	Dede	Nine is also used for her. Büyükbaba is the formal word for him.
Baba bozorg	Grandfather	Persian	Maman bozorg	Literally big father and big mother.
Maman bozorg	Grandmother	Persian	Baba bozorg	Literally big father and big mother.
Babu	Grandfather	Swahili	Bibi
Bibi	Grandmother	Swahili	Babu
Oupa	Grandfather	Afrikaans	Ouma
Ouma	Grandmother	Afrikaans	Oupa
Bàbá àgbà	Grandfather	Yoruba	Ìyá àgbà
Ìyá àgbà	Grandmother	Yoruba	Bàbá àgbà
Dada, Dadaji	Grandfather	Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi	Dadi	The father's parents. The -ji ending adds respect.
Dadi	Grandmother	Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi	Dada, Dadaji	The father's parents. The -ji ending adds respect.
Nana, Nanaji	Grandfather	Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi	Nani	The mother's parents. Nana is a man here, unlike the American Nana.
Nani	Grandmother	Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi	Nana, Nanaji	The mother's parents. Nana is a man here, unlike the American Nana.
Yéye	Grandfather	Mandarin	Nǎinai	Paternal only. Giving it to your mother's father is a small, visible mistake.
Nǎinai	Grandmother	Mandarin	Yéye	Paternal only. Giving it to your mother's father is a small, visible mistake.
Wàigōng	Grandfather	Mandarin	Wàipó	Maternal. Lǎoye is the northern word for him.
Wàipó	Grandmother	Mandarin	Wàigōng	Maternal. Lǎoye is the northern word for him.
Gung Gung	Grandfather	Cantonese	Po Po	Maternal. Yeh Yeh and Ma Ma are the paternal pair.
Po Po	Grandmother	Cantonese	Gung Gung	Maternal. Yeh Yeh and Ma Ma are the paternal pair.
Ojiisan	Grandfather	Japanese	Obaasan	The long ii matters: ojisan, with a short i, means uncle.
Obaasan	Grandmother	Japanese	Ojiisan	The long ii matters: ojisan, with a short i, means uncle.
Harabeoji	Grandfather	Korean	Halmeoni	Also romanised Halabeoji.
Halmeoni	Grandmother	Korean	Harabeoji	Also romanised Halabeoji.
Lolo	Grandfather	Tagalog	Lola	One vowel apart, which is the problem the next table is about.
Lola	Grandmother	Tagalog	Lolo	One vowel apart, which is the problem the next table is about.
Ông nội	Grandfather	Vietnamese	Bà nội	Paternal. Ông ngoại and Bà ngoại are the maternal pair.
Bà nội	Grandmother	Vietnamese	Ông nội	Paternal. Ông ngoại and Bà ngoại are the maternal pair.
Tūtū kāne	Grandfather	Hawaiian	Tūtū wahine	Tūtū on its own is not gendered; kāne and wahine do that work.
Tūtū wahine	Grandmother	Hawaiian	Tūtū kāne	Tūtū on its own is not gendered; kāne and wahine do that work.

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Grandparent names that rhyme

American regional pairs are built to sound alike. The catch: a toddler will mix them up for the first year. That's normal.

Names that rhyme with their partner: showing 30 of 30
Name	Whose it is	Where it is from	Its twin	How far apart they sound
Grandma	Grandmother	General American	Grandpa	One consonant, sitting behind a cluster she cannot say yet.
Grandpa	Grandfather	General American	Grandma	One consonant, sitting behind a cluster she cannot say yet.
Gramma	Grandmother	How most Americans actually say it	Grampa	The same word sanded down, and the same single consonant of difference.
Grampa	Grandfather	How most Americans actually say it	Gramma	The same word sanded down, and the same single consonant of difference.
Mamaw	Grandmother	Kentucky, Tennessee, Appalachia	Papaw	One consonant, at the very front. The easiest pair to say and the hardest to tell apart.
Papaw	Grandfather	Kentucky, Tennessee, Appalachia	Mamaw	One consonant, at the very front. The easiest pair to say and the hardest to tell apart.
Meemaw	Grandmother	The US South, then everywhere online	Peepaw	Same difference, same place in the word.
Peepaw	Grandfather	The US South, then everywhere online	Meemaw	Same difference, same place in the word.
Maw-Maw	Grandmother	The US South, Texas	Paw-Paw	Same again. Expect a year of the wrong one.
Paw-Paw	Grandfather	The US South, Texas	Maw-Maw	Same again. Expect a year of the wrong one.
Mema	Grandmother	The US South and Midwest	Pepa	P and m are both made with the lips, and both arrive early.
Pepa	Grandfather	The US South and Midwest	Mema	P and m are both made with the lips, and both arrive early.
Memaw	Grandmother	The US South	Pepaw	A spelling apart from Peepaw and Meemaw, and no further apart in the mouth.
Pepaw	Grandfather	The US South	Memaw	A spelling apart from Peepaw and Meemaw, and no further apart in the mouth.
Mammy	Grandmother	Appalachia, Ireland	Pappy	Front consonant again, with everything after it identical.
Pappy	Grandfather	Appalachia, Ireland	Mammy	Front consonant again, with everything after it identical.
Mom-Mom	Grandmother	Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware	Pop-Pop	Two of the earliest sounds she has. She will produce both, in the wrong order.
Pop-Pop	Grandfather	Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware	Mom-Mom	Two of the earliest sounds she has. She will produce both, in the wrong order.
Grammy	Grandmother	New England, Maritime Canada	Grampy	The difference is buried in the middle, which is the hardest place to hear it.
Grampy	Grandfather	New England, Maritime Canada	Grammy	The difference is buried in the middle, which is the hardest place to hear it.
Gram	Grandmother	New England	Gramp	One consonant on the end, and the end is what she drops.
Gramp	Grandfather	New England	Gram	One consonant on the end, and the end is what she drops.
Grandmom	Grandmother	The Mid-Atlantic	Grandpop	Genuinely distinct, once she can manage the cluster at the front.
Grandpop	Grandfather	The Mid-Atlantic	Grandmom	Genuinely distinct, once she can manage the cluster at the front.
Grandmama	Grandmother	The US South	Granddaddy	Long enough that the two stop rhyming. The clearest matched set here.
Granddaddy	Grandfather	The US South	Grandmama	Long enough that the two stop rhyming. The clearest matched set here.
Big Mama	Grandmother	The US South	Big Daddy	Half the phrase is shared and the half that is not is unmistakable.
Big Daddy	Grandfather	The US South	Big Mama	Half the phrase is shared and the half that is not is unmistakable.
Ma	Grandmother	Rural US, an older generation	Pa	About as short as English gets, and never confused.
Pa	Grandfather	Rural US, an older generation	Ma	About as short as English gets, and never confused.

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Names that leave the other half open

Nana doesn't make him Papa. Mimi doesn't make him anything. Use these if he hasn't decided yet.

Names that leave the other half open: showing 22 of 22
Name	Whose it is	Usually sits beside	What it leaves the other one
Nana	Grandmother	Papa, Pop, Grandad	Almost everything. Nana is the least binding name in English.
Nanna	Grandmother	Pop	The Australian and British Nana. Same freedom, one more letter.
Nanny	Grandmother	Poppy	Pairs by habit rather than by rule, so he is not bound to Poppy.
Nan	Grandmother	Grandad, Pop	One syllable to work around, which nearly any name can do.
Gran	Grandmother	Grandad	Short and unmarked. It will not make his name sound old or young.
Granny	Grandmother	Grandad, Pappy	Reads older than Gran, and pulls his name older with it if he lets it.
Mimi	Grandmother	Papa	Anything that is not also two soft repeated syllables, or a toddler will merge you.
Gigi	Grandmother	Papa, Pop	The same shape as Mimi and the same caution.
Coco	Grandmother	Anything at all	No tradition attached, so nothing about his name is decided.
Honey	Grandmother	Anything at all	Nothing about it is a title, so his name is not pulled toward one either.
Birdie	Grandmother	Anything at all	It sounds like a person rather than a rank, so his does not have to be a rank.
Papa	Grandfather	Mimi, Nana	Nearly everything, which is why it is the most-chosen name on this list.
Poppa	Grandfather	Nana	A warmer Papa, with the same freedom.
Pop	Grandfather	Nan, Nana	One syllable, no age attached, and no claim on hers.
Pops	Grandfather	Nana	Wry, reads younger, and still leaves her open.
Poppy	Grandfather	Nanny	Very easy to say, though British ears sometimes hear it as a girl's name.
Grandad	Grandfather	Nana, Granny	The British default, and it sits next to whatever she picks.
Gramps	Grandfather	Gran	Ends on a consonant cluster, so it arrives late whatever she chooses.
Coach	Grandfather	Anything at all	A job title stands in for a generation, and it holds only if the job was real.
Doc	Grandfather	Anything at all	Only if he is one, or was. Either way it says nothing at all about her.
Duke	Grandfather	Anything at all	Carries no generation with it, and there is no matching half to find.
Skipper, Skip	Grandfather	Anything at all	Warm, nautical, ageless. Skip is the half a two-year-old will land on.

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Goofy grandparent names nobody picked

A toddler aims at Grandma and says Gamma. Forty years later, Gamma is still on the birthday card.

Names nobody picked: showing 18 of 18
Name	Whose it is	Where it came from	What it does to the pair
Gamma	Grandmother	A child reaching for Grandma	Leaves Grandpa standing where he was, which is how half of these pairs go lopsided.
Gampa, Gampy	Grandfather	A child reaching for Grandpa	Arrives at the same age as Gamma and pairs with it by accident.
Bampa, Bumpa, Bompa	Grandfather	A child reaching for Grandpa	Inherited in plenty of families now. Usually ends up next to Nana.
Boppa, Bop	Grandfather	A child reaching for Grandpa or Poppa	Suggests no partner at all, so hers survives intact.
Gaga	Either	A child reaching for Grandma, or for Grandpa	The one name here that can land on either of you, and occasionally lands on both.
Baba	Grandfather	A child reaching for Papa or Grandpa	Already the grandmother in several Slavic languages, which is worth knowing before it sets.
Doda	Grandfather	A child reaching for Grandad	Leaves her name entirely untouched.
Maga	Grandmother	Gamma, in the wrong order	A second-generation accident: a child's version of a child's version.
Rara	Grandmother	A child reaching for Grandma	No partner implied, and none available.
Bam-Bam	Grandmother	Grandma, using only the sounds her lips can make	The easiest name here to say and the hardest to explain to a stranger.
Nina	Grandmother	A child reaching for Nana	Nana's usual partner does not come with it, so his is open again.
Nonnie	Grandmother	A child reaching for Nonna	Breaks the Italian pair. He can stay Nonno or stop being one.
Grambo	Grandmother	A child reaching for Grandma	Sets a tone the other three grandparents then have to live beside.
Graminator	Grandmother	A child reaching for Grammy	Unpairable, and nobody has ever minded.
Grumps	Grandfather	He named himself, as a joke	Usually turns up next to Grammy, which does most of the work of making it funny.
Grandude	Grandfather	The UK, recently	Pairs with Granny and puts a whole generation gap in one phrase.
Glamma	Grandmother	Chosen, and saying the quiet part aloud	Pairs with nothing, and gets teased hardest by other grandmothers.
Mops	Grandmother	He chose Pops first	The plainest case on this page of one name being decided entirely by the other.

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How to choose grandparent names together

01
Match inside the couple
Nana and Papa, or Oma and Opa. The two names in one couple should sound like they belong together.
02
Contrast across the families
If the other side is Nana and Papa, pick something that sounds nothing like it, like Mimi and Pop. That's how a five-year-old tells you apart.
03
Decide both in one conversation
Two separate chats produce one considered name and one default. Usually his.
04
Tell the other side the same day
Not to claim it first. So nobody spends three months attached to a name that's gone.
05
Settle it before the first words
Between the birth and about a year. After that, the baby decides.

Irish family? Here are Irish grandparent names, spelled the way the dictionaries spell them.

Once you've landed on both, put them to use: a photo postcard addressed to both of them makes the pair official.

Shopping for the two of them at once is a different problem: gifts for Grandpa and Grandma together.

Frequently asked questions

What are grandma and grandpa names that go together?: Nana and Papa, Mamaw and Papaw, Meemaw and Peepaw, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop, Grammy and Grampy. From other languages: Nonna and Nonno, Oma and Opa, Abuela and Abuelo, Yiayia and Papou, Bubbe and Zayde, Lola and Lolo.
What are some goofy names for grandparents?: Mostly ones a toddler made: Gamma, Grambo, Bam-Bam and Rara for her; Bumpa, Gampy and Boppa for him. A few are self-inflicted, like Grumps, Glamma, and Mops, which happened because he picked Pops.
Do names for grandma and grandpa have to match?: No. Mimi and Grandpa or Nana and Grandad are ordinary pairs. Just watch the register: a young-sounding name next to a formal one can make the two sound like different generations.
What do you call grandma and grandpa in other languages?: Usually a pair from one root: Nonna and Nonno, Abuela and Abuelo, Oma and Opa, Babcia and Dziadek. Swedish, Danish and Norwegian split by side: Mormor and Morfar for the mother's parents, Farmor and Farfar for the father's.
When should you decide on grandparent names?: Between the birth and the first words. The parents need something to call you in front of the baby every day, and they'll default to Grandma and Grandpa if nobody offers anything else.