Our Favorite Grandma Names and Nicknames

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and here at Coventry Direct, we know that grandparents make up a substantial portion of that ‘village’. From hosting holiday gatherings to being an unwavering source of love and support for your family, the relationship between a grandparent and their ‘grandbabies’ is one of life’s greatest treasures.

With wonderful grandparents and grandchildren in mind, we decided to conduct a fun, grandparent-focused study. We surveyed over 5,000 Americans from across the country on what they call their grandparents to determine what the most popular nicknames for ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa’ are across the country.

Interested to know what the top grandparent nicknames are in your neck of the woods? Read on!

Let’s start with the most used nicknames for Grandma.

Nana is the most common nickname for a Grandma in thirty-two states. But if someone doesn’t call their grandmother Nana, odds are they do call her Grammy or Gram, as these are relatively popular alternatives to Grandma, as well. Folks from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont love referring to their Grandmothers as Grammy, whereas those from New Mexico prefer the more casual alternatives of Gram and Grams.

Related: Best And Thoughtful Gifts For Your Beloved Mimi

As you might’ve suspected, many Southerners opt to call their grandmothers Mamaw and Mawmaw. Together, these two nicknames are most popular in seven states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

Curious about our national findings? While Nana took the top spot, Grammy, Granny, Nanny, Mamaw, Mawmaw, Mimi, Grandmother, Memaw, and Abuela/Abuelita rounded out the top ten list.