Most Popular Nicknames For Grandparents in All 50 States
We recently celebrated National Grandparents Day. So someone looked into the most popular NICKNAMES we use for them.
They didn’t include “Grandma” and “Grandpa,” because those are definitely the most popular overall. But what’s second?
1,500 Americans were polled. And the most popular nicknames in 2023 . . . besides “Grandma” and “Grandpa” . . . are Nana and Papa.
It has a lot to do with which state you’re in though . . .
Granny and Granddad topped the list in lots of states, especially in the South . . . Gram and Gramps are big in Maine, New Hampshire, Alaska, Washington, and Wyoming . . . and Pop-Pop is the top nickname for grandfathers in seven states.
Abuela and Abuelo ranked first in states like California and Texas with big Spanish-speaking populations . . . Paw-Paw is #1 for grandpas in a few states . . . and Mamaw also got some nods.
Now, the true outliers . . .
Hawaii, Virginia, and Vermont are the only states that opt for the more formal Grandmother. Rhode Island is the only state where Grandfather is #1.
Grandpapais popular in Hawaii . . . the Russian word for grandfather, Dedushka, ranked first in Massachusetts . . . the German word Oma is #1 for grandmas in New Mexico . . . Nanny is #1 in Oregon and Oklahoma . . . and a whole lot of grandmas in New Jersey go by the Yiddish word Bubbe. (Pronounced bubby.)
The poll also asked people who their FAVORITE grandparent is. And by almost a three-to-one margin, it’s grandmas.
44% said their mom’s mom . . . 23% said their dad’s mom . . . 15% said their mom’s dad . . . and 11% said their dad’s dad. The remaining 7% said “other.”
Last stat: Who would you rather hang out with? Your parents, or your grandparents? Two-thirds said grandparents.
(Preply)
(Here are the top nicknames for grandmas and grandpas in all 50 states.)