Oma grandparent1/7/2023 What if his wife comes up with a more clever name than I do? What if we both want the same one? Should I declare a name now? (With two sets of grandparents, you have to lay claim early.) I have to admit, though, “Zazu” has me worried. Because his two sons already call him that, he even has a hat with the name on it. Some grandfathers have gone rogue, demanding to be called “Maestro” due to their musical career, “Captain” (or other rank) for ex-military, or even “Grand-Dude” for no reason at all.Īs for my family, my son-in-law’s father is going with “Zazu,” the quirky bird and trusted advisor in Disney’s The Lion King. When his grandson was born, the only name he wanted to be called was “Zayde.” But that name was already in use by his daughter-in-law’s parents.Īfter negotiation and tensions, his son realized how important it was to his father, and the family agreed both could have that name. Sometimes choosing a name can cause conflict. Want an Italian flair? Try “Nonna.” For Hebrew, it’s “Savta,” and German, “Oma.” Then of course there are the religious and ethnic names. I’ve heard little ones calling out “Dede” and “Roro,” and for one grandfather, “Bumpa,” when the baby couldn’t say “Grandpa.” Eileen wanted “Gramsy,” but her grandson named her “Mimi.” My friend Laurie found her first grandchild saying “Yahyah.” Now she is “Yahyah” to all four. Trendy names run the gamut: “Coco,” “Cici,” “Fancy,” “Babo,” “Bamba,” “Birdie,” “Gaga,” “Geema,” “Grandy,” “Memom,” “Foxy,” and so on.Īnd there are some names that come from the mouths of babes. If my friends are thinking out of the box, you can be sure that celebrities do, too, including Goldie Hawn (“Gogo”), Naomi Judd (“Mawmaw”), Suzanne Somers (“Zannie”), Blythe Danner (“Lalo”), Kris Jenner (“Lovey”) and Susan Sarandon (“Honey”). And then I found he had put ‘Yoma’ on my phone. “Then, I remembered when my youngest son put a big ‘Yo’ in front of all of his friends’ names. “I wasn’t coming up with something that I could relate to,” she said. Robin searched the Internet for grandmother names that were either unusual or in a different language. She likes it, she said, “and I’ve never met another one.” When she became a grandmother, Gail decided to stick with Ice - until her oldest grandchild changed it to Icey. So, when I would call the boys, their wives would say, ‘Ice is on the phone.’” “I was listed in my sons’ phone books under ICE (standing for “in case of emergency”). “My nickname used to be ‘Andee ’ hence my new name, ‘Grandee.’” Similar sentiments were echoed by my friend Andrea. So what are some of the names my generation are adopting? My hair colorist proclaimed, “I’m too young to be ‘Grandma.’ From this day on, I’m going to be known as ‘Goddess.’” “Young” and “active” are not the two words I would use to describe her. She wore the same black-laced shoes and the dowdy dresses at age 60 as she did at 80. It was just assumed it would be “Grandma” or its ethnic equivalent. I can’t imagine my mother’s generation sitting around discussing what to be called. (Yes, it’s hair dye and Botox.) So, with all of our efforts to stay young, we certainly don’t want an old-fashioned name. We try not to let our gray or our wrinkles show. We practice yoga, do Pilates and lift weights. Maybe it’s because as baby boomers “Grandma” - or even worse, “Bubbe” - just doesn’t seem to fit.Īfter all, our generation does everything to stay young and active. It seems that whenever I get together with my peers, this topic always comes up. My husband and I are trying to figure out what we will be called by the grandkids. We’re about to become grandparents! And to be honest, since we are the last of our friends to have that honor, I’ve heard some unique stories about choosing a name.
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