Great British Grandparent Names

While ‘grandad’ topped the charts as the most frequently used grandfather name, there were some noticeable differences by generation (and geography).

Across the UK, ‘Grandad’ was the most popular term in every region except Greater London (27%), where ‘Grandpa’ (28%) took top spot. The highest usage of ‘Grandad’ was in the East Midlands (56%), compared to just 22% in Wales, where terms like ‘Grampy’ (10%) were higher than elsewhere.

‘Grandma’ was the most popular term across all generations, reaching a peak of 31% among Gen Z, compared to 24% of Baby Boomers. But is ‘Grandma’ unanimously popular across Great Britain?

In modern Britain, families come in many different forms – from same-sex couples with children to blended families and lone parent households. So there may be a wide variety of reasons why ‘traditional’ grandparent names aren’t right for everyone.

Of the 5% who told us they use ‘other’ names for female grandparents, these included ‘Nanz,’ ‘Baba’ and ‘Glitter’.

Whether we see ourselves (or our elders) as a Gramps, Pops, Nanna or something else, our names are undoubtedly part of our identity. But how do we arrive at these labels for our loved ones?

How did you choose your preferred grandparent name?

They say blood is thicker than water, and family ties are a strong motivator when it comes to choosing our grandparent names. In fact, ‘family tradition’ was the top reason for choosing a grandparent name across all generations – reaching a high among millennials (45%) and in most regions (rising to 62% in Northern Ireland).

Meanwhile, people were most likely to say the name was “my choice” in London (29%) and Manchester (27%). Regional or cultural preference was the most cited response in the North East (21%) and Greater London (20%).

Do you prefer traditional grandparent names or those unique to the person?

Family life evolves, but it appears that traditional grandparent names have stood the test of time. Males (55%) and females (55%) expressed an equal preference for traditional grandparent names, and this response was highest in Newcastle (66%).

Bucking the trend with a preference for unique grandparent names was London (24%), Bristol (19%) and Cardiff (21%).

In a fast-moving world, we might be forgiven for assuming that traditional grandparent names are becoming a thing of the past. But on the contrary: our respondents told us that their love for classic names runs deep.

We wanted to find out why grandparents and grandchildren who expressed a preference for a certain type of name (traditional or unique) feel the way they do.

Why do you prefer a certain type of grandparent name?

Our survey found that the importance of choosing ‘traditional and meaningful’ names tends to increase with age. 50% of the Silent Generation (aged 79+) chose this option, compared to 27% of Gen Z.

And interestingly, ease of pronunciation was a bigger factor for the younger age group (27% of 18-24) but only 16% for those aged over 55. Knowing how to pronounce a name was a strong preference in Birmingham (26%) and Manchester (25%).