Pennsylvania’s Most Popular Grandparent Nickname
When it comes to our grandparents, it’s all about those cool, quirky, and downright adorable nicknames we give them. Whether it’s “Nana” and “Papa,” “Mimi” and “Pop-Pop,” or something completely unique to your family, these nicknames reflect the unique connections between generations. Preply, an online tutoring and language company, has compiled the most frequently used grandparent nicknames across all states. To gather this data, they conducted a survey that involved 1,500 participants from each of the 50 states. The survey respondents were people who either have living grandparents or had similar relationships with their grandparents when they were alive, even if all of their grandparents have since passed away.
Pennsylvania’s most popular grandparent nickname
The most commonly used grandmother’s nickname in Pennsylvania is “Oma.” In this category of the survey, participants were presented with a “select all that apply” format, offering a wide array of choices that included options like Nonna (Italian), Oma (German), Yiayia (Greek), Lola (Filipino), Tata (Polish), and numerous others, totaling more than 35 possibilities. Regarding grandfathers, the most popular nickname is “Pop-Pop,” which was selected across seven states.
The research revealed some interesting trends in grandparent nicknames across various states. In many states, such as those in the South, “Granny” and “Granddad” ranked as the most common nicknames. Meanwhile, states like Maine, New Hampshire, Alaska, Washington, and Wyoming leaned towards the more informal “Gram” and “Gramps.” For grandfathers, “Pop-Pop” emerged as the top choice in seven states. In states with a significant Spanish-speaking population, like California and Texas, “Abuela” and “Abuelo” took the lead.
A more traditional nickname
Interestingly, Hawaii, Virginia, and Vermont were the only states where the more formal terms “Grandmother” and “Grandfather” were preferred. Rhode Island stood out as the sole state where “Grandfather” held the number one spot.
Additionally, the study revealed that of the 50 states, 34 indicated a preference for spending time with their grandparents rather than their parents. Moreover, nearly half, or 49%, of respondents said they would confide in their grandparents rather than their parents. Furthermore, 44% of participants stated that their maternal grandmother was their favorite grandparent.
See the full study breakdown here.
