What Will Your Grandkids Call You? 100+ Grandpa Names

Before the baby arrives, almost every big decision belongs to the parents. The name, the nursery, the pediatrician. But there is one choice that is almost always entirely yours: what your grandchild will call you.

For some grandfathers, that is easy. You always knew you would be Grandpa, same as your own grandfather, and that is that. For others, it takes more thought. Maybe Grandpa feels older than you picture yourself. Maybe there is already a Grandpa on the other side. Maybe you just want something that sounds like you.

Here are 100+ grandpa names to try on, from the classics to the playful to the ones a toddler can actually get out of their mouth.

The Classic Names

The traditional names stay popular for good reason. They are warm, easy to say, and carry generations of meaning. Papa is one of the most common grandpa names in the country, simple, and often one of the first words a toddler manages. Pop, Pops, and Pop Pop land in the same friendly territory. Grandpa, Gramps, and Granddad round out the traditional favorites.

If you want something familiar but a little softer, names with a -y ending do a lot of work: Grampy, Poppy, Pappy, Grandpappy. They sound gentle coming from a small child, which is part of why they stick.

• Papa
• Pappy
• Pap Pap
• Paps
• Papster
• Papu
• Pop
• Pop Pop
• Pops
• Poppy
• Poppo
• Poppi
• Popsi
• Popsy
• Grandpa
• Grampa
• Gramp
• Grandpop
• Grandpapa
• Grandfather
• Granddad
• Grandaddy
• Grandpappy
• Gramps
• Grampsy
• Grampy
• Grampers
• Pa
• Pap

Unique and Cool Grandpa Names

Not every grandfather is a Grandpa type. Some want a name with a little more personality, something nobody else in the family has.

Some grandfathers go with a name that reflects what they are known for. A former athlete becomes Coach. The family fix-it man becomes Doc or Professor. The one always steering the boat becomes Captain, Skipper, or Chief. These title names work especially well when they are already true to who you are.

• Ace
• Big Daddy
• Big Kahuna
• Big Pa
• Big Pop
• Big Poppa
• Boomer
• Boss
• Buck
• Buzz
• Buzzy
• Captain
• Chief
• Coach
• Daddio
• Doc
• Duke
• G-Da
• G-Dad
• G-Dog
• G-Daddy
• G-Pa
• G-Pop
• Gee
• Gopa
• Goopa
• Grady
• Granddude
• King
• Major
• Papi
• Pip
• Poppa G
• Popdaddy
• Popz
• Professor
• Rocky
• Saint
• Senior
• Sir
• Skipper

Names a Toddler Can Actually Say

Here is the thing about toddlers: they have opinions. Some of the most beloved grandpa names in the world started as a small child’s best attempt at “Grandpa” and simply stuck forever.

Names with repeating sounds are easiest for new talkers. Baba, Boppa, Bubba, Pop Pop, Pawpaw, Peepaw. Short and bouncy wins. If you have your heart set on a name, go ahead and use it, but hold it loosely. Bumpa, Boppy, and Poppo all started as happy accidents and became the real thing.

• Api
• Baba
• Baboo
• Bappy
• Bompa
• Bonpa
• Bop
• Boppa
• Boppy
• Bubba
• Bubs
• Buddy
• Bumpa
• Bumpy
• Buster
• Gampa
• Geepa
• Gee-Paw
• Geez
• Grady
• Grandbop
• Grandsie
• Grandy
• Gumpa
• Gumps
• Gus
• Pawpaw
• Peepaw
• Peppy
• Pippo
• Popo
• Popparoo
• Popeye

The “Grumpy” Names and Why They Work

Some of the most beloved grandpa names sound a little cranky. And that is exactly what makes them fun. A Grumpa or a Grumpy is almost never actually grumpy. It is the name a family gives the softie who pretends to complain about babysitting and then never wants to hand the baby back.

• Bear
• Grand Bear
• Grumpa
• Grumps
• Grumpus
• Grumpy
• Papa Bear
• Poppy Bear

Matching Your Name to Grandma’s

A little planning here can save everyone confusion. If the grandmother in your household is going with Grandma or Nana, a matching Grandpa or Papa keeps things tidy. If she has picked something with more flair, you will want a name that sits nicely beside it. Poppy and Mimi. Boppa and Gigi. Pop and Lolly.

What About the Other Grandpa?

A lot of families tie themselves in knots over this one. Two grandpas with the same name sounds like a problem. In practice, it rarely is.

Children are remarkably good at keeping people straight, even when the names sound nearly identical. As the source article’s author puts it, her children had a Poppo on one side and a Papoo on the other. The adults said the wrong name constantly. The kids never did. They knew exactly which grandfather was which.

If the duplication bothers the grown-ups more than the grandkids, the fix is simple. One grandpa can add his first name — Grandpa Jim — take a small variation like Pop Pop instead of Grandpa, or choose something different altogether. But do it because you want to, not because you are worried the baby can’t sort it out. They can.

What If the Parents Have a Preference?

Sometimes they do, and it is worth listening. Parents occasionally have a reason, maybe they want to save Papa for the other side, or they are thinking about what is easiest for the baby to manage. Being gracious about this small thing sets a good tone for the whole relationship.