As with a new Grandma learning you are about to become a Grandfather is a moment to be proud of and, as with the new Grandma one of the first questions always seems to be – so what should I be called?
With Grandfather a little more importance is placed on seniority unless the other grandparent already has a chosen name used by other grandchildren. There are instances, and not uncommon, where you can retain the same chosen name as the other grandparent but usually you would then need to tag on your name at the end, eg Poppa Brian or Grandpa Tony. Otherwise you can choose an alternative.
Remember when choosing your name not to make it too similar to the name chosen by the other grandparent. It’s the grandchildren who will struggle with names that they can’t distinguish the differences.
Sometimes there is a name that has been passed down by tradition but perhaps you don’t like it or want to develop your own traditions. Also nowadays often your own parents are also still around and it would be confusing to pass a traditional name down to yourself – your poor grandchildren and even children!
Keep in mind too that you may choose a name but your children may not like it. Of course the prerogative is yours but you may want to keep them happy too. Plus of course remember when choosing a name that your grandchildren do need to be able to pronounce it themselves, although this can result in some interesting and yet often attractive alternatives which, if you are happy to keep, can often be adopted as the given name!
Good old traditional names of course include the likes of Poppa, Grandpa, Grandy, Gramps, Pops or even Boppy. However if you would like some alternatives to consider perhaps a derivative from a foreign word for Grandfather may be an alternative. Below are a few that might just appeal to you –