REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN WHAT WE CALL OUR GRANDPARENTS: NEW RESEARCH

Independent consumer research released by emporia Telecom shows the names that Brits use for their grandparents reveal marked differences across the country

The research revealed that for British grandmothers, the top five names at a national level are Nan (33%), Grandma (32%), Nana (24%), Nanny (22%) and Granny (14%). Only one-in-ten use the term Gran.

Looking into the regional variations, there are stark differences between the sovereign nations of the UK. Half of Welsh grandmothers are referred to as Nans, whereas Scots don’t like the name as much – with only 8% of grandmothers in Glasgow and 6% in Edinburgh being identified as such.

Nan is used even less in Northern Ireland with just 4% – where Granny is by far the most popular name (43%) followed by Nanny (39%). Granny is also the most popular name for Scottish grandmothers, with 45% of people in Edinburgh using it and 31% in Glasgow.

For grandfathers, the most popular name nationwide is Grandad (68%). In contrast, only one in five Brits opts to use Grandpa (22%).

Chris Millington, UK and Ireland Managing Director at emporia Telecom, said: ‘The names we give to our grandparents are often passed down through the generations. They are hugely important as they are how we identify and connect with our family members. Thankfully, as we live longer almost half of the adult population still have grandparents.’