Nan Instead Of Gran

[renegadefm]

When did we adopt Nan instead of Gran?

My partner is quite touchy about it, she prefers to be called Nan or Nanny instead of Gran or Granny, and if anyone calls her Gran she hates it, she said it makes her sound old. 

 

But I always thought a Nanny was someone rich people hired to clean their house, it seems odd to me using Nanny instead of Granny. 

 

Not sure what decade this started as it just seems to have crept up on us. 

[DTCwordfan]

Nan for his parental mother, Gran for hers is what I have always understood it to be.....

[237SJ]

I was born in the 60s and I always said Nanny.  Nanny and Grandad.

[hellywelly4]

I love being Granny. My husband's mother was Nanny but I never wanted to be called that.

[ladybirder]

A Nanny wasn't hired by rich people to clean the house but to look after the children imo.

[renegadefm]

ladybirder, 

I remember watching the tv program Butterflies, and the family in that used to have a Nanny that cleaned the house, they described her as Nanny, but it couldn't have been to look after the kids as they were already grown men. 

 

And in Asian countries like the Philippines they call hired cleaners Helpers. They almost become like a member of the family as they are so cheap to hire.

 

It just confuses me why would a woman who has grandchildren preferred to be called Nanny, especially as Nanny is related to someone who does a very low type of job. Or even Nanny goat. 

 

What is so wrong with Granny? 

[barry1010]

My mother felt the same about Nanny but also objected to children being called 'kids'.  Nannies and kids are goats, she used to say 

[Vagus]

My husbands grandparents were known by him as Nana and Grandad. My grandparents, all of them, were known as Grandma and Grandad to me.

We're known by all our grandchildren as Grandma and Grandad, some of the children call their other grandparents Granny, Grandpa,Poppop, Nanny.

Personally I don't think it matters what grandparents are known as, there are no rules, we just decided we'd be Grandma and Grandad, and that's what we are.

[Cloverjo]

I'm Granny. I hate Nan or Nana. My paternal grandmother was Nanny in the 1960s. 
 

 

[renegadefm]

237SJ, 

I was born in the late 60's and although I know the term Nanny isn't new as such. I would say I first heard it used about 20 years ago, but it is relatively a modern use of the word.

 

I just am very baffled why this has crept into families lives, and why did Gran become old fashioned. I find it quite sad in a way

[bednobs]

i am 50 and my nans were always "nan/nanny" my daughters grandma is grandma

[Canary42]

I only ever had one grandparent, and she was known as Gran.

Like the OP, I find the drift to Nan rather sad (not sure why LOL). We'll be adopting the American Mom next.

[Old_Geezer]

Before I was born. My (surviving) grandmother was always called Nan by her grandchildren.

[pastafreak]

My mother (American if that means anything, was grandma),his mother was granny.

[pastafreak]

Oi! I heard that Canary.

[Prudie]

I'm baffled on how you could possibly think calling a grandmother Nan or Nanny has crept into modern life. My paternal grandmother wanted to be called Nan and if she were still alive she'd be about 120. Nan, Nanny or Nana have been used for decades as a name for a grandmother (as well as someone who looks after 'rich' people's babies!!)

[Canary42]

Ooops, soz pasta   😊  😊  😊  😊  😊  

[Peter Pedant]

Nope - poor old Chazza - Prince Chazza that is! asked a mature leddy ( soon after he  left Bangor) " are you his Nana?"

and was ridiculed for years over nannies in wales. A courtier explained that Nana was used in Welsh Wales look you ! for 'grandmother' ( I bet Sir Chomondeley Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes put on a welsh-wales accent for that one - Twizzie to his frenz) 

so as Chazza might have written in his uni finals : "The Gran-Nan linguistic dichotomy is by no means settled. Linguistic change is faster at the perceived centre of a language and we can conclude

[Peter Pedant]

I hope this helps.

AND

But I always thought a nan was something rich people ordered in an Asian restaurant to clean their palates... - remarkable powers of observation and deduction

[Boto]

Nan is not a relatively modern word.  In many parts of Wales the grandmother is often Nan (or Nain) and has been for years, many more than 20! Does it really matter?

[Maydup]

We had Nanny Surname back in the 60's, but when my mother became a grandmother in the 90's she wanted to be Grandma. Now I am grandmother and called Nana Maydup.

Surely like other things, its a matter of choice? 

Granny has always felt the most old fashioned to me and brings to mind a very old white haired lady in a hand knitted cardy!