Hip baby boomers shun `granny' names

Houston Chronicle ^ | 3/20/04 | ELLEN WARREN

[qam1]

Hearing, "You don't look old enough to be a grandparent," is a little like being a good-looking corpse. Not the greatest compliment.

Baby boomers entering the grandparent years are launching a small semantic revolution to avoid the traditional label of senior citizen status. These youth cult boomers are demanding that their grandkids call them names with a younger sound than the traditional "grandma" and "grandpa."

"Baby boomers don't want to adhere to the blue-haired old granny stereotype. They are choosing young-sounding names for themselves because generally they don't think of themselves as grandparent age," says Norah Burch, 30, a self-described "name nerd" who has been tracking options for the new slew of first-time grandparents on her Web site, www.namenerds.com.

Burch's own mother decided that her grandchildren would call her "Moogie," the term for "mother" from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"I don't have any problem, even for one second, being a grandmother. For me it's just the name," explained Laura Burch, who became a grandmother, at age 51, to Mikala, who is now 9 (followed by Jacob, 5, and Ari, 2).

Norah Burch says her mom, a potter who lives in Ithaca, N.Y., chose the unconventional name "because she associated `grandma' and `granny' et al with bingo playing and driving a giant Oldsmobile."

"My mom and her whole circle of friends, when they started having grandkids in their 50s, the thought of being called `grandma' was pretty awful to them. They weren't gray-haired old ladies sitting around in rocking chairs baking cookies."

One correspondent on namenerds.com writes, "My mom is your typical white middle-class suburban Southern Baptist Bible-thumpin' Dubya-suppportin' Texan. She has big, puffy, shellacked blond hair and wears T-shirts with three-dimensional objects hanging off them. She believes in Jesus Christ, the Republican Party, craft fairs and spiral perms. She has rebelled against Grandma because it sounds `old' and she's only 41."

She wants her grandkids to call her "Peaches." "She's even thinking of having a peach tattooed on her toe."

[Xenalyte]

Now that I see 'Moogie,' the ST fan in me is finding that quite cute and attractive. Bubbe is nice as well. Who cares what you're called?

Any progeny I might have who call me anything containing "moo" will find themselves disinherited right speedily.

[surrey]

My son-in-law has Mom and Dad and their respective spouses. My grandson calls his grandfathers OPA and his grandmothers OMA. To me it's very confusing. He also has lots of great-grandparents who are also OPAS and OMAS.

[Ditto]

Feel like you're man enough, Sonny?

[CathyRyan]

My aunt would get up at the crack of dawn so she could get her house work done so she would be free at a proper hour to get on the phone and start her county wide re-con activities. There was not a fight, divorce, marriage, or ner-do-well activity that she did not have the drop on. She could have taught the CIA intel. LOL I think her health started the fail the day she saw a house and did not know who lived there and did not know their whole history. I love her and I really miss her.

[Xenalyte]

Cookie baking in my book is a whole lot better than paper shuffling. At least kids can eat the cookies.

Co-worker at a previous job of mine can testify to at least two kids (her own) finding her paperwork delicious on more than one occasion.

[old3030]

That's the way I did it.

My wife insisted on being called 'Grandma' -- none of that flaky 'Nana' stuff for her. Her sister is 'Nana'.

My first granddaughter called me 'Poppy' one evening and I have worn it proudly ever since. I would have been just as happy with any other name she might have chosen for me.

[Eva]

My mother-in-law did this thirty years ago for the same reason, vanity. She insisted in being called "Mama," the same word that my infant daughter used for me. Actually it is always the first term used for mother because it is probably one of the first sounds that a baby can make. I am sure this fact didn't get past my mother-in-law, either.

[WASH]

If you had been able to experience what "The Greatest Generation" attitudes were when they were in their 20s,30s and 40s, you would have a different outlook on them being better than boomers.

Here's a dirty little secret for you and the rest of the "Xers" - "The Greatest Generation" will not tell you or lie to you about what they really think about such things as race relations. Their excuse for this is "They are just to young to understand".

[Xenalyte]

Is this kind of thinking widespread among Xers or is it just thread trolling?

Next time it happens, take note of who does it. Dollars to doughnuts you'll find repeat offenders, which spells THREAD TROLL!

For the record, Thread Troll would be a good name for a band.

[qam1]

Especially since all of them are named Justin and Brittany. We

That I will agree with. That's one thing wrong with Gen-X & Gen-Y is a these stupid names they name their kids like Brandon, Brittney, Cody, Dylan, Justin, Kyle, Taylor, Tyler, etc. One kid named the above here or there is OK but when they are all named that, Geez.

[freedumb2003]

Baby Boomers should just be put in mass graves. What a terrible plague of social ills they've brought to our country.

Says the generation that invented the idea of living at home until the mid-30s and hovering around their dying parents in hopes of getting a big will .

Spoiled whiners and pikers the lot of you.

Note to boomers -- when you have to go, go broke (give your $$ to your grandkids and skip the pathetic whiners).

[Xenalyte]

Lol - my grandmother wanted us kids to call her Grandmama. We called her grandma or grandmother.

My cousin and I (whose grandmothers were sisters) called each of our grandmas "Grandmama." When we were all together, she referred to mine as "Grandmama Lady." It fit, 'cause Dad's mom was one of the classiest ladies I've ever known.

[Xenalyte]

Here in Texas, "Opa" and "Oma" used to be a sure sign of German heritage.

My Czech boyfriend has nephews and nieces who call his parents "Boopaw" and "Heidi."

[Xenalyte]

Madison, Dakoita, and Kylie are targets of my recent ire. Ugh.

I thank God every day that my sister and her husband had the sense to give their children timeless names: Abigail, Emma, Elizabeth.

[Euro-American Scum]

"My mom and her whole circle of friends, when they started having grandkids in their 50s, the thought of being called `grandma' was pretty awful to them. They weren't gray-haired old ladies sitting around in rocking chairs baking cookies."

God, I am so embarrassed to be part of this generation. (Proud Grandpa x3.)

[GraceCoolidge]

Norah Burch says her mom, a potter who lives in Ithaca, N.Y., chose the unconventional name "because she associated `grandma' and `granny' et al with bingo playing and driving a giant Oldsmobile."

I like old fashioned names. Having said that, I'd like to point out that this hip "potter who lives in Ithaca" and wants an unconventional name gave her own daughter the name "Norah" which I would say is a pretty old fashioned one, even one you might find on one of those bingo players. Of course, maybe the daughter was originally named Starr or Snowflake or Rainfall and had it legally changed? I would not blame her if that is the case.

[T.Smith]

I have a feeling you might wrinkle your nose at my daughter's name - Lanie. Her middle name is Elizabeth, though, which means she can have two names just like a proper southern belle - Lanie Beth. She doesn't really like it when I call her that, so I usually resort to Punkin or Monkey. Occasionally I'll call her Lanie Bear.

I don't know why I felt the need to tell you all of that...

[Xenalyte]

Not at all! I don't think Lanie's that trendy a name - I've not met any children named Lanie. I have known several Lanies in adulthood, almost all formal Elaines, who spelled it "Lainie." It's a very southern name.

My test is, "Can you imagine a topless dancer named that?" If so, do not name your child that. Lanie wouldn't ever be a dancer.

[wtc911]

I've got two full grown and another two almost there. My oldest believes he's got it made because his generation offers no competition. He's 30 and considers himself the only one of his friends to be an adult. He fends 100% for himself, after we took care of college. He's in grad school and involved in RE investment on the side. He has zero debt and gives seminars to his contemps (whom he calls kids) on how to find a job. He also had the guts to go back into GZ to work in the rubble on day two after barely escaping on the 11th.

I do a fair amount of work with the Army. My contacts are mostly E-4s to E-7s. They are all "X/Y" people. Some of my friends in this group are recently back from the sh**, not all in one piece either.

If I did not know these young folks, my son included, but only knew about their generation from this and similar threads I'd be deeply concerned for America's future. As it stands I believe that there are if not more X/Yers like my son and the Sgts than there are like these crybabies, there are at least enough of them to get things done.

[T.Smith]

It's actually taken from my wife's maiden name. Lanier, drop the 'r'.

I wouldn't be so sure about Lanie's future as a dancer. At the tender age of three she is already wont to take her shirt off and run around the house. Apart from that she's very girlie. I mean, don't even THINK about getting a bug next to her! And, you should just see how she reacts when my son (age 4) comes after her with his Hulk Hands.

*sigh* I just love talking about my kids.