I was with friends as they were discussing their future grandmother moniker like they were choosing a stage name or adding the right tile for a Scrabble triple word score. It was a lot of conversation involving nonexistent family members. The interesting part to me was not how outrageous and weird the names became, but the rituals existing in the naming practice.

Some friends wanted a unique name, thinking the future grandchildren may not be able to differentiate between the maternal, paternal or step-grandparent. I have not put any thought into this before this conversation. I envision myself responding and running toward whatever the cute little being manages to call me. Again, I’m not even a plant or pet grandparent yet.

One side of my extended family was known as The Grands, while my other grandmother only responded to being called by her first name by her children and grandchildren. It worked. Sometimes the granny names have been chosen because of older cousins, and there isn’t much choice. My son began calling my mother-in-law “Mema,” and she was ecstatic. Already a five-time, super grandma, she grasped onto the nickname like a magnet to metal. It didn’t stick. My son soon followed his cousins, yelling for grandma and shelving the name Mema forever. It could have been worse. The grandfather’s name? Grumpy.

There are plenty of books and websites helping new parents choose the right name for their child. Don’t worry. Grandparents get the same treatment. Books, blogs and even an online roulette wheel can help you choose if you are an Ona or a Noni. You could also take your first pet’s name and the street you grew up on. Wait. That’s a different naming game.

In an abstract by S. S. Thompson, University of Kentucky, Mamaw Got Run Over By a Combine: Grandparent Naming Practices in the Rural South, the longstanding southern tradition of double-names extends well beyond first names and deep into grandparent territory with combinations of a granny derivative and first name or nickname, such as GG Mary. The names endure because the grandparents teach the chosen name to their grandchildren.

If you’re lucky, you don’t care what your children call their grandparents; you want everyone to connect and be involved. If you are approaching the grandparent stage, have fun choosing a name. I hope it sticks.