100 Famous Grandma Names Collection
It would also be impossible to overlook just how grandmothers have set marks in our hearts and families.
Their names bring up images of history, character, and timeless charm. What, however, about the names of grandmas who left their mark on the world?
From trailblazing leaders and literary icons, the roster is a lengthy one, including beloved entertainers whose very names serve as synonyms for legacy and inspiration.
In this blog, we examine some famous grandma names belonging to these iconic women who shaped both history and culture and our collective fantasy.
Whether naming a baby or celebrating their eternal power in every way, these grandmother names are as unforgettable as the grandmas who wear them.
Famous Grandma Names
Abigail – Joy of the Father; inspired by Abigail Adams, First Lady of the U.S.
Agatha – Good or kind; associated with Agatha Christie, the famed mystery writer.
Alice – Noble and truthful; inspired by Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple.
Amelia – Industrious or striving; Amelia Earhart, aviation pioneer.
Angela – Angel or messenger; inspired by Angela Lansbury, legendary actress.
Anna – Grace; associated with Anna Pavlova, a famous ballerina.
Audrey – Noble strength; Audrey Hepburn, iconic actress and humanitarian.
Barbara – Stranger or foreigner; Barbara Walters, trailblazing journalist.
Beatrix – Bringer of joy; Beatrix Potter, beloved children’s author.
Bessie – God is my oath; Bessie Coleman, aviation pioneer.
Betty – God is my oath; Betty White, cherished actress and comedian.
Caroline – Free or strong; Caroline Herschel, pioneering astronomer.
Catherine – Pure or clear; Catherine the Great, Russian empress.
Charlotte – Petite and feminine; Charlotte Brontë, renowned novelist.
Clara – Bright or clear; Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross.
Diana – Divine or heavenly; Diana, Princess of Wales.
Dorothy – Gift of God; Dorothy Parker, celebrated poet and critic.
Eleanor – Light or bright torch; Eleanor Roosevelt, influential First Lady.
Elizabeth – God is my oath; Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Ella – Fairy maiden or all; Ella Fitzgerald, First Lady of Song.
Emily – Industrious; Emily Dickinson, famed poet.
Emma – Universal or whole; Emma Goldman, activist and writer.
Florence – Flourishing or blooming; Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.
Frida – Peace; Frida Kahlo, celebrated artist.
Georgia – Farmer; Georgia O’Keeffe, iconic American painter.
Gertrude – Spear of strength; Gertrude Stein, avant-garde writer.
Gloria – Glory; Gloria Steinem, feminist and activist.
Grace – Graceful or elegant; Grace Kelly, actress turned princess.
Harriet – Ruler of the home; Harriet Tubman, abolitionist and activist.
Helen – Shining light; Helen Keller, author and activist.
Hilda – Battle woman; Hilda of Whitby, Anglo-Saxon abbess.
Ida – Industrious one; Ida B. Wells, journalist and activist.
Irene – Peace; Irene Joliot-Curie, Nobel Prize-winning scientist.
Jane – God is gracious; Jane Austen, beloved novelist.
Joan – God is gracious; Joan of Arc, French saint and martyr.
Julia – Youthful; Julia Child, culinary icon.
Louisa – Renowned warrior; Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women.
Lucille – Light; Lucille Ball, trailblazing comedian and actress.
Margaret – Pearl; Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister.
Maria – Bitter or beloved; Maria Montessori, education pioneer.
Marie – Bitter or beloved; Marie Curie, Nobel Prize-winning scientist.
Martha – Lady or mistress; Martha Washington, First Lady of the U.S.
Mary – Bitter or beloved; Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.
Nellie – Shining light; Nellie Bly, journalist and adventurer.
Oprah – Fawn; Oprah Winfrey, media mogul and philanthropist.
Rosa – Rose or flower; Rosa Parks, civil rights icon.
Simone – One who hears; Simone de Beauvoir, philosopher and feminist.
Susan – Lily or pure; Susan B. Anthony, women’s suffrage leader.
Theresa – Harvester; Mother Teresa, saint and humanitarian.
Victoria – Victory; Queen Victoria of England.
Agnes – Pure or holy; Saint Agnes, patron saint of girls.
Alexandra – Defender of the people; inspired by Alexandra Kollontai, Russian revolutionary.
Alma – Soul or nurturing; Alma Thomas, pioneering African American artist.
Anita – Grace; Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.
Annabelle – Lovable or graceful; Annabelle Lyon, Canadian ballerina.
Arianna – Most holy; inspired by Arianna Huffington, media mogul.
Astrid – Divine strength; Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking.
Beatrice – Bringer of joy; Beatrice Webb, social reformer.
Bella – Beautiful; Bella Abzug, feminist and U.S. congresswoman.
Bessie – God is my oath; Bessie Smith, iconic blues singer.
Carmela – Garden or orchard; Carmela Corleone, fictional matriarch of The Godfather.
Celia – Heavenly or divine; Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa.
Claudia – Lame or gentle; Claudia Cardinale, Italian actress.
Constance – Constant or steadfast; Constance Markievicz, Irish revolutionary.
Daisy – Day’s eye; Daisy Bates, civil rights activist.
Daphne – Laurel tree; Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca.
Delia – From Delos; Delia Derbyshire, electronic music pioneer.
Doris – Gift of the ocean; Doris Day, singer and actress.
Eartha – Of the earth; Eartha Kitt, singer and actress.
Edith – Prosperity in war; Edith Wharton, Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
Effie – Pleasant speech; Effie Gray, muse and model in Victorian art.
Eileen – Bright or shining one; Eileen Gray, modernist architect.
Elaine – Shining light; Elaine Paige, actress and singer.
Elsie – Pledged to God; Elsie Inglis, Scottish suffragist and doctor.
Esther – Star; Queen Esther, biblical heroine.
Eugenie – Noble-born; Empress Eugénie, last Empress of France.
Fanny – Free one; Fanny Mendelssohn, composer and pianist.
Flora – Flower or bloom; Flora Tristan, socialist and writer.
Frances – Free or truthful; Frances Perkins, U.S. labor secretary and reformer.
Georgette – Farmer; Georgette Heyer, Regency romance author.
Harper – Harp player; Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Henrietta – Ruler of the home; Henrietta Lacks, woman whose cells revolutionized science.
Hester – Star; Hester Prynne, heroine of The Scarlet Letter.
Hope – Trust or expectation; Hope Summers, actress and voice of wisdom in film.
Ingrid – Beautiful and beloved; Ingrid Bergman, iconic actress.
Ivy – Faithfulness; Ivy Compton-Burnett, English novelist.
Janet – God is gracious; Janet Reno, first female U.S. Attorney General.
Jocelyn – Happy or playful; Jocelyn Bell Burnell, astrophysicist.
Judith – Woman from Judea; Judith Jamison, legendary dancer and choreographer.
Leona – Lioness; Leona Helmsley, hotelier.
Lillian – Lily or purity; Lillian Gish, pioneer actress of silent films.
Loretta – Laurel or victory; Loretta Lynn, country music legend.
Louise – Renowned warrior; Louise Bourgeois, influential artist.
Mabel – Lovable; Mabel Normand, silent film star.
Marcelle – Little warrior; Marcelle Ferron, Canadian abstract artist.
Matilda – Mighty in battle; Matilda of Flanders, Queen of England.
Maude – Battle mighty; Maude Adams, Broadway actress.
Nina – Little girl or strong; Nina Simone, jazz singer and civil rights activist.
Pauline – Small or humble; Pauline Kael, influential film critic.
Viola – Violet flower; Viola Desmond, Canadian civil rights pioneer.
