Every family is unique and the relationship that each stepmom has with her new family will be different.
In most situations, it would feel weird for kids to call their stepmom, ‘mom’.
Yet calling her by her first name might not feel exactly right either, considering how important she is to the family.
This can be even more so with blended families where she might be mom to some of the kids and stepmom to others.
So what should kids call their stepmom?
Stepmothers play an important role in kid’s lives, so it’s a good idea to recognize that with a name that reflects that more than just ‘Sarah’.
Read on for some ideas for nicknames that kids can use to call their stepmom. If none of these fit, you can use them as ideas to help you come up with your own.
The best nickname for a stepmom might be a variation of ‘mom’ that’s not already taken by the biological mother, such as ‘Ma’ or ‘Mumsy’.
Or it could be something that seems random, yet has a hidden personal meaning. Stepmoms, dad and kids can work together to choose a fitting nickname that everyone is comfortable with.
Even if the biological mother is no longer in the picture, she could become upset if you use nicknames that include words like ‘Mom’ or ‘Mommy’. Don’t forget that she gave birth to the child so deserves everyone to be sensitive towards her feelings!
Let’s take a look at some of the options for how you could choose a good nickname for your stepmom (Or for yourself, if you’re the stepmom reading this).
How to come up with your own nickname for a stepmom
Take inspiration from this list of nicknames for stepmoms to come up with some ideas of your own.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Pick a variant of “Mom”
Any nickname that you might call your biological mom could be a good name for your stepmom. Just take care not to overstep any boundaries by choosing something that’s too similar to ‘Mom’.
Offshoots of ‘Mom’ and ‘Mommy’ that you could use for your stepmom include:
- Ma
- Mama
- Mumsy
- Mammy
- Momzie
- Mother Hen
- Mamadukes
- Big Momma
- Mummers
- Mothership
- Moo Moo
- Momster
Pick a slang word for stepmom
Using a slang word for stepmom can be a fun idea.
Some of these could be seen as derogatory, so you’ll need to have a good relationship and your stepmom will need to have a good sense of humor for these to work.
Funny slang names for stepmoms might be:
- Nother Mother (meaning another mother)
- Opie (meaning other parent)
- S’Mom (short for stepmom)
- Stepmonster (a tongue-in-cheek variant of stepmom)
- Mamacita (meaning little mother)
- Old Lady (if she has a good sense of humor!)
- BM (short for baby momma)
- Faux Ma (meaning false mom)
Use a variation on her name
Rather than just calling your stepmom by her actual name, you could come up with a variation of it.
Stepmom nicknames like these often come from very young kids who struggle to say their stepmom’s name so naturally come up with a variant of it.
Examples might be:
- Amy could become ‘My Amy’
- Judy could become ‘Momma Judy’
- Monica could become ‘MOMica’
- Cara Jane could become ‘CJ’
- Beth could become ‘Momma B’
- Courtney could become ‘Coco’
- Lexi could become ‘Leximom’
Choose a term of endearment that means ‘boss’
Women are often the head of the household, so your stepmom might relish a nickname that cements her position as the leader.
This would be particularly fitting for a stepmom who loves to run the house and take care of everyone.
Possible stepmom nicknames that mean ‘boss’ include:
- Boss Lady
- Boss Woman
- Alpha
- Miss
- Queen Bee
- Boss Babe
- Duchess
- Numero Uno
- Queenie
Pick something cute
If your stepmom is a lovely, cuddly, fluffy kind of lady, then she might suit an endearing nickname that shows how fond you are of her.
Although, you might want to consider that if you two ever end up in a fight this nickname will be quick to be abandoned!
Cute nicknames for stepmoms might be:
- Flower
- Honey
- Sugar
- Lolly
- Sunshine
- Bubbles
- Cookie
- Huggie
- Bee
- Beaut
Use a “professional” nickname
If your stepmom (or yourself, if you’re the stepmom reading this) has a particularly cool job, this could make a great nickname.
Examples include:
- Chef
- Healer
- Doc
- Nursey
- Teach
- Hockey Mom
- Dancer
- Snips
Choose a name that means ‘friend’
Depending on your relationship, a stepmom can be more of a friend than a parent.
If you get on well with your stepmom, you could pick the kind of name you would choose for your best friend. Choosing a friendly name may even strengthen the great bond you have.
If your stepmom is more like a friend, consider calling her:
- Bestie
- Darling
- Babe
- Love
- Boo
- Dearest
- Doll
- Chick
- Sweets
Pick something from a different language
If you have an international background, choosing a name that’s based on your language can be a lovely idea.
Even if you don’t, you could take inspiration from other countries to choose a nickname for your stepmom.
Some names for mom in other languages include:
- Maman (French)
- Madre or Mami (Spanish)
- Mutter (German)
- Mor (Scandinavian countries)
- Muminka (Czech)
- Mae (Portuguese)
- Amee (Urdu)
- Ahm (Arabic)
Let the kids choose
Sometimes the best stepmom nicknames come about by accident.
If you’re a new stepmom, it could be best to just wait and see what your stepkids come up with.
You could discuss it with them to see if they have any ideas, or just see what they end up naturally calling you.
Wrapping up
Stepmoms are really important for kids for many different reasons.
It’s important to find the right balance between being a ‘mom’ and being a friend, and the name that kids use to call their stepmoms can reflect that.
The age of the kids is really important too, and it may be the case that, just as kids move from ‘Mommy’ to ‘Mom’, the nicknames that they use for their stepparents change over time as well.
If you’re a stepmom to a baby who’s biological mum isn’t around, then a name that’s close to ‘Mommy’ like ‘Mama’ could be ideal.
However, if you become a stepmom to someone who’s only a few years younger than yourself, then a friendly name like ‘Doll’ or a humorous name like ‘Old Lady’ could be more fitting for your relationship.
A nickname is a really personal thing, and not necessarily something that you can pick from a list.
However, we hope that this list has given you some ideas to help you to know what kinds of nicknames you could use for your stepmom, or, if you’re a stepmom yourself, what your stepkids might like to call you.
Before you go, check out my guide to nicknames for stepdads and these middle name matcher guides.
Hope this helps!