The evolution of names as a parent is fascinating to me. I used to have a name that my parents gave me, but it’s now been replaced by an all-purpose parental pronoun: Mama.

We chose “Mama” intentionally when our son was born. It was a good parallel to “Papa” which my husband prefers to Dad or Daddy.

I refer to my own mother as Mum (perhaps it’s the British accent I wish I had showing through).

Many people refer to me as “Mommy” when talking to my son. This one it a pet peeve of mine because it’s diminutive (like Puppy or Kitty) and mothers are anything but! As you well know, we mamas are the makers, the educators, the caregivers, the creators, the doers of hard things. But, of course, “Mommy” may also be the sweet name that shows your child’s trust and love for you.

Mom names can also be culturally linked or taken from the native language of your family. These beautiful names, like Ema (Hebrew), Hooyo (Somali), Niam (Hmong), or Omaamaamimaa (Ojibwa), also reflect the nature of our role in our extended family heritage.

Eventually, I know I will become So-and-So’s Mom. And like most parents, I will suffer this renaming with good humor. Afterall, Mom is my superhero name.

What does your child call you?