Aunt vs. Auntie, now with clicky poll

526SadieSadie

So clearly, this post isn't about a baby name.

My MIL thinks that calling someone "Auntie" is an Italian thing (She's Irish).  DH's family is the only one I have ever come across that doesn't say "Auntie".  Where do you all fall in the Aunt/Auntie continuum?  I thought it was a regional thing but now I'm curious.  It's not a male/female thing, at least not in my family because all of my older male cousins say Auntie, too.

If my SIL requests Aunt instead of Auntie, I will honor her request but that doesn't mean I won't constantly slip up.

[Poll]

SGC29

I say Aunt, I haven't known many people IRL who say "Auntie". I mostly hear "Aunt" from everyone I know.

ETA: I don't think it is an Italian thing though because my DH and his family are all Italian and they definitely say "Aunt".  

COMomma81

I'm an "Auntie" user here. Definitely NOT Italian. Could it be a regional thing, maybe?

rsrs807

I dont think auntie is an Italian thing. I go by "Aunt" to my nieces and nephew but a friend of mine told me this week she was declaring herself "Auntie Alyssa" to my baby so maybe for her its normal.

lulling

I am Italian.  I have never heard anyone say Auntie.

MarxieVonTrapp

A lot my great-aunts and great-uncles were Italian (FOTB Italian) and they were all Uncles and Aunts. Not Aunties.

My DH's aunt is called Auntie Norma, but it's quite tongue in cheek and sounds much better in British English.

plunderb

I am Italian (from New England).

My family says Aunt, pronounced Ont, not Ant. 

I suspect the variations are regional, rather than strongly ethnic (excluding Tia/Zia, etc.), and that they probably have something to do with the Aunt's name. For example, if the aunt has a short o sound, I would be more inclined to use Auntie (Auntie Monica to break up Aunt Monica), but Aunt would be better for an aunt whose name ends in -ie/-y (Aunt Katie vs. Auntie Katie).

MrsWindyCity

Thea for my side, since I'm Greek, Aunt for DH's side. Auntie bothers me for some reason. I definitely don't think it's an Italian thing, either.

salt78

I've never known anyone (Italian or otherwise) that used Auntie. Besides Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

MrsClark8109

Ive always used "aunt" for actual aunts...but auntie for close female friends of the family.

We also have a "CA" (prounounced Kay) Ginny....but that just stands for crazy aunt and we dont use it to her face...

juniper19

Everyone I know uses aunt, but why wouldn't you just do whatever SIL wants? My vote is for whatever the aunt wants to be called.

da731

Joy2611:

I say Aunt.  Everyone I know says Aunt.

My niece was born a few weeks ago and we all refer to me jokingly as Auntie Joy.  It might stick for the baby but it's just a nickname.  It isn't a cultural thing.

 

EDIT: I hate when people say Aunt like with the long o sound - like Ont.  It sounds so pretentious.  I say Aunt like Ant.  You can judge me for that :-)

I'm right there with you on this. 

seansbabygirl

Joy2611:

EDIT: I hate when people say Aunt like with the long o sound - like Ont.  It sounds so pretentious.  I say Aunt like Ant.  You can judge me for that :-) 

Not judging, but both my DH and I say it that way. I think it's a regional dialect thing though. We're from central MA. But my cousins from NJ and FL say "ant". Personally I don't like that way because it sounds nasally to me lol. To each their own.

salt78

da731:

Joy2611:

I say Aunt.  Everyone I know says Aunt.

My niece was born a few weeks ago and we all refer to me jokingly as Auntie Joy.  It might stick for the baby but it's just a nickname.  It isn't a cultural thing.

 

EDIT: I hate when people say Aunt like with the long o sound - like Ont.  It sounds so pretentious.  I say Aunt like Ant.  You can judge me for that :-)

 

I'm right there with you on this. 

A lot of times that pronunciation is regional. It's not like people can help it.

artygirl

Most people I know use Aunt and growing up I had aunts.  My sister and I are going by Auntie N and Auntie D though.  No real reason, we just like the way it sounds!  I started calling her Auntie D instead of Aunt Danielle and she reciprocated.

femmepink

I called all of my aunts "Auntie" until I grew out of it with most of them. I consider it kind of a cutesy term of endearment and associate it more with young kids. It has caught on for me with some of my aunts though and I cant picture calling them anything but auntie now. My fiance is the same with his family. We live in Canada and aren't Italian. ETA: more info

foxymulder

salt78:

I've never known anyone (Italian or otherwise) that used Auntie. Besides Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

 This!

526SadieSadie

Joy2611:

EDIT: I hate when people say Aunt like with the long o sound - like Ont.  It sounds so pretentious.  I say Aunt like Ant.  You can judge me for that :-) 

 It's definitely regional dialect.  I'm not judging, either.

For clarification, I'm talking about Ontie, not Antie (like Antie Em).

I'm really surprised by what I'm reading here!  All of my friends and family say Auntie, my best friend's son has always called me Auntie.  DH and his family are the only ones I know of that say Aunt.  It sounds so formal to me!  If I'm talking about an aunt, I'll generaly say "my Aunt", but if I'm addressing them, I definitely always say "Auntie"

 

aubreyan

I always thought Auntie was an a common African American name.  That's the only time I have heard it used is by African American friends and collegaues.  We always used Aunt growing up!

grace782

I say/use "Aunt" with my son's actual aunts, his Aunts Michelle (yes, he has two of them). I use "Auntie" for the ones who aren't family - my female friends who I'm particularly close to.

bumpuser6119831

The only time I say Auntie is when I am joking around with my Aunt Janice.

kmariec777

Everyone in my family is Auntie - we are British/German/Canadian. On DH's side everyone is Aunt - they are all Canadian.

austenreader85

I have many Aunts but only a few Aunties.  It's sort of like an endearment thing for me.  Though, Auntie is entirely acceptable and quite common around here, I would argue that it's a regional thing. 

I think a bigger argument is the pronunciation.  

brookelynpaisley

In our family, Aunt was always used for our biological relatives. Auntie was an honorary title used for close friends of the family.

paulaanne

My little nephews call me auntie, but I am sure they will grow out of that.

HAFranklin

MrsClark8109:

Ive always used "aunt" for actual aunts...but auntie for close female friends of the family.

We also have a "CA" (prounounced Kay) Ginny....but that just stands for crazy aunt and we dont use it to her face...

 This.

rnfromtn

My name starts with T, and so my neices and nephews call me Aunt T.  Almost comes out sounding like Auntie, but really is more Ant Tee.  My very italian stepcousins call the aunts, "Auntie" with the o sound like "On-tee"  To each their own right?

MissBHaven1024

I think "auntie" is just a sweeter way to refer to your aunt. I also think a lot of friends or family friends who aren't biologically related to the baby or child call themselves auntie.

magsugar13

we use Zia and aunt...no aunties in this italian family

FreyaWin2382

All of my aunts are "Aunties"....I grew up in Hawaii, and the Ohana is a huge part of the culture, so I had many "Aunties" growing up.

 

digwriter

I'm an auntie to this day, and my niece/nephew are 18 and 19 years old.

Not Italian, Caribbean. We tend to use auntie even into adulthood.

Oatoa

Joy2611:

EDIT: I hate when people say Aunt like with the long o sound - like Ont.  It sounds so pretentious.  I say Aunt like Ant.  You can judge me for that :-)

Must be a Philly thing because I say Aunt like Ant too.

However, my family is split.  I have two Aunts and two Aunties.

MrsP7309

Most of my aunts are just aunts... I have one Auntie, my grandmother's identical twin.

kim1989

Im from england and everyone I know says Auntie, some people spell it Aunty though (not me I hate it spelt like that :-p)

guilletskichuk

526SadieSadie:

Joy2611:

EDIT: I hate when people say Aunt like with the long o sound - like Ont.  It sounds so pretentious.  I say Aunt like Ant.  You can judge me for that :-) 

 It's definitely regional dialect.  I'm not judging, either.

For clarification, I'm talking about Ontie, not Antie (like Antie Em).

I'm really surprised by what I'm reading here!  All of my friends and family say Auntie, my best friend's son has always called me Auntie.  DH and his family are the only ones I know of that say Aunt.  It sounds so formal to me!  If I'm talking about an aunt, I'll generaly say "my Aunt", but if I'm addressing them, I definitely always say "Auntie"

 

 

This exactly!