Mam, mum, mom or mammy – what do most Irish people call their mothers?

"Mam" is the most popular form of address for mothers in Ireland. Some 31 per cent of adults call their mother "Mam" when speaking to her, 23 per cent prefer "Mum", 12 per cent say "Mom" and a further 12 per cent use "Mammy". Another 4 per cent of respondents call their mothers by their first name.

The survey was conducted by iReach on behalf of the Woman’s Way and Beko Mum of the Year awards.

Regional variations exist, with "Mam" the most popular in Munster (38 per cent), Connacht (31 per cent) and Leinster (28 per cent), while "Mum" is top in Ulster (53 per cent). There are also differences within certain counties. For example, Dublin respondents use Mam (27 per cent), Mom (26 per cent) and Ma (14 per cent).

The researchers also asked about taboos between Irish adults and their mothers. They found three in five Irish adults are uncomfortable discussing sex with their mothers. Some 30 per cent find it awkward talking about their relationships, and 18 per cent find it hard to talk about finance.

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Just one in 10 people is uncomfortable discussing the topic of health with their mothers.

When asked “what are mothers best at?” 39 per cent answered “being supportive”, 20 per cent answered “accepting them no matter what”, and 16 per cent said “being told to cop on to themselves”.

The survey found that 40 per cent of adults are planning on seeing their mother in person on Mother’s Day on March 27th, another 17 per cent will send a card, and 11 per cent said there was a chance they might forget the day.

The research was conducted by iReach Insights on behalf of Beko. The findings are nationally representative of adults across gender, age, region, and socioeconomic demographics. This survey took place between 10th and 16th March 2022 and delivered 1,200 responses.

If you know a mother who you believe deserves a Beko Mum of the Year award, complete the nomination form in the current issue of Woman's Way or on womansway.ie.