In a world where family legacies often fade with time, one grandmother’s unique name — and the story behind it — has sparked joy for millions, proving that love, peanut butter sandwiches, and a dash of TikTok magic can bridge generations.

Enter Amanda Starace, her sister Brianna Pecora, and their 100-year-old grandma Jeanne, whose bond has become a testament to one of the internet’s sweetest moments.  Growing up with a single mother, Starace and Pecora leaned heavily on their grandma Jeanne, whose unwavering presence became the glue of their childhood, complete with laughter, love and plenty of PB&J sandwiches as the girls grew up.

Grandma Jeanne with great-granddaughter Lilly Jeanne. Photo by Brianna Pecora

So when Starace, after a challenging journey to conceive, discovered she was expecting, there was no question about honoring the woman who’d prayed fervently for her granddaughter’s joy. Over a tearful lunch, Starace shared the news with Jeanne, whose reaction was pure delight.

“My due date was Oct. 8, which is also my birthday,” Starace said. “It’s a meaningful date for our family because my mom had a baby before me, a little boy named Joseph. He was born in August but had a genetic mutation that prevented him from digesting food, so he passed away on Oct. 8, 1990. Then, I was born on Oct. 8, 1991.”

The timing felt miraculous. “We felt like it was a sign from above that maybe Joseph had sent us this baby,” she said. “We told her if it was a boy, we’d name him Joseph. But if it was a girl, we’d name her after her. She was just elated and definitely cried a lot.”

When baby Lilly Jeanne arrived, her name carried more than tradition — it held a playful twist of history. “My grandma’s name is Jeanne, but originally, it was spelled ‘Jean,’” Starace said. “When she was filling out paperwork to serve in World War II, she thought the spelling was too plain, so she changed it to ‘J-E-A-N-N-E,’ and that’s how it’s been ever since. My name is Amanda Jean, spelled ‘Jean,’ just like hers originally was.”

Grandma Jeanne with great-granddaughter Lilly Jeanne. Photo by Brianna Pecora

The moment Jeanne met her tiny namesake, captured on video by Pecora, was pure magic. Years later, amid a health scare for Jeanne, Pecora rediscovered the clip and posted it to TikTok, where nostalgia-loving viewers pushed it to nearly 2 million views.

That was so sweet, and I think a lot of people were just nostalgic about their grandparents.”

“When Brianna told me she posted it, I was like, ‘I’m in a nursing robe in this video! This is so embarrassing!’ But … we just went with it,” Starace said. The response was unexpectedly tender. “I’ve been surprised by how many people have the name Jean,” she said. “There were literally 2,000 comments from people saying, ‘My middle name is Jean,’ or ‘My grandma’s name is Jean.’”

Today, as Jeanne thrives, the family savors their layered connections. Lilly, now a spirited toddler, adores her “Grandma Jean,” bonding over FaceTime lunches of PB&J and proudly declaring, “I’m Lilly Jean, just like you.”

“I try to involve my grandma in almost everything I do with Lilly because I want her to remember her too,” Starace said. “It’s been incredibly special to witness the full circle — from my grandma taking care of me to now helping with my daughter. It’s truly everything I could have asked for.”