I also grew up Catholic but always looked at godparents as just someone special in your life who acknowledged you on special occassions. It wasn't until I decided not to baptize my kids and then that my nephew was born (freak out by b in law that we weren't qualified to serve that role) that I realized how big of a deal this is to some people (oh the grief I got). All the kids in my life that aren't my own call me Nahni, and I feel like a "godparent" to my neices and nephews even though I don't have the official title. I act in that way more than the official ones do. Some other nicknames are Nana, Nini, Nona, Na-Nan, Nan, Nin, etc...