diff --git a/gramps/gui/dbman.py b/gramps/gui/dbman.py
index 660210bcb..f57912547 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/dbman.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/dbman.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class DbManager(CLIDbManager):
 
         if store.get_value(node, STOCK_COL) == Gtk.STOCK_DIALOG_ERROR:
             path = conv_to_unicode(store.get_value(node, PATH_COL), 'utf8')
-            backup = os.path.join(path, u"person.gbkp")
+            backup = os.path.join(path, "person.gbkp")
             self.repair.set_sensitive(os.path.isfile(backup))
         else:
             self.repair.set_sensitive(False)
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/gramplet/givennamegramplet.py b/gramps/plugins/gramplet/givennamegramplet.py
index e5eb390cf..9e5fee9a0 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/gramplet/givennamegramplet.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/gramplet/givennamegramplet.py
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ class GivenNameCloudGramplet(Gramplet):
             allnames = [person.get_primary_name()] + person.get_alternate_names()
             allnames = set(name.get_first_name().strip() for name in allnames)
             for givenname in allnames:
-                anyNBSP = givenname.split(u'\u00A0')
+                anyNBSP = givenname.split('\u00A0')
                 if len(anyNBSP) > 1: # there was an NBSP, a non-breaking space
-                    first_two = anyNBSP[0] + u'\u00A0' + anyNBSP[1].split()[0]
+                    first_two = anyNBSP[0] + '\u00A0' + anyNBSP[1].split()[0]
                     givensubnames[first_two] += 1
                     representative_handle[first_two] = person.handle
                     givenname = ' '.join(anyNBSP[1].split()[1:])
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/quickview/samesurnames.py b/gramps/plugins/quickview/samesurnames.py
index 4a4c350e8..63e040076 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/quickview/samesurnames.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/quickview/samesurnames.py
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ class SameGiven(Rule):
         src = self.list[0].upper()
         for name in [person.get_primary_name()] + person.get_alternate_names():
             if name.first_name:
-                anyNBSP = name.first_name.split(u'\u00A0')
+                anyNBSP = name.first_name.split('\u00A0')
                 if len(anyNBSP) > 1: # there was an NBSP, a non-breaking space
-                    first_two = anyNBSP[0] + u'\u00A0' + anyNBSP[1].split()[0]
+                    first_two = anyNBSP[0] + '\u00A0' + anyNBSP[1].split()[0]
                     if first_two.upper() == src:
                         return True
                     else:
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/rel/rel_ca.py b/gramps/plugins/rel/rel_ca.py
index eea314d11..a973f16c0 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/rel/rel_ca.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/rel/rel_ca.py
@@ -827,9 +827,9 @@ class RelationshipCalculator(gramps.gen.relationship.RelationshipCalculator):
         """
 
         rel_str = "parents llunyans"
-        #atgen = u" de la %sena generació"
-        #bygen = u" per la %sena generació"
-        #cmt = u" (germans o germanes d'un avantpassat" + atgen % Ga + ")"
+        #atgen = " de la %sena generació"
+        #bygen = " per la %sena generació"
+        #cmt = " (germans o germanes d'un avantpassat" + atgen % Ga + ")"
 
         if in_law_a or in_law_b:
             inlaw = self.INLAW
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ class RelationshipCalculator(gramps.gen.relationship.RelationshipCalculator):
             inlaw = ""
 
         rel_str = "un parent llunyà%s" % inlaw
-        #bygen = u" per la %sena generació"
+        #bygen = " per la %sena generació"
         if Ga == 0:
 
             # b is descendant of a