Family motto ideas, and how to write one your family will actually use

A family motto is a short phrase that sums up what a family stands for or how it gets through life together. The best ones are rarely invented at a meeting. They're usually something a family already says, which someone finally notices and decides to keep.

An example: on the first morning of the Novak family's lake weekend, the pancakes burned again. Peter scraped the pan, waved at the smoke and said what he has said for thirty years: "We'll laugh about this by lunch." His grown children, Ana and Luka, said the last four words along with him. Their mother, Vera, opened the window and laughed first. Nobody in the family had ever called it a motto, but that's exactly what it was.

What is a family motto?

Mottos once lived on coats of arms, often in Latin, but a modern family motto usually comes from the kitchen table. Some are funny and some are gentle. Many sum up one value the family cares about. Others describe a habit the family is proud of, such as always turning up when someone needs help.

In a family of adults, a motto works a little differently than in a house with small children. It works more like a shared joke or a promise that grown siblings, parents, partners and in-laws all recognize. When Ana texts "by lunch" to her brother after a bad day, he knows exactly what she means. A line just for yourself is a different thing, and life mottos are sorted by what one person values most.

Family motto ideas

Here are short mottos grouped by what a family tends to value most. Borrow one, change a word, or use them as a starting point for your own.

Mottos for families who laugh a lot

• "We'll laugh about this by lunch."
• "If it isn't funny yet, give it a week."
• "Burnt, but ours."
• "Laugh first, clean up later."
• "Nobody here is normal, and that's fine."
• "We don't do boring."
• "When in doubt, blame the dog."

Mottos for adventurous families

• "Say yes, then figure it out."
• "Take the long way."
• "Every wrong turn is a story."
• "Pack light, stay late."
• "Mud washes off."
• "If in doubt, go."
• "Go see it, then come home and tell us."

Family mottos about kindness

• "Be the one who brings soup."
• "Kind first, right second."
• "Leave every place better than you found it."
• "There's always room for one more at the table."
• "Say thank you and mean it."
• "Be gentle with each other, we're all doing our best."

Mottos about sticking together

• "We show up."
• "Nobody sits alone."
• "Whatever happens, Sunday dinner."
• "Different houses, same table."
• "Call your sister."
• "Home is wherever we all are."
• "Together is our favorite place."

Mottos for getting through hard times

• "We've had worse weeks."
• "One step, then lunch."
• "Tired isn't finished."
• "This too will make a good story."
• "Lean on us, that's what we're for."

Where family mottos come from

Many family mottos have a story behind them:

• A grandparent's saying. A grandmother's answer to every crisis, like "Eat first, worry later," can outlive her and turn up at weddings and funerals. Old sayings like "waste not, want not" often become family mottos the same way.
• A trip that went wrong. Get lost for six hours on a camping trip, and a line like "Every wrong turn is a story" can be born in the back seat.
• A wedding toast. A brother's line at the reception can stay with a couple for decades.
• An old cheer. Some families still shout the chant from the kids' soccer days at reunions, long after the kids have kids of their own.
• A hard year. Families who got through an illness or a big move together often come out of it with a phrase that held them up.

How to write a family motto together

A motto chosen by one person and announced to everyone tends to be forgotten. One the family builds together is far more likely to stick. A simple way to do it:

1. Listen for what you already say. Many families have a phrase that comes out at every crisis or celebration. Start there.
2. Ask everyone two questions. "What are we good at as a family?" and "What do we want to be known for?" A family group chat works fine for this, and the answers are often surprising.
3. Pick one or two values. If people name very different things, a short list of personal values can help each person choose their top two. Look for the overlap.
4. Keep it short. Aim for under eight words, something you could say in a toast or send as a text.
5. Make it sound like you. A family that teases each other can have a cheeky motto. A quieter family may want something calm.
6. Try it for a month. Use it at dinners, in messages and at the next birthday. If nobody says it on their own, it isn't the one yet.
7. Let it change. A motto that fit when the children were small may not fit adults with homes of their own.

A motto for two

Couples have mottos too, whether they're newlyweds or forty years in. A couple's motto is often about how they handle disagreements or big decisions. A few ideas:

• "Us against the problem."
• "Two votes, one decision."
• "Talk tonight, not tomorrow."
• "Grumpy is allowed, mean isn't."
• "Adventure, then a nap."

Some couples find theirs in a phrase one of them said early on, at a wedding toast or on a trip that went wrong in a memorable way.

A motto for the whole extended family

When grown children marry, have kids or move away, a family grows wider and looser. A shared motto can help everyone feel part of the same story. A few things to keep in mind:

• Make it open to newcomers. An inside joke that only the original siblings understand can make a new in-law feel like a guest. Explain the story behind it, or pick something anyone can join.
• Use it at gatherings. Reunion T-shirts, a toast at a wedding, the first line of a holiday card or a sign by the cabin door are all natural places. A motto also sits well beside the holiday traditions a family keeps every December.
• Name your chat after it. A motto makes a good title for the family group, and family group chat names has more ideas if you want something sillier.
• Don't force it. If one relative rolls their eyes, let them. A motto works through repetition and affection, never by vote.

Why each person hears the motto differently

Every family has its own dynamics, and a motto that thrills one member can leave another cold. Part of that comes from personality type. Here's how six of the 16 tend to connect with family mottos, in types page order:

• Ideator: loves a motto about adventure and new ideas, and may suggest a new one every year.
• Harmonizer: is drawn to mottos about the table, comfort and being together.
• Vitalizer: wants the motto to be fun and will happily shout it at every gathering.
• Guardian: cares about loyalty, so "We show up" can feel like a vow to them.
• Organizer: likes a motto that points to action, like helping each other with the move or the repairs.
• Craftsman: prefers few words. The shorter the motto, the more likely they are to say it.

The Novaks' motto works because it fits most of them. Peter says it, Vera laughs, Ana texts it, and Luka, who rarely says much, mouths the last word.

See what each person brings to your family

If you're curious why your family's motto lands so well with some people and not with others, start with Typeza's free family compatibility test. You'll face 41 pairs of statements, choosing whichever fits you in every pair. The moment you're done, your type is on screen. Bars for your base traits sit next to it, plus a short free profile covering your talents and trouble spots. Reading it doesn't require signing up.

To compare with a parent, sibling or grown child, you'll need a free account, and the invite goes out from your result page. Anyone 16 or older can take part, so grandparents are welcome too. Once they've answered, you'll each see the relationship type between you, which explains what tends to come naturally and what asks a bit more effort.

Questions people ask

What is a good family motto?

A good family motto is short, sounds like your family and is something people will actually say. "We show up," "Kind first, right second" and "We'll laugh about this by lunch" are all good examples.

How long should a family motto be?

Short enough to say in one breath, often two to eight words.

What is the difference between a family motto and family values?

Values are the things a family cares about, like honesty or loyalty. A motto is a short phrase that puts one or two of those values into everyday words.

Can a family motto be funny?

Yes. Plenty of family mottos are jokes. Humor makes a motto easy to remember and easy to repeat.

What are some Latin family mottos?

"Familia supra omnia" means family above all, "Semper fidelis" means always faithful, and "Per aspera ad astra" means through hardships to the stars. They suit families who like a touch of tradition.

Does every family have a coat of arms?

No. In British heraldry a coat of arms belongs to one person rather than a whole family, and many families never had one. Any family can still pick a motto, and some draw a homemade crest just for fun.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Coat of arms": mottos as part of a heraldic display, and arms held by an individual rather than a family in British heraldry.

Written by Virko Kask, founder of Typeza
Written with the help of AI tools.