Father's Day Quotes & Messages For Cards & Texts

June 02, 2024

Welcome to our Father's Day quotes blog and, the good news...

....you've hit the jackpot if you were searching for Father’s Day quotes & messages!

There are well over 100 Father’s Day quotes suitable for cards, right here at your fingertips.

These quotes can be used as part of messages, for a Father's Day card or stand on their own.

And we’ve organised them into handy little sections for you, to boot. Click on the links to jump to the section you want, or just scroll down and find your perfect message.

Inspirational Quotes:

Looking for something inspirational to write in your dad's card, but don't want it to be corny? These famous quotes, specially selected for dads, are drawn together from sources to give some real quotes for you to write this Father's Day. Write them together with your message for maximum impact and an inspired Father's Day card message!

Jim Valvano: "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."
Barack Obama: "Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."
Reed Markham: "The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself but for his family."
Pope John XXIII: "It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father."
Billy Graham: "A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."
Sigmund Freud: "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."
James Baldwin: "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."

Quotes showing appreciation and gratitude

Quotes are a great way to show how you feel about your dad when written as part of a Father's Day message. They give you something to key off, before you write your own words and can sometimes better express your thoughts by using a well-known quote from someone else. Our team has selected these for Father's Day, so you don't need to hunt for something appropriate.

Anne Sexton: "It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was."
Marinela Reka: "A father's smile has been known to light up a child's entire day."
Harmon Killebrew: "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You’re tearing up the grass.' 'We’re not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We’re raising boys.'"
Lydia M. Child: "Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!"
Jennifer Williamson: "Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever."
Wade Boggs: "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that's why I call you dad, because you are so special to me."
Unknown: "The greatest mark of a father is how he treats his children when no one is looking."

Funny Quotes for Father's Day

If your dad appreciates a bit of humour, then these famous quotes are just the ticket. Best used as part of your Father's Day message, they do some heavy lifting for you to give him a laugh or make him smile this Father's Day.

Mark Twain: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."
Jerry Seinfeld: "You can tell what was the best year of your father’s life because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out."
Dave Barry: "The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children."
Rodney Dangerfield: "I asked my dad for a BB gun, but he said we were a tribe of worriers, not warriors."
Bill Cosby: "Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope."
Ray Romano: "Having children is like living in a frat house - nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up."
Jim Gaffigan: "You know what it’s like having five kids? Imagine you’re drowning. And someone hands you a baby."
Russell Crowe: "I thought I was going to be a terribly overprotective, scary dad and now I'm just a big marshmallow."

Father's Day quotes that are full of wisdom

While we're not suggesting you're telling your dad how to be, or trying to impart some wisdom to him, these Father's day quotes make a great addition to your message. They can form part of an amusing or meaningful message that then refers to you and how they affected you as a dad. Either way, we're sure they should appreciate the thought...

Charles Kettering: "Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice."
Antoine François Prévost: "The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature."
Wendell Phillips: "What is a home without children? Quiet."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "What a father says to his children is not heard by the world, but it will be heard by posterity."
Liza Minnelli: "My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more."
Margaret Truman: "It's only when you grow up and step back from him—or leave him for your own home—it’s only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it."
Henry Ward Beecher: "A father is one whose daughter marries a man who is vastly her inferior but then gives birth to unbelievably brilliant grandchildren."
Euripides: "To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter."
Umberto Eco: "I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom."

Nostalgic quotes for Father's Day

These wonderful quotes let you show how much you appreciated your dad during your childhood and as you grow into a man yourself. Suitable for Father's Day cards or as part of a Father's Day message, they will give you some words to get started, and are full of meaning for your dad.

Clarence Budington Kelland: "My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."
Mark Twain: "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."
George Eliot: "Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact, from his son."
Hedy Lamarr: "My father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see a future."
Dinah Shore: "Trouble is part of your life, and if you don't share it, you don't give the person who loves you enough chance to love you enough."
Alexander Dumas: "My father, a good man, told me, 'Never lose your ignorance; you cannot replace it.'"
Gabriel Garcia Marquez: "A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father."
Sarah Orne Jewett: "It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was."
Tennessee Williams: "Time doesn't take away from friendship, nor does separation."

Famous Literary Quotes

These beautiful quotes from well-known authors and poets area all about dads and give you a way to tell your dad something you may find difficult to express otherwise. Great as part of a message or on their own.

Franz Kafka: "Fatherhood is a great thing because it is so terribly important."
William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice): "It is a wise father that knows his own child."
Victor Hugo (Les Misérables): "She did not even know what name to give him. He was her father. He was, as far as she was concerned, the incarnation of authority."
Charles Dickens (Great Expectations): "I have always been my father’s favourite, and he has always been mine."
William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice): "It is a wise father that knows his own child."
Louisa May Alcott (Little Women): "Father has always been the best of men, and I've been trying all my life to be worthy of him."
Herman Melville (Moby Dick): "A good father is one of the unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."
James Joyce (Ulysses): "A father is a necessary evil."
Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace): "A man on his own farm is like a father to his children."
Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird): "Things are never as bad as they seem. My father didn't know where children came from, but he thought he did."
Mark Twain (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn): "When I think of my father I think of all the times he guided me, all the things he taught me, and though he may not be with me now, every step I take in life is in the deep footprints he left behind."

Father's Day quotes showing strength & support

Dads look after us and provide a firm base for our childhoods. These great quotes from famous people show how much you appreciate their strength and how they supported you. Perfect as quotes for cards and part of your Father's Day messages.

Umberto Eco: "I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom."
James Baldwin (The Fire Next Time): "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."
Jean-Paul Sartre: "When a man becomes a father, he is no longer at the centre of his own universe. He relives himself through the eyes of his child."

Quotes from a son

Sons and their dads have a special relationship. Often, the son will take after the father in how they become a man. These famous quotes can show your dad that you know and appreciate how much of a role model he was. They mean that you can use the words as part of your Father's Day message, and should make your message that much more meaningful as a result.

Brad Meltzer: "My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more."
Honoré de Balzac: "A father’s love is the divine instrument of a son’s success."
Michael Jordan: "My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, 'You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'"
Franz Kafka: "My father was a giant in my eyes."
Kahlil Gibran: "You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams."
Eli Manning: "My dad’s my best friend, my father, and my boss. When I do something that is exciting and he likes it, it feels three times as good as you can imagine."
John Quincy Adams: "My father was my teacher. But most importantly he was a great dad."
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: "I have a lot of things to thank my father for, but most of all, for challenging me to push beyond my limits."

Quotes from a daughter

A daughter occupies a particular place in a dad's heart and as a daughter, it's a great Father's Day gift to let your dad know how you feel about him as a dad. These quotes from famous people are all about the relationship between a father and daughter and are perfect as a quote used on their own or as part of a father's Day message in your card or text.

Maya Angelou: "I was always daddy's girl. He raised me to feel that I could do anything, and I believe that’s one of the greatest gifts a parent can give."
Mary Karr: "My father was the one who taught me to value myself and I am forever grateful."
Sara Gilbert: "My father has always provided me a safe space to land and a hard place from which to launch."
Meghan Markle: "My father was the first man to tell me I could be whatever I wanted to be, and he made sure I believed it."
Jenna Bush Hager: "My dad taught me the importance of living a life of service. It's one of the greatest gifts he gave me."
Natalie Portman: "My father always stressed the importance of a good education. He always had a book in his hand."
Anne Hathaway: "My father's support and encouragement are the foundation of my strength and confidence."
Serena Williams: "He's been the most important person in my life. My father always said, 'You can be whatever you want to be in life.'"

Quotes from a wife

As a wife, your husband is a role model to the children. Seeing how he is with your kids, you can tell him how much that means with a quote from a famous person which is a perfect part of a Father's Day message. Quotes can often express far more than your own words, as they are open to interpretation and perfect for your kids' dad.

Michelle Obama: "You are my rock. Our children know they have someone to lean on because you're there for them, always with love and encouragement."
Joanna Gaines: "It takes someone special to be a dad, and it takes someone extraordinary to be the father that you are to our kids."
Angelina Jolie: "Your strength and dedication to our family inspire me every day. Thank you for being such a wonderful father and husband."
Cate Blanchett: "You make fatherhood an art form. The love and wisdom you provide our children shape their worlds in beautiful ways."
Jessica Alba: "Seeing you with our children makes my heart swell. You are our anchor and our guide."
Nicole Kidman: "Your love and protection know no bounds. As a father, you're both a shelter and a guide to our children."
Meryl Streep: "I love that our children have such a strong role model in their father. Thank you for being their hero every day."
Sandra Bullock: "You fill our home with laughter and love. Thanks for being the incredible dad that you are."
Kelly Clarkson: "The bond you've built with our kids is incredible to watch. It's built on respect, laughter, and endless love."
Reese Witherspoon: "You bring so much joy and strength to our family. We appreciate you more than words can express."

Father's Day quotes for new father

New dads are often a mixture of smitten and overwhelmed at being a father. If you're looking for something appropriate to say to a new dad in a card or message this Father's Day, we've got you covered. These famous quotes are a great for a new dad at this special time of year.

Chris Pratt: "It's a great thing to be a father. It changes everything about your life in a much more wonderful way."
John Legend: "Becoming a father is a feeling like no other. It's a new adventure every day, filled with love and joy."
Jimmy Fallon: "It's the most exciting thing I've ever been a part of. Being a father feels amazing."
Ashton Kutcher: "When you're a new father, you really understand the creation of life and the magic of it."
Ryan Reynolds: "Fatherhood has given me a new perspective. It's like a whole new dimension in happiness."
Prince William: "Fatherhood is a journey of learning and growing. It's both humbling and enriching."
Tom Hardy: "Being a father is the single greatest feeling on earth. Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate it."
Stephen Curry: "The feeling of being a new dad is indescribable. It's like opening a new chapter full of hope and excitement."
Prince Harry: "Becoming a father has been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined. It has given me a new focus and goal."
Naya Rivera: "Becoming a parent is one of the most life-changing events you’ll ever experience. The joy of seeing your baby smile for the first time is an indescribable feeling."
John Legend: "Your whole world changes with the arrival of your child. Suddenly, there’s a new purpose and meaning to everything."
David Beckham: "There is nothing like the feeling of holding your new-born for the first time. It's a love like no other."
Ashton Kutcher: "Becoming a dad changes your perspective on everything. It’s this incredible responsibility, but also an incredible joy."
Ryan Reynolds: "Fatherhood makes you see the world in a new light, with endless opportunities to teach and protect."
Josh Duhamel: "Nothing prepares you for the overwhelming love and pride you feel as a new dad. It’s a wonderful adventure."
Prince William: "There's no rulebook to parenting. Every day is a learning experience, and every moment with your child is precious."

Short and sweet quotes for Father's Day

If you want a quick, short message to add to your Father's Day message in your card or text, these short Father's Day quotes are just the ticket. As always, you can use them on their own, or as inspiration to write your own additional message for your dad or the Father in question.

Jim Valvano: "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me."
George Strait: "Dad, you're more than a father to me; you're my icon."
Wade Boggs: "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."
Hedy Lamarr: "My father taught me enough to be forever grateful."
Harmon Killebrew: "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You’re tearing up the grass.' 'We’re not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We’re raising boys.'"
Mark Twain: "Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope."
Reed Markham: "The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself but for his family."