When it comes to choosing tombstone messages for your loved one, the right words are everything, and I’m here to help you get it right before it is—to be a little on the nose—set in stone.

Some family members prefer religious texts or song lyrics on the headstone, while other epitaphs are more of the snarky type. Some messages are long and detailed, and some are short, beautiful words for gravestones.

Just keep this in mind: whatever short quotes you choose to have engraved on the grave marker will live on for years to come.

You know your loved one best, and what they would have wanted. After all, a tombstone is forever, and we’d all like to be remembered forever for something, right?

What are Epitaph Quotes?

The word epitaph comes from a Greek word meaning “upon a tomb.” It’s literally what is written on a tombstone, grave marker, or headstone.

It’s sometimes referred to as a gravestone inscription or engraving.

Advice When Finding the Right Epitaph

Some cemeteries, such as National Cemeteries, have a character limit when it comes to choosing inscriptions for tombstones. Otherwise, you have a range of options, and are pretty much free to decide what you’d like placed on your loved one’s stone.

The most important thing to remember is that your loved one’s epitaph is permanent.

It will also likely be expensive, so be sure to double-check with both the cemetery as well as the business producing the marker, as to any rules or specifications you will need to follow.

Speaking from experience, ask to see a proof before they do the work, just to be sure your loved one’s info is correct.

110 Short, Beautiful Tombstone Messages

For a good starting point, here are some short epitaphs for you to consider.

Short Headstone Sayings

• In Loving Memory Of [Name]
• Celebrating the Life Of [Name]
• Wife, Mother, Daughter, Friend
• Husband, Father, Son, Friend
• Always Loved, Never Forgotten
• Live With No Regrets
• Love Lives On
• Honoring [Name]
• We Will Cherish You Always
• A Good Friend With A Heart of Gold
• In God’s Care
• In The Arms Of The Angels
• We Will Always Love You
• Remembered By All
• She Asked For So Little But Gave So Very Much
• Mourn Not My Death, But Celebrate My Life
• Love Is A Light That Never Dims
• Step Softly, A Dream Lies Buried Here.
• Died Happy
• In Life Be Loved And In Death Be Lamented
• Until We Meet Again

Headstone Inscriptions for Dad

• The World Is Diminished Because He Is Gone… But It Is Still A Better Place Because He Was Here
• He Lived A Long Life But For Us, It Wasn’t Enough
• Beloved By All Who Knew Him
• Final Resting Place Of A Very Special Man
• He Led A Life Well-Lived
• His Mission On Earth Is Fulfilled.
• No Man Is Indispensable But Some Are Irreplaceable
• Dad, The World’s Loss Was Heaven’s Gain When God Took You Home
• A Man Greatly Beloved
• A Loving Father, Tender And Kind, What A Beautiful Memory You Left Behind.

Headstone Epitaphs for Mom

• A Mother’s Love, Like An Imperishable Sun, Cannot Go Out
• Always A Kind Word, Forever An Inspiration
• Hers Was A Beautiful Face, And An Even More Generous Heart
• A Woman Of Grace And Dignity, To The Glory Of God
• Here Lies A “Proverbs 31” Woman
• She Spent Her Whole Life In Service To Others
• She Was A Free Spirit Who Led A Beautiful Life!
• May God Grant You Eternal Rest, Dear Mother
• A Person’s Life Is Measured In the Moments That Take Our Breath Away…She Took Ours.
• You Will Always Have A Special Place In Our Hearts

Headstone Engravements for Husband and Wife

• I Will Sleep In Peace Until You Come To Me
• I Will Be In The Wind That Moves By You
• Together Again
• Together Forever
• They Lived And Laughed, Loved, And Left
• Just Whisper My Name In Your Heart And I Will Be There
• My Love, I Will See You In Heaven
• Soulmates
• Their Greatest Gift Was One Another
• There Is No Parting In Heaven
• Everlasting Love
• Together In Life And Death
• Always Loving, Always Loved
• We Lived Together In Happiness, Now We Rest Together In Peace

Headstone Inscriptions for Children

• You Touched Our Lives For The Briefest Of Moments, Yet You Will Stay With Us Forever
• Planted On Earth To Bloom In Heaven
• God’s Garden Needs Little Flowers
• Remembering A Tiny Angel…We’ll See You in a Little While
• Our Littlest Angel Who Went Back To Heaven
• Even The Tiniest Child Leaves Behind A Love That Lasts Forever
• Children Are A Heritage Of The Lord – Psalm 127:3
• So Small, So Sweet, So Soon
• Sleep, My Little One, Sleep
• Lord, We Give You Our Littlest Angel

Short Bible Verses for Tombstones

• I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
• I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Philippians 1:3
• He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
• Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4
• Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Psalm 116:15
• O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55
• God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
• Cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
• The pain that you’ve been feeling cannot compare to the joy that’s coming. Romans 8:18
• Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Military Headstone Inscriptions for Veterans

• Duty, Honor, Country. Well Done. Be At Peace.
• Future Generations Will Never Forget
• No Day Shall Erase You From The Memory Of Time
• A Life Of Beauty And Service
• We Often Take For Granted The Very Things That Deserve Our Gratitude
• Real Heroes Have An American Flag On The Arm Of Their Uniform
• At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Will Remember Him
• Warriors Are Those Who Choose To Stand Between An Enemy And All That They Hold Sacred
• With Much Gratitude For The Brave Men And Women, For Their Heroic Sacrifice For Our Freedom, Lest We Forget
• It’s Not That I Can And Others Can’t; It’s That I Did And Others Didn’t
• To Live Without Discipline Is To Die Without Honor
• A Day Of Duty Done. A Day Of Rest Begun
• There Is No Greater Love Than To Lay Down One’s Life For One’s Friends – John 15:13
• I Have Fought The Good Fight I Have Finished The Course I Have Kept The Faith – 2 Timothy 4:7
• At Rest, A Soldier And Defender Of The Constitution.

Famous Quotes on Tombstones

• There Goes The Neighborhood – Rodney Dangerfield
• Free At Last, Free At Last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free At Last – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• I Will Not Be Back Right After This Message – Merv Griffin
• He Never Killed A Man That Did Not Need Killing – Robert Clay Allison (famous 1800s cowboy)
• Heavyweight Champion Of The World. A Gentle Man And A Gentleman – Jack Dempsey
• I Told You I Was Sick – William H. Hahn Jr.
• She Always Said Her Feet Were Killing Her, But No One Believed Her – Marguerite Dewey Daniels
• I Had A Lover’s Quarrel With The World – Robert Frost
• A Tomb Now Suffices Him For Whom The World Was Not Enough – Alexander The Great
• I Knew If I Waited Around Long Enough Something Like This Would Happen – George Bernard Shaw

Some “Not So Nice” Epitaphs

• Abandoned In Old Age By Wife And Children; May God Be More Understanding And Merciful – Andrew J. Olszak
• May Eternal Damnation Be Upon Those In Whaling Port. Who, Without Knowing Me Have Maliciously Vilified Me. May The Curse Of God Be Upon Them And Theirs – Mary Dolencie
• My Brother Was Good At Pissing People Off – Cecil O’Dell Eads
• My Wife, Eleanor Arthur, Of Queens, NY, Lived Like A Princess For 20 Years. Traveling The World With The Best Of Everything. When I Went Blind, She Tried To Poison Me. Took All My Money, All My Medication, And Left Me In The Dark, Alone, And Sick. It’s A Miracle I Escaped. I Won’t See Her In Heaven Because She Is Surely Going To Hell – Herman Harband

More Beautiful Epitaphs

• I Believe That If I Should Die, And You Were To Walk Near My Grave, From The Very Depths Of The Earth, I Would Hear Your Footsteps. (On a personal note, this is my very favorite!)
• Should We Lose Each Other In The Shadow Of The Evening Trees, I Will Wait For You. And Should I Fall Behind, Wait For Me
• Our Brief Partings On Earth Will Appear One Day As Nothing Beside The Joy Of Eternity Together
• This Life Is But A Passing Dream, We Soon Shall Wake In Heaven
• The Hours Part Us, But They Bring Us Together Again
• Life Is Not Forever.  Love Is
• I Shall Dwell In The House Of The Lord Forever – Psalm 23:6
• Whoever Believes In Him May Have Eternal Life – John 3:15
• If I Had My Life To Do Over, I Would Find You Sooner So I Could Love You Longer
• We Shall Meet In The Place Where There Is No More Darkness

I hope that this list has provided you with some newfound encouragement to create the perfect epitaph for your loved one. If you would like further inspiration, here are some more quote and verse ideas especially for you: