We’re all familiar with the stereotypes about fathers and their daughters. The most clichéd one being the idea that daughters are spoiled by their dads and can do no wrong in their eyes (hello, daddy’s little girl). Then there’s the overprotective dad trope, where fathers grill their kid’s prom date, sneak AirTags into backpacks and polish a baseball bat in the background. And, of course, the clueless dad, who fumbles through braiding hair, relies on mom to talk about anything touchy-feely and has no idea what size shoes his daughter wears.
And while there may be some truth to these generalizations (just look at Ryan Reyolds joking about his daughter being wrapped around his little finger below or, you know, my husband when our daughter asks for a second bowl of ice cream), the truth is that modern dads are so much more than their outdated stereotypes. These fathers are showing up and stepping up—all while still cracking the dad jokes, of course.
These father-daughter quotes below encapture the multi-facetedness of this special bond. From classical thinkers like William Shakespeare to comedians like Jerry Seinfeld to badass ladies like Serena Williams, these sayings are the perfect Instagram caption on your partner’s bday or sweet snippet to jot down in this year’s Father’s Day card. Read ‘em and weep smile.
I’m inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.”
— Barack Obama
1. “To her, the name of father was another name for love.” — Fanny Fern
2. “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” — Anne Geddes
3. “He sweeps her hair back from her ears and he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement. He says he will never leave her, not in a million years.” — Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See
4. “The best fathers have the softest, sweetest hearts. In other words, great dads are real marshmallows.” — Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
5. “A man’s daughter is his heart. Just with feet, walking out in the world.” — Mat Johnson, Loving Day
6. “It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and daughters.” — Johann Friedrich von Schiller
7. “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” — Sigmund Freud
8. “No music is so pleasant to my ears as that word—father.” — Lydia Maria Child
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9. “My daddy was my hero—he was always there for me when I needed him.” — Bindi Irwin
10. “She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father.” — Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman
11. “Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold.” — Zelda Fitzgerald
12. “My dad’s my best mate, and he always will be.” — Cher Lloyd
13. “The loss of my father will always sting. But now, everything that I do is in honor of him and celebrates his life.” — Adrienne C. Moore
14. “My father taught me to work hard, laugh often and keep my word.” — Michelle Obama
15. “To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter.” — Euripides
16. “My best smile is probably when I'm holding my daughter.” — Chance The Rapper
17. “Old as she was, she still missed her daddy sometimes.” — Gloria Naylor
18. “I love my daddy. My daddy's everything. I hope I can find a man that will treat me as good as my dad.” — Lady Gaga
19. “It is a wise father that knows his own child.” — William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
20. “Dads immediately fall in love with their little girls, and will let them get away with everything. So moms are going to have to be the disciplinarians when it comes to daughters.” — Jimmy Fallon
21. “I took my daughter to the father daughter dance, and I cried like a little baby. She’s 11 years old, so seeing her get dressed up and pretty made me cry.” — Kevin Hart
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22. “I’m inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.” — Barack Obama
I rescind my early statement, ‘I could never fall in love with a girl who regularly poops her pants.’ I hadn’t met my daughter yet.”
— Dax Shepard
23. “A father carries pictures where his money used to be.” — Steve Martin
24. “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.” — Jerry Seinfeld
25. “My daughter got me a ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug. So we know she’s sarcastic.” — Bob Odenkirk
26. “On our 6 a.m. walk, my daughter asked where the moon goes each morning. I let her know it’s in heaven visiting daddy’s freedom.” — Ryan Reynolds
27. “I rescind my early statement, ‘I could never fall in love with a girl who regularly poops her pants.’ I hadn’t met my daughter yet.” — Dax Shepard
28. “I’m probably the most uncool guy that [my daughters] know—as far as they are concerned anyway—‘cause I’m Dad. I mean dads just aren’t cool—especially when I dance! They don’t want me to dance.” —Tim McGraw
29. “Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch.” — Jon Stewart
30. “A daughter is a treasure and a cause of sleeplessness.” — Ben Sirach
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31. “I don’t have to prepare to be wrapped around my daughter’s finger. I have been wrapped around her little finger since the day she plopped out into this world.” — Ryan Reynolds
I love his strength. I love how strong he taught us to be, and not to accept anything less than what we deserve.”
— Serena Williams
32. “It was my father who taught me to value myself.” — Dawn French
33. “My father always said, ‘You should go where there’s a you-shaped hole in the world.’” — Lena Dunham
34. “As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well—but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.” — Barack Obama
35. “I love his strength. I love how strong he taught us to be, and not to accept anything less than what we deserve.” — Serena Williams
36. “Confident women are raised by loving dads.” — Nitya Prakash
37. “I've said it before, but it's absolutely true: My mother gave me my drive, but my father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see a future.” — Liza Minnelli
38. “[My father] has always provided me a safe place to land and a hard place from which to launch.”— Chelsea Clinton
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39. “I watch my daughter wanting to be like other kids and getting upset that she’s not. But I always try and instill in her the idea that she’s perfect as she is.” — Idris Elba
40. “[My dad, Francis Ford Coppola, told me] don’t wait for permission. You just do things, and hopefully people will follow.” — Sofia Coppola
41. “Knowledge is power: He [Kenyan politician Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o] always reads and he is a walking example of how the power of an education never comes to an end. He has taught me that learning is the best way to stay young, beautiful and relevant. A free mind is stronger than a free body.” — Lupita Nyong’o
Fathers, be good to your daughters. Daughters will love like you do.”
— John Mayer, “Daughters”
42. “Used to wrap my hands around his little finger/Turns out he was wrapped around mine/He said, ‘You can be anything you want to in this great big world’/ But I'm always gonna be daddy's little girl, daddy's little girl.” — The Shires, “Daddy’s Little Girl”
43. “Fathers, be good to your daughters. Daughters will love like you do.” — John Mayer, “Daughters”
44. “I want my unborn son to be like my daddy, I want my husband to be like my daddy.”— Beyoncé, "Daddy"
45. “You’ll be in my heart, from this day on, now and forevermore.” — Phil Collins, “You’ll Be in My Heart”
46. “When times are hard, I know you’ll be strong. I’ll be there in your heart when you’ll carry on. Like moonlight on the water, and sunlight in the sky, fathers, and daughters never say goodbye.” — Michael Bolton, “Fathers and Daughters”
47. “Isn’t she pretty, truly the angel’s best. I’m so happy we have been Heaven-blessed.” — Stevie Wonder, “Isn’t She Lovely”
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48. “I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger.” —Taylor Swift, “The Best Day.”
49. “Gonna dance with my daughter/Spin her around under the lights/‘Cause I'm just a father/Making the most of this moment in time/Before she lets me go, I'll hold her close/Caught in this race against time/Right now all I want is to dance with my daughter tonight.” — Jason Blaine, “Dance With My Daughter”
50. “You’re the end of the rainbow, my pot o’ gold. You’re Daddy’s little girl to have and hold.” — Michael Bublé, “Daddy’s Little Girl”
