Free tool

Latin Motto Generator

52 established Latin mottos with translations, ready for a family crest, coat of arms, team, school house or tattoo. Pick one and put it straight onto your crest.

Generate mottos

Every motto, by theme

Sources are given where the phrase is well known from a classical author or an existing motto. The rest are traditional phrases used by many families.

Courage

Latin	English	Source
Audentes fortuna iuvat	Fortune favors the bold	Virgil, Aeneid	Use on my crest
Fortes fortuna adiuvat	Fortune helps the brave	Terence	Use on my crest
Fortuna favet fortibus	Fortune favors the brave		Use on my crest
Fortis et liber	Strong and free		Use on my crest
Fortiter et fideliter	Bravely and faithfully		Use on my crest
Virtute et armis	By courage and by arms	Motto of Mississippi	Use on my crest
Nec aspera terrent	Hardships do not deter us		Use on my crest
Nemo me impune lacessit	No one provokes me with impunity	Order of the Thistle	Use on my crest
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam	I will find a way or make one	Attributed to Hannibal	Use on my crest

Perseverance

Latin	English	Source
Per aspera ad astra	Through hardships to the stars		Use on my crest
Labor omnia vincit	Work conquers all	Virgil, Georgics	Use on my crest
Nil desperandum	Never despair	Horace	Use on my crest
Dum spiro spero	While I breathe, I hope	Motto of South Carolina	Use on my crest
Vincit qui patitur	He who endures conquers		Use on my crest
Fortitudine vincimus	By endurance we conquer	Shackleton family motto	Use on my crest
Tenax propositi	Steadfast of purpose	Horace	Use on my crest
Gradatim ferociter	Step by step, ferociously		Use on my crest
Post nubila Phoebus	After the clouds, the sun		Use on my crest
Spero meliora	I hope for better things		Use on my crest

Family and unity

Latin	English	Source
Semper fidelis	Always faithful		Use on my crest
Fidelis et constans	Faithful and constant		Use on my crest
Ubi concordia, ibi victoria	Where there is unity, there is victory		Use on my crest
Concordia res parvae crescunt	Through harmony small things grow	Sallust	Use on my crest
Ex unitate vires	From unity, strength		Use on my crest
Non sibi sed omnibus	Not for oneself but for all		Use on my crest

Wisdom and truth

Latin	English	Source
Sapere aude	Dare to be wise	Horace	Use on my crest
Veritas vincit	Truth conquers		Use on my crest
Lux et veritas	Light and truth		Use on my crest
Fiat lux	Let there be light		Use on my crest
Scientia potentia est	Knowledge is power		Use on my crest
Esse quam videri	To be, rather than to seem	Motto of North Carolina	Use on my crest
Facta non verba	Deeds, not words		Use on my crest

Ambition

Latin	English	Source
Ad astra	To the stars		Use on my crest
Ad maiora	Toward greater things		Use on my crest
Sic itur ad astra	Thus one goes to the stars	Virgil, Aeneid	Use on my crest
Excelsior	Ever upward	Motto of New York	Use on my crest
Carpe diem	Seize the day	Horace	Use on my crest
Nunc aut numquam	Now or never		Use on my crest
Non ducor, duco	I am not led, I lead	Motto of the city of São Paulo	Use on my crest

Honor and duty

Latin	English	Source
Honor virtutis praemium	Honor is the reward of virtue	Cicero	Use on my crest
Virtus sola nobilitat	Virtue alone ennobles		Use on my crest
Virtute et labore	By virtue and labor		Use on my crest
Semper paratus	Always ready	US Coast Guard	Use on my crest
In omnia paratus	Ready for anything		Use on my crest
Fac et spera	Do, and hope	Clan Matheson	Use on my crest

Love

Latin	English	Source
Omnia vincit amor	Love conquers all	Virgil, Eclogues	Use on my crest
Amor vincit omnia	Love conquers all		Use on my crest

Faith

Latin	English	Source
Animo et fide	By courage and faith		Use on my crest
Fide et fortitudine	By faith and fortitude		Use on my crest
In Deo speramus	In God we hope	Brown University	Use on my crest
Spes mea in Deo	My hope is in God		Use on my crest
Nisi Dominus frustra	Without the Lord, in vain	City of Edinburgh	Use on my crest

How to choose a motto

Say it out loud. A motto is something you would actually say to your family, team or yourself.
Short beats clever. Two to four words read best on a ribbon and on a ring.
Match the emblem. Per aspera ad astra with a star, Semper paratus with a sword, Omnia vincit amor with a rose.
Skip DIY Latin. Use an established phrase rather than running English through a translator.

Questions

Can I translate my own English phrase into Latin?

Be careful. Latin word endings change with grammar, and machine translation often gets mottos wrong. The safest choice is an established motto like the ones on this page, or a check by someone who reads Latin.

Can I use a motto that a state, school or family already uses?

Short phrases are generally not protected by copyright, and many mottos here are shared by several families and institutions. Some organizations do use their mottos as trademarks, so avoid using one commercially in a way that suggests you are connected to them.

How long should a crest motto be?

Under about 25 letters keeps the text at full size on the ribbon in Crest Studio. Longer mottos still fit, they just print smaller.

Should mottos be in Latin?

No. English, Irish, Spanish, Hindi or any language your family speaks works. Latin is popular because it is short, traditional and reads well in capitals.