99 of the Best Birthday Captions for Instagram (2024)

Time marches forward, which makes birthdays and birthday parties unavoidable. Whether it’s a parent, friend, sibling, partner, or pet, it can be tough to resist a little showing off once that number goes up. If you’re too excited for your BFF or can’t think straight because of all the cake and ice cream, we’ve got you covered with 99 bottles of years on the wall.

Best Birthday Captions for Yourself

Well, you’re one year older, one year wiser, a rock n’ roll star, king, tsar, and a kaiser. It can be overwhelming for a multitude of reasons but don’t worry if you’re drawing a blank when sharing your exploits. Here are a bunch of birthday captions we’ve brought just for you.

• “Happy birthday to me!”
• “Today is my special day.”
• “Guess what day it is?”
• “Check out my new hat!”
• “It’s my party and I’ll eat pie if I want to.”
• “We did it! We made it through one more trip around the sun!”
• “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”—William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
• “I’m not getting too old for this yet, but give me a few more years.”
• “That’s a lot of candles …”
• “Let ME eat cake!”
• “Opening presents in the presence of my favorite people.”
• “Here’s to another great year!”
• “It’s not every day somebody gives me a cake and presents.”
• “In the process of making my wish.”
• “It’s party time! P-A-R-T-why? Because I gotta!” —The Mask
• “Just 365 days until my next birthday.”
• “Just a little get together. Because it’s my birthday!”
• “The best part is I get to do this again next year.”
• “Time to make my wish!”

Best Birthday Captions for Your Partner

Okay, maybe it’s not your birthday, but it is the birthday of one of the most important people in your life. If you’re having trouble finding the right words, consider one of these captions to at least get the ball rolling.

• “The best thing about getting older is we get to do it together.”
• “Birthdays were made for going wild over the people we think are amazing.”—Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year 
• “Another year spent with the love of my life.”
• “Today is all about you. And the day after that. And the day after that.”
• “You are getting SO MANY birthday kisses.”
• “It’s your birthday but I’m the one you can’t stop smiling.”
• “And a big ‘Happy Birthday’ to my one and only!”
• “When it comes to birthdays, whatever my love wants my love gets.”
• “When I’m with you, every day is a party.”
• “Each candle = an ‘I love you’.”
• “Call me selfish, but I can’t want to celebrate your birthday next year, too.”
• “You’re radiant as always, but particularly so on your birthday!”
• “I love you, Happy Birthday!”
• “You deserve the very best on your special day.”
• “Party or no, I’m just glad to be spending your birthday together.”
• “Wishing you only the happiest of birthdays.”
• “My only regret is I haven’t been around for more of your birthdays.”
• “A whole day with my favorite person, AND we get cake? What more could anyone want?”
• “Hugs and kisses, coming your way!”
• “Nope, still not tired of saying ‘I love you.’”

Best Friend Birthday Captions

You’ve either known them forever, or it feels like you have. Problem is, when you click that well with someone it can be a challenge to figure out the right thing to say that they may not already see coming. That’s where some of these captions can help.

• “Happy Birthday! I would’ve gotten you money but you still owe me.”
• “Love you, dork. Have a happy birthday.”
• “May your birthday be as pleasant and awesome as you always are.”—Debasish Mridha 
• “We are going to get into so much trouble today.”
• “Bring it in, time for birthday hugs.”
• “Okay bestie, let’s get you ready for your party.”
• “Now the fun really begins!”
• “Your gift is in the mail, trust me.”
• “You might be older than me now, but I’ll be catching up soon.”
• “Where do you wanna go? Sky’s the limit so long as everyone chips in for gas.”
• “Birthday dog pile!”
• “I don’t get to say this often enough but ‘Happy Birthday.’”
• “You want some cake? I will summon you a cake.”
• “Happy Birthday Seaweed Brain”—Rick Riordan, The Last Olympian 
• “Only the best of birthdays for my best of friends.”
• “We should totally do this again sometime.”
• “Hop in, loser. We’re getting you a cake!”
• “It’s my best friend’s birthday today so you won’t be hearing from me until tomorrow.”
• “I’ll never get tired of wishing you a happy birthday.”
• “It’s time for birthday!”

Best Birthday Captions For Family

Distant or close, extended or immediate, at some point, somebody in your family is going to be a year older. Then it’s time for you to swoop in with one of these captions to let them know you’re thinking of them on their birthday.

• “It’s been so great to see you all again!”
• “Just hanging out with the family today. Having cake, opening presents. You know, the usual.”
• “Everybody wish Grandma a happy birthday!”
• “Having fun at the cousins-only birthday bash!”
• “Look at you now, all grown up.”
• “Birthdays are a great excuse to get everyone together again.”
• “I demand you all acknowledge that today is my mom’s birthday!”
• “You all, look at how big the kids have gotten this year.”
• “Having a big family means lots of birthdays.”
• “Hanging out with my dad on his birthday!”
• “When was the last time we all got together for your birthday?”
• “I refuse to believe you’ve gotten so big.”
• “A birthday for my chosen family is a great birthday indeed.”
• “Hanging out with the folks for a birthday celebration, no big deal.”
• “Get ready for one of grandpa’s birthday stories.”
• “Haha! I got to plan your birthday party this time!”
• “Even with several states between us, I couldn’t miss your birthday.”
• “It’s been so long that you went and grew up!”
• “The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.”—Madeleine L’Engle
• “The days may be long but the years are short. Happy Birthday!”

Best Snarky Birthday Captions

We all have at least one person in our life who uses verbal barbs as a form of affection, and we reciprocate in kind. So, if you want to wish someone a happy birthday or advertise your own bump in age but add a little spice to it, one of these captions may be for you.

• “All this birthday stuff is getting old.”
• “‘Birthday’ is just another day ending in ‘Y’.”
• “Don't celebrate how old you are, celebrate the years you survived.”—Touaxia Vang 
• “Kinda thought the cake would be bigger, honestly.”
• “It’s my favorite day for attention and free stuff!”
• “Hush up and open your presents.”
• “You WISH you knew me well enough to know my age.”
• “Don’t know why you’re so excited, you’ve got another birthday coming up next year.”
• “Time waits for no one, so blow out those candles before we end up having to eat wax.”
• “I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don't have to respect anybody.”—George Burns
• “No thanks.”
• “How many more times are we going to have to do this?”
• "I called the fire department to let them know we're just lighting your candles, and the house isn't on fire."
• “Oh look, an old person!”
• “There is still no cure for the common birthday.” —John Glenn
• “You know, if I close my eyes you don’t look all that that old.”
• “One year older and one year wiser! Well, one year older, anyway.”
• “I’m less a silver fox and more a spry mummy.”
• “Sorry I didn’t make you a cake for your birthday but I like you just the way you are.”
• “I hate birthdays, did you know, too many can actually kill you?”—Nitya Prakash