Mother's Day gift ideas

11 November 2026

The best personal Mother's Day gifts are about her rather than for the house: something with her name on it, such as a real star named after Mum. Mother's Day (Mothering Sunday) in the UK is Sunday 7 March 2027.

Why is a star a good Mother's Day present?

Most mums would rather be thought about than spent on, and a star puts the thought in the one place she will read it: the name. "Mum", the family's own word for her, her full name or one of her favourite sayings all turn a certificate into something personal.

It also travels well. If you live apart, the pack can be posted straight to her, or the star can arrive on her phone as a gift link on the morning itself. And early March evenings get dark at a sensible hour, so going out to look for her constellation needn't mean a midnight start.

We run two star naming brands, each with its own register, documents and website.

The Star Naming Co.

The Star Naming Co. dedicates a real, catalogued star to her in its register. Its guide to naming a star for Mum this Mother's Day covers the details.

• Physical Gift Pack. Five A4 documents printed on fine cream stock and posted free in the UK within 24 hours: a name certificate, a personalised welcome letter, a coordinates sheet with a sky chart, the story of her constellation and a sealed extract from the register. Her address can go in at checkout so it is posted straight to her.
• Digital Gift Pack. The same five documents to print at home, emailed within minutes, any hour of any day, with her own live star page and an e-gift reveal to send by text, email or WhatsApp.
• Twin Star Gift Pack. Two neighbouring stars in the same constellation on one landscape certificate, a good choice for Nana and Grandad together.
• Her constellation. Choose her star sign if it is Taurus, Gemini, Leo or Scorpius, or Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Orion and others, or let The Star Naming Co. choose for you.

Intergalactic Star Database

Intergalactic Star Database records a real star under whatever you type, up to 60 characters, printed exactly as written. The posted gift pack contains a Certificate of Registry, a Star Area Co-ordinates Sheet showing where the star is and when it is highest, a welcome letter and a fold-out star chart, arriving in a full-colour gift envelope. The print-at-home star is ready as soon as you have paid. Its page on a star for Mother's Day has plenty of naming ideas, and there is a separate guide to a star to thank Mum or Dad at any time of year.

What should I name a star for my mum?

• What you actually call her: Mum, Mam, Mummy, Ma, or the family's own word.
• Her full name, for a certificate that looks right in a frame.
• The thing she always says, for a mum who will laugh first and cry second.
• From small children: ask them. Whatever they come up with will beat yours.

Who else is a Mother's Day gift for?

• Nan or Grandma. A star from the grandchildren, with the certificate framed for her wall. See our gifts for grandparents.
• A new mum. Her first Mother's Day: name it after her new title, with the baby's name in the message.
• Your wife, from the children. One star from all of you, with each child's name in the message.
• Stepmums, mothers-in-law, foster mums and godmothers. Anyone who did the job. The word on the certificate can be whichever word is true.
• A mum who has everything. She won't already have a star. More ideas in gifts for someone who has everything.

When do I need to order for Mother's Day 2027?

If Mother's Day is a hard day

For some families Mothering Sunday is a day of remembering. A star named in her memory gives you somewhere to look, and the wording can be as private as you like. Both star brands have pages on remembering someone with a star, and our memorial gift ideas may help.

Buying for Dad as well? See our Father's Day gift ideas.