Birthday cake waits at the top, U+1F382, the only character in Unicode with birth in its name. Under it sit 73 more: the other five birthday emoji, symbols, greeting lines, kaomoji, ASCII drawings and keycap ages. That is birthday emoji copy and paste, candles included.
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Search by what you would say
Search reads Unicode names, some words of ours and CLDR, Unicode's list of search words. Type bday and two tiles answer: Birthday cake and Partying face. Belated finds a line and a combo. For birthday emojis copy paste in one go, the combo All six at once holds every emoji CLDR files under birthday.
Old phones and plain text
Five of the six date from Emoji 0.6, the oldest version. Partying face is from 11.0 and Mirror ball, the newest tile here, from 14.0, so a phone older than that shows an empty box. Candle and Sparkles have a text form: Text style makes them plain characters that take the colour of your words.
Tips
For birthday cake emoji copy and paste with an age on it, press Ages in keycaps. Above nine, only 10 has its own keycap emoji.
Birthday symbols copy and paste, for a field that refuses emoji: โ , โช, โก and โฟ are ordinary text, and ็ณ is Unihan's cakes, pastry.
The happy birthday text art is plain ASCII, 7 to 23 columns wide. Outside a fixed-width font, such as a code block, the candles drift.
Questions and answers
Is there a birthday candle emoji?
There is one candle, U+1F56F, the only character in Unicode named candle. CLDR gives it two search words, candle and light, and neither is birthday. It is here anyway, and in the combo Make a wish, in three. For one candle per year, repeat it.
Which emoji count as birthday emoji?
CLDR, Unicode's list of search words, files exactly six under birthday: Birthday cake, Party popper, Balloon, Wrapped gift, Partying face and Bouquet. Cupcake and Candle are not on the list, which seems harsh.
Is there a birthday kaomoji?
Kaomoji have no standard, so no official one. The eight here are ours, from arms up and singing to serving cake and making a wish. The first is plain ASCII, and four carry an emoji. Happy kaomoji has more.
๐BalloonU+1F388. CLDR gives it four search words: balloon, birthday, celebrate and celebration. Emoji 0.6.
๐Birthday cakeU+1F382. The only character in Unicode with birth in its name. CLDR files it under bday, cake, dessert and happy. Emoji 0.6.
๐BouquetU+1F490. The sixth emoji CLDR files under birthday, along with anniversary, date and romance. Emoji 0.6.
๐Party popperU+1F389. Filed straight after the balloon in the event section of Unicode's emoji list. CLDR adds tada, hooray and woohoo. Emoji 0.6.
๐ฅณPartying faceU+1F973. The newest of the six and the only party hat in Unicode: its formal name is Face with party horn and party hat. Emoji 11.0.
๐Wrapped giftU+1F381. Unicode's own name for it is Wrapped present. CLDR files it under birthday, christmas and surprise, so it works all year. Emoji 0.6.
Show all 74 things for a birthday (68 more)
Cake, candles and the rest of the table 12
๐ฏ๏ธCandleU+1F56F U+FE0F. The only character in Unicode named candle. CLDR lists two words for it, candle and light, and neither is birthday. It has a plain text form. Emoji 0.7.
๐Clapping handsU+1F44F. CLDR files it under congrats and congratulations. The only emoji on this page that takes a skin tone. Emoji 0.6.
๐ฅClinking glassesU+1F942. Unicode's notes describe it as celebration, formal toasting. CLDR files it under celebrate. Emoji 3.0.
๐Confetti ballU+1F38A. Unicode's notes give its other name as congratulations. Emoji 0.6.
๐งCupcakeU+1F9C1. It arrived in the same release as Partying face. CLDR files it under sprinkles and treat, and not under birthday. Emoji 11.0.
๐ชฉMirror ballU+1FAA9. The newest character on this page. CLDR files it under disco, dance and party. Emoji 14.0.
๐ถMusical notesU+1F3B6. For the song. Unicode's notes give it as dancing notes, mood, melody. Emoji 0.6.
๐ช PiรฑataU+1FA85. CLDR files it under candy, party and festive. Emoji 13.0.
๐งงRed envelopeU+1F9E7. CLDR files two emoji under gift: this one and Wrapped gift. Unicode's notes say it contains a monetary gift in East and Southeast Asia. Emoji 11.0.
๐RibbonU+1F380. The bow that goes on top. CLDR files it under celebration. Emoji 0.6.
๐ฐShortcakeU+1F370. A slice, by CLDR's reckoning: its search words are cake, slice and pastry. Emoji 0.6.
โจSparklesU+2728. CLDR files it under magic and star. It has a text form, which takes the colour of your words. Emoji 0.6.
Birthday symbols, no emoji 12
โBalloon-spoked asteriskU+2749 Balloon-spoked asterisk. The nearest plain text gets to a balloon is this asterisk's name. Three characters are called balloon-spoked, and the other two say four in theirs.
โซBeamed eighth notesU+266B Beamed eighth notes. Two notes joined by a beam. Unicode cross-references the Musical notes emoji to it.
โฟBlack floretteU+273F Black florette. A flower from the Dingbats block, for a bouquet with no emoji in it.
โ Black starU+2605 Black star. The filled one. Not an emoji, so it takes the colour and size of your words.
็ฅBlessing, as a Han characterU+795D. Unihan defines it as pray for happiness or blessings.
๐Bouquet of flowers, the plain oneU+1F395 Bouquet of flowers. Not the Bouquet emoji: a separate pictograph that Unicode cross-references from it. It shows as an empty box where no font has it.
็ณCake, as a Han characterU+7CD5. Unihan defines it as cakes, pastry. Unicode has no plain-text cake: all six characters with cake in their names are emoji.
็ญCandle, as a Han characterU+71ED. Unihan defines it as candle, taper; to shine, illuminate.
โชEighth noteU+266A Eighth note. One note, for the song, in plain text.
ๅฏฟLong life, as a Han characterU+5BFF. Unihan defines it as old age, long life; lifespan.
โกWhite heart suitU+2661 White heart suit. An outlined heart from the card suits. It stays the colour of the text around it.
โWhite starU+2606 White star. The same star in outline. Worth a try where a name field refuses emoji.
Happy birthday lines 12
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐Border row, mirrored around the gift
๐ Happy belated birthday ๐For the day after
โช Happy birthday to you โชNo emoji: a note each side
๐ Happy birthday to you ๐The song's first line, between cakes
โ Happy birthday โ No emoji: a black star each side
โจ๐โจ HAPPY BIRTHDAY โจ๐โจCapitals, cake in sparkles
๐๐๐ Happy birthday ๐๐๐Three balloons a side
๐ Happy birthday ๐Poppers at both ends
๐ Happy birthday, with love ๐Flowers, for a card
๐ HBD ๐Three letters, two cakes
๐ฅณ It's my birthday ๐ฅณFor your own status
๐ฏ๏ธ Make a wish ๐ฏ๏ธTwo candles, one instruction
Birthday kaomoji 8
( ^-^)ใ๐Here is your cake
(-ไบบ-)๐ฏ๏ธEyes shut, making a wish
(ใฃ^โฝ^)ใฃ๐Handing over the present
(๏พ^ใฎ^)๏พ*:ใป๏พโงThrowing sparkles
โชใฝ(^โฝ^)ใโชSinging, a note on each side
๐ใฝ(^โฝ^ )Balloon in hand
โ*:.๏ฝก.o(โงโฝโฆ)o.๏ฝก.:*โThrilled, a star at each end
\(^o^)/Arms up, plain ASCII
Happy birthday text art 6
Cake with the greeting on itSix candles and the words iced on the side. Plain ASCII, 19 columns wide.
Cupcake with a candleOne candle, five lines, seven columns. The smallest cake here that still has a candle.
Framed greetingHappy birthday in a frame of stars and waves. Plain ASCII, 23 columns wide.
HBD in block lettersThree letters, five rows of hash signs. Plain ASCII, 14 columns wide.
Small cakeThree candles, four lines of plain ASCII. It holds its shape wherever the text is monospaced.
๐๐ฏ100th birthdayBirthday cake, then hundred points. Hundred points stands in for three keycaps. CLDR files it under 100 and perfect.
๐๐10th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 10. Keycap: 10 is a single emoji, U+1F51F, and the only number above nine that has one.
๐1๏ธโฃ3๏ธโฃ13th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 1, then keycap: 3. Two keycaps, so six code points of number after the cake.
๐1๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ16th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 1, then keycap: 6. Sweet sixteen, spelled in keycaps.
๐1๏ธโฃ8๏ธโฃ18th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 1, then keycap: 8. Paste it, then swap either keycap for one from this row to build another age.
๐1๏ธโฃ1st birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 1. A keycap is three code points: the digit, U+FE0F and U+20E3.
๐2๏ธโฃ1๏ธโฃ21st birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 2, then keycap: 1. Two, then one. Each keycap is its own emoji, so the digits cannot merge.
๐3๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ30th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 3, then keycap: 0. The zero is Keycap: 0, U+0030 U+FE0F U+20E3.
๐4๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ40th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 4, then keycap: 0. Four and zero. The cake does not comment.
๐5๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ50th birthdayBirthday cake, then keycap: 5, then keycap: 0. Half of Hundred points, which ends this row.
Birthday combos 8
๐๐๐๐๐ฅณ๐All six at onceBirthday cake, then party popper, then balloon, then wrapped gift, then partying face, then bouquet. Every emoji CLDR files under birthday, in one paste.
๐๐BelatedSnail, then wrapped gift. The gift travelled at its own pace.
๐ถ๐๐ถBirthday songMusical notes, then birthday cake, then musical notes. The cake, with the singing on both sides of it.
๐ฏ๏ธ๐โจMake a wish, in threeCandle, then birthday cake, then sparkles. The candle goes first because CLDR never filed it under birthday and someone has to bring it.
๐๐ฐ๐ฐSecond sliceBirthday cake, then shortcake twice. The whole cake, then what is left of it.
๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌSugar rushBirthday cake, then cupcake, then lollipop, then candy. CLDR files all four under sweet, which is fair.
๐คซ๐๐Surprise partyShushing face, then balloon, then party popper. Quiet until the door opens. CLDR files Wrapped gift under surprise, but the gift would give it away.
๐โค๏ธ๐Thanks for the wishesFolded hands, then red heart, then birthday cake. For the reply you owe everyone the day after.
How this list was compiled: Built by script on 2026-09-19, not typed by hand. The emoji, their names, code points and Emoji version numbers come from emoji-test.txt, version 18.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/emoji/emoji-test.txt); names are the CLDR short names printed in that file, in sentence case. The search words are from the CLDR English annotations (https://github.com/unicode-org/cldr/blob/main/common/annotations/en.xml and https://github.com/unicode-org/cldr/blob/main/common/annotationsDerived/en.xml, main branch). CLDR lists the word birthday for six emoji (partying face, bouquet, birthday cake, balloon, party popper, wrapped gift), bday for two of them, gift for red envelope and wrapped gift, and neither candle nor cupcake under birthday. The first group is those six and nothing else; the second is our own choice of what ends up on the table beside them. The text forms come from emoji-variation-sequences.txt, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/emoji/emoji-variation-sequences.txt). Every character that is not an emoji was checked against UnicodeData.txt, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/UnicodeData.txt), and a note that names a character uses its name from that file. That file has one character with birth in its name, one named candle, one with a party hat, and six with cake in their names, all six of them emoji. The other names of Confetti ball, Clinking glasses and Musical notes, the note on Red envelope and the cross-references from Bouquet and Musical notes come from NamesList.txt, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/NamesList.txt). The meanings of the four Han characters are the kDefinition values of the Unihan database, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/Unihan.zip). The 12 greeting lines, 8 kaomoji, 6 ASCII drawings, 10 ages and 8 combos are this site's own work: the emoji in them are fetched by name from emoji-test.txt, the kaomoji are assembled from characters fetched by name from UnicodeData.txt, and the drawings were made for this page. All sources were checked on 2026-09-19. Licence: own work