What People Actually Write on Their Star Maps — Analysis of 10,000 Messages

10,000 messages, and what they reveal

When someone creates a star map, the most intimate moment comes at the end: choosing the words. What do you say when the stars are already there to speak? Rather than guess or recommend, we analysed 10,000 inscriptions actually entered on OwnStarMap maps during 2025.

Messages were anonymised — no names, no identifiable places were retained. Only words, structures and metrics were analysed.

Here's what the data says.

The average message at a glance

Metric	Value
Average length	11.3 words
Median length	9 words
Shortest message	1 word ("Always")
Longest message	67 words
% including the date in text	72%
% including the place	48%
% including a first name	61%
% with no personalised text	8%
Most common language	French (39%), English (27%), German (13%)

The typical message is short — two thirds of inscriptions are under 15 words. Star maps are visual objects, and customers understand this instinctively: they let the stars speak and add just enough words to anchor the memory.

The 20 most used words

After filtering out articles, prepositions and determiners, here are the most frequent words across all 10,000 messages (all languages combined, translated to English for analysis):

#	Word	Frequency	Typical context
1	stars	31%	"under these stars", "written in the stars"
2	night	27%	"the night we", "the night of our"
3	love	19%	"with love", "our love"
4	sky	18%	"under this sky", "the sky of"
5	forever	14%	"forever", "forever together"
6	day	13%	"the day we", "that day"
7	born	11%	"born under these stars"
8	our	10%	"our story", "our first"
9	heart	8%	"in my heart", "with all my heart"
10	first	7%	"our first night", "first glance"
11	together	7%	"together under the stars"
12	life	6%	"of our life", "a beautiful life"
13	memory	6%	"in memory of", "in loving memory"
14	light	5%	"your light", "starlight"
15	began	5%	"it all began", "where it started"
16	family	4%	"our family", "made us a family"
17	vows	4%	"our vows", "the sky of our vows"
18	shine	4%	"you shine", "still shining"
19	dream	3%	"dream night", "written in a dream"
20	miss	3%	"I miss you", "we miss you"

The dominant word field is a crossover between astronomy and sentiment. "Stars", "night" and "sky" anchor the message in the cosmos. "Love", "forever" and "heart" anchor it in emotion. This dual resonance — cosmic and intimate — is what makes the format powerful.

The word "miss" (#20) appears almost exclusively in memorial maps. Its presence in the top 20 reflects the growth of the memorial segment.

Optimal length: the sweet spot

The message length distribution reveals a clear pattern:

Length	Share of messages	Profile
1-5 words	18%	Minimalist: a date, a place, two names
6-10 words	34%	Most common: one phrase + date
11-15 words	26%	An emotional phrase + date + place
16-20 words	12%	Two short sentences
21-30 words	7%	Short paragraph, quote, or detailed message
31+ words	3%	Long quotes, poems, multi-line messages

The peak is at 6-10 words. It's the format that combines a brief emotional message with a factual anchor (date/place). Messages of this length are also the most visually readable on the map — they integrate without overwhelming the design.

Messages of 1-5 words aren't "worse" — they're simply different. A message like "Paris, June 14, 2019" is elegant, sufficient, and deeply personal to the person who knows what that date means.

By occasion: what each moment inspires

Wedding

Average length: 12.4 words Distinctive words: "said I do", "vows", "forever", "husband and wife" Most common format: "[Phrase] — [Date], [Venue]" Typical example: "The stars the night we said I do — June 18, 2024, Lyon"

Wedding messages are the most structured. 82% include the date, 63% include the place. The tone is solemn and romantic — it's the occasion where people put the most effort into writing.

Birth

Average length: 9.8 words Distinctive words: first name, time, weight, "welcome", "greeted" Most common format: "[Name] — [Date], [Time], [Weight]" Typical example: "Louise — March 3, 2025, 4:12 AM, 7 lbs 1 oz"

Births are the most factual occasion. Parents include precise data (time, weight) more than poetic phrases. It's the only message type where numbers dominate words.

Memorial

Average length: 13.7 words Distinctive words: "memory", "miss", "watching", "star", "gone", "light" Most common format: "[Tribute] — [Name], [Birth year] - [Death year]" Typical example: "Your light will never fade — [Name], 1952-2024"

Memorial messages are the longest on average. They carry more emotional weight and often a narrative structure ("you're gone but..."). The word "miss" appears in 41% of memorial inscriptions.

First meeting

Average length: 10.6 words Distinctive words: "met", "began", "first", "changed", "knew" Most common format: "[Evocative phrase] — [Date], [Place]" Typical example: "The night everything changed — September 7, 2019, Bordeaux"

First meeting messages are the most narrative. They tell the story of a beginning. The word "knew" recurs often in formulations like "I didn't know it yet" — a retrospective narrative where the present illuminates the past.

By language: cultural differences

Metric	French	English	German	Spanish	Italian
Average length	12.1 words	9.8 words	10.4 words	11.7 words	12.9 words
% with date	74%	69%	78%	70%	68%
% with place	52%	41%	55%	49%	45%
Dominant tone	Poetic	Concise	Structured	Passionate	Lyrical

French and Italian are the longest — the two cultures where written sentimental expression is most valued. English is the most concise: Anglo-Saxon messages get straight to the point. German is the most factual: 78% include the date, 55% the place — German messages are precise temporal anchors more than declarations of love.

The most original inscriptions

Among the 10,000 messages analysed, some stand out for creativity. Here's a selection (anonymised):

Minimalist:

• "Always."
• "Our sky."
• "Finally."

Narrative:

• "You told me to look at the stars. I put them on a wall."
• "The night your mother said yes on your behalf."
• "14,243 nights together. Here's the first."

Playful:

• "I love you to the moon and back — but this is the other way."
• "Our love story, sponsored by the universe."

Memorial:

• "Even the sky remembers you."
• "You always loved the stars. Now you're among them."

Data-driven advice

These 10,000 messages converge on a few simple principles:

1. Write short — most people stop at 10 words, and that's enough
2. Include the date — 72% of customers do, and it's what makes the map unique
3. Include the place — it adds a geographic anchor the map alone doesn't provide (the sky changes by location)
4. A first name makes it personal — 61% include one
5. Don't force poetry — the simplest messages ("Our sky — Paris, 2019") are often the most powerful

For concrete ideas by occasion, see our guide What to write on a star map: 50+ ideas.

Frequently asked questions

Do people write in a language different from the site?

Yes, 14% of messages are written in a language different from the site language. It's common for international gifts: a French person giving a map to an English-speaking friend, or a German writing in French for their French wife. Some messages mix two languages.

Do some leave the text blank?

8% of maps have no personalised text. These are often orders for oneself (not a gift) or customers who prefer the visual purity of the map without text. It's a perfectly valid choice — the map is already a message in itself.

Are messages different between digital and printed versions?

Yes, slightly. Digital versions have messages averaging 1.3 words shorter than printed versions. The hypothesis: customers who choose digital are more often in a hurry (last-minute gift) and spend less time on the writing. But the difference is small.

What's the most emotional word?

Statistically, messages containing "miss" are those associated with the most intense emotion — they appear almost exclusively in memorial maps. But emotion can't be measured in words. A simple "Our sky" can be just as devastating to the person who knows what it means.