The 20 most iconic TV moms of all time

Two different women played her, and the series tried to make the switch like no one would notice, but Aunt Viv is still an icon. She’s got a spirit and a legacy that will remain no matter how many people play her. 

Most iconic doesn’t mean best. Lily van der Woodsen is a mess in nearly every area of her life, most crucially motherhood. But she always looks impeccable and has managed to marry multiple billionaires, which is the behavior of which only icons are capable. 

People are still writing think pieces about Tami and Eric Taylor’s relationship. Tami Taylor is a quintessential modern American mom. She’s got a bit of a wild past that she fully owns, but she’s focused on being a motherly figure to anyone who’s in need. 

Lorelai Gilmore was always iconic, even when she made questionable decisions. Her love life was a bit erratic, and she wasn’t always the most responsible, but she was fun, fashionable, and always made obscure references, which are all underrated qualities in a mom. 

Marge Simpson has been through a lot. Her husband is constantly doing something bizarre and worth criticizing, and her children can take her for granted, but she still shows up and does her job day in and day out. 

Clair Huxtable was everything: Smart, stylish, supportive, and strong. She’s had a lasting influence on TV moms and Black female characters across all genres of television, making her an incomparable force in media. 

Carol Brady is the people’s mother. Of the entire Brady bunch, she’s perhaps the most notable. As a whole, the children have started to fade into obscurity, but Carol will always remain an icon. 

Claire Dunphy was a fresh breath of air in the TV mom canon. She brought TV moms, specifically sitcom moms, back to their true form while maintaining the flawed mom persona that emerged in the late ‘90s. A perfect balance with loads of humor. 

Tough as nails, Carmela Soprano is a force. She’s just as flawed as her husband (albeit the flaws aren’t quite as consequential), but she remains determined to do the best she can. Carmela broke tons of TV mom stereotypes, serving as a more realistic depiction of an American mother. 

There’s a lot about All In the Family that can be criticized in retrospect, but for better or worse, television wouldn’t be where it is today without the series. And television moms wouldn't be where they are without Edith Bunker. For that, she deserves flowers. 

Multiple mothers in This Is Us were noteworthy, but Rebecca Pearson stood out. In keeping with the 21st-century theme of showing mothers as more realistic people and complex characters, Rebecca had her own issues, but she always tried to do right by her children. 

Like most TV mothers of her era, Harriette Winslow acted as the voice of reason in her family. Harriet did her part in the television mothers canon, moving the trope forward while providing her own spin on the character type. 

June Cleaver is such an icon that she’s still referred to when people discuss how actual mothers should act. Have any mothers in real life, past or present, been able to keep it together at all times as well as June? No, definitely not. But she’s still a cultural touchstone. 

Moira Rose had a beautiful arc as a mother. She started as a woman with very little interest in her children and ended as one with genuine relationships with both, all the while keeping her entertaining personality about her. 

Marion Cunningham made herself an icon. She was one of three characters to remain on Happy Days for the entirety of the show, cementing her place in television history. 

Didi Pickles gets all the glory among the Rugrats mothers, but Charlotte Pickles is the true icon. She was ultra-focused on personal success and let her daughter go by the wayside a bit, but underneath it all, she was a rare television depiction of a working mother, and she definitely inspired ferocity and a strong work ethic in Angelica. 

She was spooky and is perhaps better known for her motherhood on film than television, but she’s an iconic TV mother nonetheless. Morticia Addams supported her children no matter what, and that makes her an admirable mom. 

Again, iconic doesn’t necessarily mean good. Lucille Bluth was a terrible mother. She either completely neglected or completely smothered her children. But her poor mothering was objectively hilarious, and therefore she is an icon. 

Lucy Ricardo changed the trajectory for mothers on television. Without her influence, who knows how long it would’ve been before it was acceptable to discuss pregnancy on TV? Lucy didn’t start the series as a mother, but she still managed to be remembered as one of the greatest. 

Very few TV moms have gotten the chance to reappear on screen years after their initial appearance, but Kitty Forman did. During That ‘70s Show’s initial run, it was easy to say that the kids were the stars of the show, but the reboot proved that it was Kitty and Red all along.