25 Most Popular Goatee Styles (Ultimate Guide)

The goatee is compact and trendy beard style. In fact, it only covers the chin and upper lip with many variations of this short beard style, like the circle goatee, door knocker, Van Dyke, and chin only beard.

What type of goatee are you looking for? This guide shows you all the different style options with photos of our favorite goatee celebrities.

There are a lot of ways to style a goatee, whether you trim away more hair or even dye it for a personal brand.

Here’s a look at our top goatee style picks.

1. Full Goatee

Many consider the full goatee having a connecting mustache as part of the facial hair style. Often times the mustache style and chin hair connect, and there may even be a soul patch (strip of hair) under the bottom lip. Other times, the goatee is so thick or disconnected and becomes a part of the person’s identity.

Chris Pine Full Goatee — Chris Pine’s goatee at Star Trek Beyond premier, Image courtesy of Time Magazine

2. Van Dyke Goatee

This is probably my favorite style, and it’s been popular for centuries! The Van Dyke is a goatee styled after 17th century artist Anthony van Dyke. The beard became such a fashion trend that it persists to this day and the one I wear.

See our Cut and Style Guide for the Van Dyke Beard.

The Van Dyke goatee has a Parisian style with clean-shaven cheeks, a short mustache, small goatee, and soul patch beneath the bottom lip. Typically chin hair is styled to a point. However, there are many variations as shown below, from natural to short to longer goatee styles.

Johnny Depp Van Dyke Goatee — Johnny Depp Goatee

3. Goatee with Beard

This is a classic goatee look with longer hair up the sides and down the chin. This is typically achieved through fading or layering with different guards, so that your goatee shape has longer hair than the sides and cheeks. It’s a bit of an unkempt look that can look super stylish if you incorporate definition and neat lines.

Here are a few examples:

4. Anchor Goatee

Anchor Goatee Beard — The anchor goatee beard is a classic

5. Short Goatee

The short goatee is similar in style to the petite goatee, but with a bit more length.

Brad Pitt Short Goatee — Brad Pitt’s short goatee

Goatees commonly have shaved cheeks and sides, corralling facial hair to just the chin.

6. Hipster Goatee

Johnny Depp Hipster Goatee — Johnny Depp

7. Circle Goatee

Johnny Depp Circle Beard — Johnny Depp sporting a Circle Beard Goatee

8. Zappa Goatee

Frank Zappa Goatee — Frank Zappa and his famous goatee

9. Stubble Goatee

Leonardo DiCaprio Stubble Goatee — Leonardo DiCaprio

10. Goatee with Soul Patch

Tom Waits Goatee and Soul Patch — Tom Waits

11. Landing Strip

Landing Strip Goatee — The landing is cool and jazzy.

12. Chin Puff

John Travolta chin puff goatee — John Travolta

13. Chin Strap

Chin strap beard style — See more chin strap beard styles.

14. Petite Goatee

Ryan Gosling Petite Goatee — He’s changed up his style from full beard to goatee. See more Ryan Gosling beard styles.

15. Long Goatee

Brad Pitt Long Goatee — Brad Pitt. Source: CNN.com. See more long goatee styles.

16. Extended Goatee

Charlie Hunnam sporting a stylish extended goatee. — Charlie Hunnam with a cool extended goatee.

Check out more Extended Goatee Styles

17. Door Knocker

Door Knocker is a great Goatee Style — The Door Knocker goatee is nothing to mess with.

18. Tony Stark Goatee

Robert Downey Goatee — Robert Downey Jr. dawns stylish look at Iron Man 3 premiere. See more Iron Man beard styles.

19. Guy Fieri goatee

Who would Guy Fieri be without his iconic goatee look?

20. Walter White goatee

There have been many famous faces to sport a goatee. If you like a traditional goatee, you probably thought Walter White on Breaking Bad had the perfect goatee.

Bryan Cranston, AKA Heisenberg with a Goatee on AMC's Breaking Bad — Bryan Cranston shows his best Walter White Goatee. Courtesy “Breaking Bad” on AMC

However, there are so many varieties of this beard it’s hard to tell which one is the most accurate depiction.

21. Chin beard

The chin beard is basically classic goatee with more emphasis on the chin hair length. See more beard styles without a mustache.

Soul Patch with classic goatee — Djimon Hounsou with a classic chin beard goatee.

22. Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt Beard Style — See more Brad Pitt beard styles.

Brad Pitt Soul Patch — See more Brad Pitt beard styles.

23. Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has probably styled every variation of the goatee. Look at our Johnny Depp Beard Style Guide to see how to steal his look.

24. Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy Beard Style — See all Tom Hardy hairstyles

Tom Hardy crew cut — See all Tom Hardy hairstyles

25. Idris Elba

Idris Elba stylish goatee — LONDON – MAY 8, 2016: Idris Elba arrives for the House Of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall

Idris Elba Goatee — LONDON – MAY 8, 2016: Idris Elba arrives for the House Of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall

See our Full Celebrity Goatee Style Guide

Other variations mentioned above, such as anchor beard, hipster beard, circle beard, and other styles, have more facial hair than the classic goatee. Let’s not be confined to narrow definitions as I see any facial hair style around the mouth and chin as a goatee!

Goatee FAQs

What Is A Goatee?

A modern goatee is simply a beard style that’s a combination of chin hair and mustache hair that often connects around the jaw. The modern goatee has evolved to include a mustache, various lengths, several unique style variations, and serves as the foundation for many short beard styles.

What Is A Classic Goatee?

A classic goatee is a beard style grown only on the chin and without a mustache. This original goatee is similar in style to a billie goat, and hence the name.

Are Goatees In Style?

Many celebrities have sported the goatee look for years and usually a good indication that a look is in style. The Van Dyke and anchor beard looks have surged in popularity thanks to famous people who wear them, such as Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

Which Goatee Style Is Best?

We think the best goatee styles are a matter of personal preference. However, the best looking goatees are those neatly trimmed around the mouth and chin to accentuate your best facial features.

How to Grow a Goatee?

This is honestly up to the wearer and personal style preference. Start by clean shaving the areas cut with your trimmer. Second, shave and define your neck under your jawline to avoid a neck beard. Then leave hair growth short, typically 1/2 inch or less on your chin.

Most goatee wearers don’t grow their chin hair past the Adam’s apple. In fact, it’s best if you cut it an inch above your Adam’s apple and continue to fade or trim away hair until it looks appropriate for your face shape.

how to trim a goatee

Quick Tips

Pick a goatee style like a hairstyle that matches your look and personality (see our beard style guide)
Use an electric clipper and blending shears to shape your goatee
For patchy beards, focus on the beard and mustache hair first
Comb your beard regularly and apply a beard oil or balm to keep hair healthy

Is The Goatee For You?

Many guys start growing a goatee because it’s easier than a growing a full beard. You can grow your chin hair and mustache first, then worry about the rest later if you want. It’s best to focus on establishing thicker chin hair over time.

Looking for other beard styles? Check out our celebrity beards for 2021.