Do you put an apostrophe in a family name?

Rule #2: You never need an apostrophe when signing or addressing cards. (Apostrophes imply possession, which isn't what you're trying to do. You're simply naming them in the plural.) These rules mean you should write out any last name in full, whether Williams or Garcia, and simply tack something onto the end.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on realsimple.com

Is it the Smiths or the Smith's?

Only use an apostrophe when you want to make a name possessive. ("From The Smith's" is always wrong, but "The party is at the Smiths' house" is correct.)

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on countryliving.com

Does a family name need an apostrophe?

Avoid making this common faux pas when you're making your Christmas card! When making your last name plural, you don't need to add an apostrophe! The apostrophe makes the name possessive. The last letter of your last name will determine if you add an “-s” or an “-es”.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on soireesignatures.com

Is it the Smith family or the Smith's family?

Unlike singular possessives, which take an apostrophe followed by an S, plural possessives take an apostrophe alone. So if you're going to the home of the Smiths, you're going to the Smiths' house. If you're going to visit the Williamses, that would be at the Williamses' house. Mr.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on latimes.com

How do you write family name with apostrophe?

To show possession using an apostrophe, add 's for individuals (“Smith's car”) and just the apostrophe after the s for plurals (“the Smiths' car,” “the Martinezes' dog”). By convention, names from classical mythology and the Bible ending in s show possession with the apostrophe only (“Jesus' teachings”).

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on merriam-webster.com

Do you put an apostrophe after a family name?

40 related questions found

How do you pluralize a family name?

You usually make family names plural by adding an “s” to the end. However, if the name ends in "s," “x,” "z," “ch,” or “sh,” you usually add an “es” instead (but there are exceptions). The plural of “mother-in-law” is “mothers-in-law.” The plural of “Mister” is ““Messieurs,” which is abbreviated “Messrs.”

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on quickanddirtytips.com

How do I pluralize a last name?

You're going to want to add the letters –es to your last name to make it plural. In other words, Jane Gomez and Lydia Gomez becomes the Gomezes. Jim Felix and his wife and kids becomes the Felixes.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thesaurus.com

Is it Jones's or Jones?

The plural of Jones is Joneses, ‐es being added as an indicator of the plurality of a word of which the singular form ends in s, as in dresses or messes. The apposition of the much misused apostrophe to the word Jones does not pluralize it.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on academic.oup.com

Is it Mr and Mrs Smith's or Smiths?

The plural of Smith is Smiths. NOT Smith's. And if for some reason the Smiths wanted to use the possessive, they would have to use the plural possessive. To say the Smith's live here makes no sense.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on grammargoddess.com

How do you refer to a family by last name?

The easiest way to address an envelope to an entire family is simply write "The (Last Name of the Family) Family" as the first line of your address.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wikihow.com

Is it Williams or Williams's?

The Associated Press Stylebook recommends just an apostrophe: It's Tennessee Williams' best play. But most other authorities endorse 's: Williams's. Williams's means “belonging to Williams.” It is not the plural form of Williams. People's names become plural the way most other words do.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on grammarbook.com

How do you write your family name on a Christmas card?

For your last name, it ends in 's,' so just add the 'es': “Merry Christmas from the Mayses” or “Merry Christmas from the Humphreyses.” (Again, if you don't like how that looks or sounds, just say, “Merry Christmas from the Humphreys Family.”

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thevisualcommunicationguy.com

What are the 3 rules for apostrophes?

The apostrophe has three uses: 1) to form possessive nouns; 2) to show the omission of letters; and 3) to indicate plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols. ​Do not ​use apostrophes to form possessive ​pronouns ​(i.e. ​his​/​her ​computer) or ​noun ​plurals that are not possessives.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on suu.edu

Do you put an apostrophe after a last name that ends in s?

Second, a name ending in s takes only an apostrophe if the possessive form is not pronounced with an extra s. Hence: Socrates' philosophy. Saint Saens' music.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sussex.ac.uk

When should you use an apostrophe in a name?

If a name is singular but ends in an “s,” you always add an apostrophe after the name to show possession, but you can also add another “s” after the apostrophe if you prefer (e.g., Jess' office OR Jess's office). If the name is plural, simply add an apostrophe at the end to show possession (e.g., the Jones' new baby).

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on proofed.com

Do you put an apostrophe S after a plural name?

The possessive case of plural nouns that end in s is formed by adding an apostrophe: This is the boys' bedroom. My parents' house is a lovely old one. The scissors' handles just snapped off.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on grammarly.com

How do you write Smith family?

“The Smiths.” The apostrophe (typically) indicates possession. Adding an s without an apostrophe indicates a plural. If you want to say something belongs to the Smith family as a group, you write “the Smiths'.” “I spent the day at the Smiths' swimming pool.”

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on quora.com

Is it James or James's?

If you're going with The Associated Press Stylebook, James' is the correct way of writing James in the possessive form. But, for all other style guides, James's is the way to go.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on dotefl.com

Is Ross's correct?

First, form your plural: You're visiting the Rosses. Then make it possessive: You're going to the Rosses' house. Remember, because this is plural, there's no dispute on how to make it possessive. Use just an apostrophe.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on latimes.com

Is Thomas's correct?

“I visited Thomas's house” and “I visited Thomas' house” are both valid style choices. But the former is more popular in professional publishing. So a safe solution is to treat singular nouns ending in S the same way you treat singulars nouns not ending in S: Form the possessive with an apostrophe and an S.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on latimes.com

How do you pluralize possessive family last name?

For showing family possession with surnames that are plural and possessive, make the name plural first by adding an “s” and then add an apostrophe to make them possessive. The Smiths' car was parked illegally. (The car belonged to Mr. and Mrs.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on depo.com

How do you write family names?

The Whole Family's Last Name

To show possession of a whole family: Add -es or -s to write the family's last name in plural form. Add an apostrophe at the end to show possession.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on writeshop.com

How do you pluralize a last name ending in a vowel?

Pluralizing Family Names

The rules for pluralization are simple: Use an -s if your name ends with a vowel or a voiced consonant.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on proofreadingpal.com

How do you pluralize the last name Adams?

Adams, Adamses, Adams's | Vita Brevis.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on vitabrevis.americanancestors.org

Where does the apostrophe go in names?

An apostrophe is a small punctuation mark ( ' ) placed after a noun to show that the noun owns something. The apostrophe will always be placed either before or after an s at the end of the noun owner. Always the noun owner will be followed (usually immediately) by the thing it owns.

Takedown request   |   View complete answer on towson.edu