Let's tackle the first option first. 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.
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.)
Apostrophes are used to show possession. Your family last name on its own is not possessive. You would say We are the Smiths. You would not say We are the Smith's House.
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.
In most cases, you only have to add an s to the end of their entire last name—even if the last letter is y. So the Smith family becomes the Smiths, the Angelo family becomes the Angelos, and the Perry family becomes the Perrys.
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.
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.
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.
If you are referring to a family whose last name is Smith, then you would say “the Smiths” (no apostrophe) or “the Smith family.” I would say John Smith's family or Mary Smith's family rather than “Smith's family.” Or I'd say “The Smith family.”
This sentence uses "family" as a common noun: "My family goes on vacation every June." When "family" is used as part of the name of a family, as in "Smith Family" or "Li Family," it is being used as a proper noun.
It is also acceptable to use “John and Mary Smith and Family” or “The Smith Family.” However, it is acceptable today to also have the mother's name first in family signatures such as “Mary, John, Matthew and Susan Smith.” If there are two different last names and the couple has children, then it would be proper to sign ...
Remember: the only time you add an apostrophe to a last name is if you are making your last name possessive. For example, "That is the Gamels' house on the corner."
Don't use an apostrophe to make your last name plural. Apostrophes can be used to show possession—à la the Smithsʼ house or Tim Johnsonʼs pad— but they don't indicate there's more than one person in your family.
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.
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.
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.”
When addressing an entire family use the family's last name preceded by “The.” For example, “The Smiths.” Use professional titles when appropriate. Always use professional titles when addressing members of the clergy, elected officials, doctors or those who have earned their Ph.
Apostrophes add possession while adding an “s” makes the name plural. For example, you should write The Smiths (not The Smith's). Alternatively, you could address the envelope to The Smith Family or list the family members who are invited, like the example below which was for a Bat Mitzvah invitation.
You know your name, James O'Brien – there's a little apostrophe – what does that stand for? Answer: the apostrophe is an English way of writing the original name, and its a way of writing the accent over the 'O'.
Rule: To form the plural of a last name that ends with an s, add an es. To form the possessive of the plural, add an apostrophe. The Dennises are a nice family.
With most surnames, you can simply add an s to the end of your last name to indicate the message is coming from more than one family member, for example, “the Patels.” If your name ends in s or z, as in Jones or Juarez, add es. The Joneses is correct because it indicates more than one member of the family.
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.
“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.
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.
Pluralizing Family Names
The rules for pluralization are simple: Use an -s if your name ends with a vowel or a voiced consonant.