Don't use an apostrophe to make your last name plural. Apostrophes can be used to show possession—à la the Smiths' house or Tim Johnson's pad— but they don't indicate there's more than one person in your family.

Do you use apostrophe for plural last name?

Signing a card, "Happy holidays from the Smiths!" correctly includes the entire family in the message's sentiment. Leave out the apostrophe when making last names plural. For names that do not end in –s, –z, –ch, –sh, or –x, just add –s to the end of the name to make it plural.

How do you write the plural of a family last 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.”

Is there an apostrophe in a couple's last name?

Unless you want to make your last name possessive, there aren't any circumstances where you would need to add an apostrophe. The rule goes like this: If your name ends in s, x, z, ch, or sh, add -es to the end.

When writing a family name do you use an apostrophe?

When it comes to showing possession, to make most surnames possessive, simply add an apostrophe and an “s.” Mr. Smith's car was repossessed. 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.

Apostrophes for Possession | Possessive Nouns | EasyTeaching

29 related questions found

Is it 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.

Is it the Smith's house or the Smiths house?

The Smith's (with an apostrophe before the s) is the possessive of "Smith" and indicates one person ownership. The Smiths' (with an apostrophe after the s) is plural possessive and means the possession of more than one "Smith" of something (see Rule 2 below) like "The Smiths' house is white."

When should a last name have an apostrophe?

When indicating the possessive, if there is more than one owner add an apostrophe to the plural; if there is one owner, add 's to the singular (The Smiths' car vs. Smith's car). If the possessive involves a last name ending with "s" or "z," you can add either. Special rules apply for classical and biblical names.

How do you make Jones plural?

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.

Can first names have apostrophes?

First-name apostrophes started gaining momentum in the 1980s. The initial wave of names, especially popular with Black and Latino parents, were styled after Romance-language surnames with prefixes. Names like DeAndre and DeAngelo increasingly morphed into D'Andre and D'Angelo.

Do you put an apostrophe s after AZ?

To form the possessive of a proper noun ending in an s or z sound, some people use apostrophe + s, as in Perez's and Burns's, and others prefer an apostrophe alone, as in Perez' and Burns's.

How do you make Davis possessive?

According to Grammarbook.com, the nerds of the world will argue heatedly on the subject for eternity, but the most roundly accepted rule is to include the apostrophe, along with an extra “S.” (Davis's rather than Davis').

What is family plural?

The plural of 'family' is 'families'. For example: ''There are two new families living in my neighborhood. '' Just be careful because it can sound like the possessive form (family's) which is used to talk about something that belongs to your family - e.g. ''my family's car broke down''.

When a name ends in s and is possessive?

The general rule is that the possessive of a singular noun is formed by adding an apostrophe and s, whether the singular noun ends in s or not. The possessive of a plural noun is formed by adding only an apostrophe when the noun ends in s, and by adding both an apostrophe and s when it ends in a letter other than s.

How do you pluralize a last name ending in O?

You can use the plural version of your last name (The O'Briens), or you can use a singular version of your last name plus the word family (The O'Brien Family). If you're going to go with the ______ Family version, you're already done. Just put your last name in its singular form in front of the word family.

How do you make a first name plural?

There are really just two rules to remember, whether you're pluralizing a given (first) name or a surname (last name): If the name ends in s, sh, ch, x or z, add es. In every other case, add s.

Is it 1970s or 1970's?

The apostrophe in '70s is forming a contraction for the numbers you are replacing in the spelled out version “1970s.” Never put the apostrophe before the “s” when describing decades. For plurals of multiple letters, we can again scrap the apostrophe and just add “s.” Example: “He is learning his ABCs right now.”

How do you put an S after a name?

1. Use an apostrophe +"s" ('s) to show that one person/thing owns or is a member of something. Style guides vary when it comes to a name that ends in an "s." Even if the name ends in "s," it's still correct to add another "'s" to create the possessive form.

What is the plural of Williams?

First, make the noun Williams into a plural: Williamses.

Which is correct James or James's?

The proper convention is to include the possessive apostrophe even when the word ends in an "s." So "James's" is correct. The only exception to that are proper nouns so well established that traditionally they have always been used with just an apostrophe.

How do you write Johnsons?

If your last name is Johnson and you want to send a card from your family, simply add an "s": The Johnsons ("Merry Christmas from the Johnsons!"). 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.)

Why do Irish names have apostrophes?

The Irish apostrophe began with the British, who put it there because they believed the O looked odd without a link to the rest of the name. Many Gaelic speakers in Ireland refuse to carry an apostrophe, considering it a vestige of colonial days.

Is it love the Smiths or love the Smiths?

A common mistake is to make the family name plural by adding an "s" — with an apostrophe before it. So if your name is Smith, and you're signing your cards on behalf of the whole family, you'd sign it "Love, The Smiths," not "Love, The Smith's." Names that end in "s" — like Jones — also tend to trip people up.

Where does the apostrophe go in checker?

Use an Apostrophe Checker to Ensure Apostrophes Are Used Properly

1. With singular nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.
2. With singular nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.
3. With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s.
4. With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and s.

How do you say city in plural?

The plural of city is cities.