I originally tackled this common grammar error last year, but since wedding season is in full force for many of us, and the holidays are right around the corner, this topic is one that deserves to be resurfaced. I have seen an influx of captioned wedding social media posts, neon signs behind the dance floor, and paraphernalia celebrating newlyweds the world over. I receive a couple of screenshots or DMs a week about this one, and it’s a grammar faux pas that can creep into our holiday cards, too.
I did an entire episode on apostrophes, but today is all about how to pluralize someone’s name when you are ordering your annual holiday cards, addressing an envelope, or congratulating a happy couple. Watch, read along, and share with the apostrophe-pluralizing ne’er-do-wells in your life!
This mistake is much more common than you think. Here’s a helpful guide for determining the best way to refer to families or couples using their last name, even in the trickiest cases.
If the last name does not end in s, z, ch, or sh
TO PLURALIZE, add the letter s.
Marty and Karen Yarborough = The Yarboroughs
Sarah and Julia Kimball = The Kimballs
Bob and Margaret Berry = The Berrys
Wes and Stuart Walker = The Walkers
TO MAKE THE PLURAL A POSSESSIVE = take the plural form, THEN add the apostrophe.
The Yarboroughs’ house
The Kimballs’ party
The Berrys’ address
The Walkers’ company
If the last name ends in s
TO PLURALIZE, add an -es
Jennifer and Daniel Williams = The Williamses
Mr. and Mrs. Cummings = The Cummingses
Holly and Bart Lewis = The Lewises
The Myers Family = The Myerses
The Reeves Family = The Reeveses
The Graves Family = The Graveses
The Jones Family = The Joneses
The Stevens Family = The Stevenses
The Stephens Family = The Stephenses
Beyoncé and Solange Knowles = The Knowleses
TO MAKE THE PLURAL A POSSESSIVE = take the plural form, THEN add the apostrophe.
The Williamses’ house
The Cummingses’ party
The Lewises’ address
The Myerses’ company
I know, it is WEIRD! But just because your last name ends in an s does not mean that it is plural. It STILL needs an es!
If the last name ends in z, ch, or sh
You will typically just add an -es
The Hernandez family = The Hernandezes
The Branch family = The Branches
The Bush twins = The Bushes
A few weird cases
If the ch makes a ck sound, add an s
The Bach family = The Bachs
If the name ends in a HARD x, add an es
The Adcox family = The Adcoxes
But if the x is silent, just add s
The Bordeaux family = The Bordeauxs
Signing off and tag lines
INCORRECT: Seasons Greetings
CORRECT: Season’s Greetings
INCORRECT: Happy New Year’s
CORRECT: Happy New Year
INCORRECT: We wish you a Merry Christmas!
CORRECT: We wish you a merry Christmas!
CORRECT: Love, _____ (with the comma)
CORRECT: From _____ (without the comma)
Let’s wrap it up
- An apostrophe never pluralizes something. Ever. End of story. It only shows possession.
- If your last name ends in an s, you still need to make it plural. If your last name is Graves, Love, The Graves is INCORRECT! It has to be The Graveses. If you hate that, say The Graves Family.
- Your phone will often try to stick the apostrophe in there when you write the name with an s, but go in and take it out before your fabulous Instagram photo goes live.
- If you want to show possession, you must make the name plural first, then add the apostrophe.
- When in doubt while you’re signing your holiday cards, just say The ____ Family!
Freshen up on Grammar Guru’s previous episodes HERE!
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