Using Apostrophes with Last Names Ending in s, ch, or z
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Using Apostrophes with Last Names Ending in s, ch, or z
Some topics in American English grammar may require repeat visits and discussions, mainly because they can remain elusive even after practice, review, and application. One of those topics is how to form the plural and possessive forms of last names ending in s, ch, or z.
Most of us are likely comfortable with creating the plural and the plural possessive for a last name such as Robinson. For the plural, we just add an s (the Robinsons). For the plural possessive, we follow with an apostrophe (the Robinsons’ porch). But what if the last name is Dennis, Finch, or Martinez?
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.
Examples
The Dennises are a nice family.
The Dennises’ family lineage is fascinating.
By comparison, if we are speaking of only one member of the Dennises, we would apply standard rules for singular possessive punctuation.
Examples
Sabrina Dennis is the oldest sibling.
Sabrina Dennis’s birth order was first. (or Sabrina Dennis’ birth order was first; either punctuation style is acceptable.)
Rule: To form the plural of a last name that ends with a ch, add an es. To form the possessive of the plural, add an apostrophe.
Examples
The Finches live right down the street from us.
The Finches’ old house is a neighborhood attraction.
If the ch ending makes a k sound, add just an s to form the plural. For the possessive, follow it with an apostrophe.
Examples
The Bachs live right down the street from us.
The Bachs’ old house is a neighborhood attraction.
Rule: To form the plural of a last name that ends with a z, add an es. To form the possessive of the plural, add an apostrophe.
Examples
The Martinezes like to go to the lake for time with family during the summer.
The Martinezes’ favorite food to cook on the grill is chicken.
By comparison, if we are speaking of only one member of the Martinezes, we would apply standard rules for singular possessive punctuation.
Examples
Raul Martinez joins his family at the lake for time together during the summer.
Raul Martinez‘s favorite food to eat from the grill is chicken.
For more helpful discussion and examples concerning this topic, see our article Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z.
Pop Quiz
Applying what you’ve learned in this article, choose the correct plural or plural possessive noun in each sentence. The original proper noun is in parentheses.
- I will soon be working with the [Davis’s / Davises’] daughter. (Davis)
- The dog is with the [Rodriguezes’ / Rodriguezes] right now. (Rodriguez)
- Have you been to the [Denches’ / Denches] new restaurant? (Dench)
- The [Azizes / Azizzes] now have two children in college. (Aziz)
- The [Portisses’ / Portises’] recipe for cotton candy has become wildly popular. (Portis)
Pop Quiz Answers
- I will soon be working with the Davises’ daughter.
- The dog is with the Rodriguezes right now.
- Have you been to the Denches’ new restaurant?
- The Azizes now have two children in college.
- The Portises’ recipe for cotton candy has become wildly popular.
Are you ready for the quiz?
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
The one I get stuck on is children’s. Most people write children’s, but shouldn’t it be childrens’?
Children is the plural of child. Therefore the possessive form is children’s. Please see our Rule 2c of Apostrophes for more explanation.
There is another annoying if not downright incorrect use of “well” that is spoken and appears in text within certain communities. It is used as an adverb to modify a certain kind of verb. At first it just seems superfluous. But it’s more than that. Example: My husband loves our children well. The addition of “well” is meant to add the characteristics of (perhaps) skill, creativity, commitment—something that sets his love apart from the masses of other dads’ mundane love for their kids. When my dad passed away, a friend sent this message: Grieve well, my friend. The admonition is to do a good job of it—not mere sobbing but with significance, with heart and soul. I guess.
The use with this connotation is applied only to abstract or romantic verbs—love, serve, live, dream, worship—not everyday actions such as cook, drive, plant, clean, study. This is my first analysis of this trend and it’s difficult to pinpoint the nuances.
What is your take on this quirky use of “well”?
Please see our post How Are You—Good, Well, or Fine? for our response.
What would the plural of Dennis be? Dennises? And the plural possessive, Dennises’s?
You and your family would be the Dennises. If we were speaking of something belonging to your family, say your house, it could be the Dennises’s or the Dennises’ house. We would favor Dennises’ because that’s probably how we would pronounce it when speaking.
My name is Dennis and it drives me crazy when people write Dennis’ when referring to a singular possessive. Although it is technically acceptable, I feel that it should ALWAYS be Dennis’s.
We too would prefer Dennis’s as a first-name possessive, because that’s how most everyone would pronounce it.
Is an apostrophe required for: She attended the girls program?
If you listed Girls Program on an invitation, does it need an apostrophe?
If you think of the program as belonging to the girls, then write “girls’ program” or “Girls’ Program.” If you think of the word girls as an adjective describing the word program, then do not use an apostrophe. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Please see our post Apostrophes and False Possessives for more information.
“He picked out his son’s sports bags from the boot of his car as Max and David were running into the house.”
“Son’s” feels wrong in this context.
If both boys had bags, the plural possessive sons’ should be used. If preceding text established that only one son had sports bags, the singular possessive son’s would be correct.
I noticed there are no examples of words ending with a double S. Do these same rules apply? For example, an entire class? (The class’/classes’/class’s favorite song was the alphabet song.)
The rules are the same regardless of whether a word ends in one s or two. Either class’s or class’ is acceptable when referring to one class.
Tom and Sue Kelly’s house
Or Tom and Sue Kellys’ house?
Please see Rule 4a of Apostrophes.
Please help me with the plural of the last name Moreau. Is it as simple as adding an S, (Moreaus)?
Yes, it is that simple.
Thanks so much for the clarification. My last name is Ellis, and until five minutes ago I was unsure about how to use apostrophes with my own name.
I’m not certain of where the apostrophe should be in the following sentence: “Anna and the two Catherines gathered up their belongings …” Okay, I suspect it should be after the s but is that correct? Thanks for your kind help.
The term “the two Catherines” is a simple plural; therefore, no apostrophe is needed.
Join us to celebrate Cruz’s second birthday!
Cruz’s or Cruz’ Birthday
Our last name is Barreras.
How do I make that plural?
Technically, either Cruz’ or Cruz’s birthday is correct, but we prefer Cruz’s as that’s how we would pronounce it. The plural of Barreras is Barrerases.
What about names ending in ers. Like Winters or Peters.
They end in s, but sound odd following the rules for names ending in s.
The Winterses moved away.
The Winterses’ house.
Bill Winters’s car
Are these correct?
The rules are the same. (Your third example could also be Bill Winters’ car.) Although your examples sound odd to you, they are grammatically correct.
Last name is Williams
On a Christmas card –
Merry Christmas
The Williams’ or The Williams’s or The Williamses?
As the post states, “To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es.” Therefore, write The Williamses.
I am not sure if this has been answered already but how do you pluralize a French name that ends in a silent “s”?
In English, the plural would be formed by adding es.
My son is named Silas. If I want to show possession with his name, would the correct spelling be Silas’, as in Silas’ turn, or Silas’ bike, etc?
Now that I look at an earlier response it looks like Silas’ or Silas’s are acceptable.
Thanks.
Either is acceptable; however, we prefer Silas’s because that’s how we would say it.
If we write conscience and Jesus’, then why do we use ‘s again in Prime Minister of Mauritius’s? Thanks.
As this post states, there are conflicting policies and theories about how to show possession when writing words or names ending in s. The following are acceptable spellings for these names ending in s:
Jesus’s OR Jesus’
Prime Minister of Mauritius’s speech OR Prime Minister of Mauritius’ speech
The word conscience does not end in s. The possessive of that word is conscience’s. See also our Rules for Apostrophes and the post Apostrophes with Words Ending in s.
How would you write from a family of two with the last name Meyers? Is it the Meyerses or the Meyers’?
As the post states, “To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es.” Write “from the Meyerses.”
My last name ends in 2 S’s (“Strauss”). So, when signing a card from the family, it would read “Sincerely, the Strauss’ ” – Correct?
The plural of your last name is formed by adding es on the end after the ss. Therefore, “the Strausses” is correct as a simple plural.
To pluralize the surname Gillis should it be Gillises?
To show possession would one say the Gillises’ car or could you say the Gillis’s car?
Thanking you.
As the post states, “To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es.… To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first; then immediately use the apostrophe.” Therefore, the plural is Gillises, and the plural possessive is Gillises’.
Thank you for this post. I work in state government and this is an ongoing battle in a state that ends in s. There’s even legislation stating how the plural form of Arkansas should be written. FYI – I believe the legislation says Arkansas’s, but I prefer and use Arkansas’. I guess that makes me a criminal.
You probably mean the singular possessive form for the state of Arkansas. If you find the exact wording of any such legislation or guidance on this, please pass it along to us; we’d love to see it. We agree that writing Arkansas’ main crop is rice is cleaner and simpler than Arkansas’s main crop is rice.
I would like to buy a sign for my new hot tub. The sign says, “Welcome to the (last name) hot tub.” Our last name is Diaz. Would it be Diaz’es, Diazes’, Diazes, or something else?
As the post states, “To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es.… To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first; then immediately use the apostrophe.” Therefore, the plural is Diazes, and the plural possessive is Diazes’.
My Auntie’s family has the surname Louis.
I’m unsure how to correctly pluralize their name. For example, I might say, “I’m out with the Louis.”
In this case the surname is pronounced LOO-EE. Therefore, Louises doesn’t seem correct.
Although a single apostrophe usually suggests possession, I wonder if it is correct to use it in this case:
I’m out with the Louis’.
Please advise.
Many thanks!
Names ending in an unpronounced s will not conform to our recommended rules and practices no matter how hard we try. We do not recommend using an apostrophe for a simple plural, and doing so is not likely to help pronunciation. We recommend avoiding the plural in written communication by writing “We are out with the Louis family.”
Plural of Cortez?
Example:
Merry Christmas from the Cortezes!
Is this correct?
As the post states, “To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es.” Therefore, Cortezes is correct.
My son is named Kross. How do you correctly spell “Kross’ first Christmas”?
As the post states, “To show singular possession of a name ending in s or z, some writers add just an apostrophe. Others also add another s.
Kross’ or Kross’s are acceptable.
My bird’s name is Stitch. What is the correct way to show possession? Stitchs’ Toys, Stitch’s Toys, Stitches’ Toys, Stitche’s Toys? Ordering engraving and would like it to be correct.
As the post states, “To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first; then immediately use the apostrophe.” Therefore write Stitch’s.
How would you write “The DeVries” on a mailbox if there is a family of 5 people living in the home? Or, if you are sending a wedding invitation meant for the whole family?
If the last name is DeVries, follow the rule in the post: To form the plural of a name that ends with an s, add an es. Therefore, “The DeVrieses” is the correct spelling. The invitation could be addressed to “The DeVries Family.”
Our last name is Bliss. We have always written Bliss’, rather than Blisses on cards.
Which is correct, or can both styles be used?
Our Rule 2d of Apostrophes says, “If someone’s name ends in s, ch, z, we must add es for the plural.” Therefore, Blisses is grammatically correct. Writing Bliss’ with an apostrophe indicates possession by one person whose name is Bliss.
Our last name is Wiggins. Should it be “The Wiggins'” or “The Wigginses”?
Also, if I’m writing “The Wiggins family,” is that correct, or should it be “The Wiggins'” or “the Wigginses family”?
Thank you.
“The Wiggins family” and “The Wigginses” are correct.
My nephew’s name is Davis.
If we were to say, “Thank you for coming to Davis’ party,” would it be Davis’ or Davis’s?
Either one is acceptable.
The French ambassador to Henry VIII’s court was Eustace Chapuys, with the final “s” unpronounced. Presumably we should refer to Chapuys’s letters?
That would be the preferred spelling.
For a country western song, I need to blend a surname ending with s and is together in a running lyric.
What would be the correct method of writing this? Is there one in existence?
EXAMPLE:
Jeff Cranes is going to go fishing.
1. Jeff Cranes’ gonna go fishin.
2. Jeff Cranes’s gonna go fishin.
3. Jeff Cranes gonna go fishin.
I would sure relish in a concrete verdict on how to write this; never minding the potential “if” factor.
It is unclear to us whether the person’s name is Jeff Crane or Jeff Cranes. The lyric would work better if it is Crane.
Jeff Crane’s gonna go fishin(g). (Although we do not recommend the use of “gonna” and “fishin’ ” in formal writing.)
If the name is Jeff Cranes, the majority – if not all – of the people who hear it in the song will likely interpret it as singular (“Jeff Crane’s”), and you may want to rewrite the lyric.
For a neon light-up wedding sign to be displayed at a wedding for two people getting married (obviously) with the last name Helms, does the sign read, “The Helmses”?
Yes.
Thanks for the explanations. If I wanted to refer to the son of Ed Jones, would I say “Ed Jones’s son” or “Ed Jones’ son”? In the second doesn’t that mean there are more than one of Ed Jones? Thanks.
“Ed Jones’s son” is correct for the reason you stated; however, some writers and editors add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s and would write “Ed Jones’ son.” See Rule 1c of Apostrophes.