Plural and Possessive Forms with Names Ending in y or i
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Plural and Possessive Forms with Names Ending in y or i
How do you form the plural of a proper noun that ends in y such as Murphy? Should you change the name to Murphies? Given how other English words ending in y form their plurals, you would think so.
Examples:
puppy / puppies
army / armies
supply / supplies
However, proper nouns are not pluralized the same way common nouns are.
Rule: Do not change the spelling of a name to make it plural. Instead, just add s.
Examples:
I visited the Murphys last weekend.
We have two Zacharys in our office.
What if you want to show possession with a name that ends in y?
Rule: To show singular possession, use the apostrophe and then the s.
Example: I petted Mrs. Murphy’s cat.
Rule: To show plural possession, make the proper noun plural first, then use the apostrophe.
Examples:
I petted the Murphys’ cat.
I visited the Murphys’ store on Main Street.
Some of you may be wondering about names ending in i. The rules for pluralization, singular possession, and plural possession are the same as the rules for names ending in y:
Plural: Coincidentally, there are three Pattis performing in that band.
Singular possessive: I have to leave now for an appointment at Dr. Petrucciani’s office.
Plural possessive: Patti greatly admires the Petruccianis’ garden.
For a detailed explanation of how to show the plural of names ending in s, ch, or z, please see Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z.
Pop Quiz
1. I wish I had known the Kennedys/Kennedies/Kennedy’s better.
2. I know three Mary’s/Marys who live in Bangkok.
3. Mary’s/Marys dog is very friendly.
4. If the Kennedies’/Kennedys’/Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
5. If Mrs. Kennedys’/Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
6. Both Cathis/Cathi’s in our class used to live in New Zealand.
7. Marcin Wasilewskis/Wasilewski’s/Wasilewskis’ piano playing is much admired. [last name is Wasilewski]
8. We’re looking forward to the Super Bowl party at the Wasilewskis/Wasilewski’s/Wasilewskis’ house.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. I wish I had known the Kennedys better.
2. I know three Marys who live in Bangkok.
3. Mary’s dog is very friendly.
4. If the Kennedys’ home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
5. If Mrs. Kennedy’s home comes up for sale, I will buy it.
6. Both Cathis in our class used to live in New Zealand.
7. Marcin Wasilewski’s piano playing is much admired.
8. We’re looking forward to the Super Bowl party at the Wasilewskis’ house.
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.
Which is correct?
We will respect each other’s opinions.
We will respect each others’ opinions.
each other’s opinions
Unless the parties are referring to several matters, the intended meaning is expressed by “…each other’s opinion,” not “…each other’s opinions.”
That’s a good point, but with the sparse amount of information given, we don’t know how many matters they’re referring to.
Rules on “first annual”…..
I know that some sticklers say that “first” is redundant in “first annual,” but I don’t agree. I think “first annual” is fine because it tells readers what they can expect in the future.
What if the last name ends in an i as in ..ski? Would it be ..skis or ..skies?
The way to show a plural of a proper noun is to simply add the s.
the last name James: the tickets are Mike Jameses?
Since you are talking about tickets belonging to Mike James, an apostrophe is used to show possession. According to the Note under Rule 2 in the “Apostrophes” section of Grammarbook.com, “Although names ending in s or an s sound are not required to have the second s added in possessive form, it is preferred.” Therefore, Mike James’s tickets would be the preferred spelling.
What is the correct way to write is
Marcus’ birthday or Marcus’s birthday
According to the note under Rule 2 in the “Apostrophes” section, “Although names ending in s or an s sound are not required to have the second s added in possessive form, it is preferred.” Therefore, the preferred way to write it is Marcus’s birthday.
What is the correct form?
Mary’s home
or
Mary’s house
Thanks
Either one is grammatically correct. Your choice of word depends on the context of the sentence. A house is a type of building but homes can be different kinds of residences such as houses, apartments, mobile homes, etc.
Mary’s home could, of course, mean “Mary is at home”
The Browns family or The Browns
If the family’s name is Brown, write either The Brown family or The Browns.
So last name Bihari would be the Biharis? not Biharies?
That is correct. Do not change the spelling of a name to make it plural. Instead, just add s.
Last name is Carnes, would it the The Carnes or The Carneses?
Thanks!
Our blog Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z says, “To show the plural of a name that ends in s, ch, or z, add es.” Therefore, write the Carneses.
There is a popular piece of artwork being sold these days designed for the home that says, “We do grace; we do I’m sorrys; we do hugs, etc.” A fellow teacher and I were talking about this, and the word “sorrys” came up. The spell-checker certainly doesn’t like that word, and neither did we, very much. I realize that sorry is seldom used as a noun, but was wondering if there is a rule to support this spelling. This one doesn’t really seem to apply because sorry is not a proper noun. Is there another one that would work for “sorrys,” rather than “sorries,” or is “sorrys” just a complete misspelling?
We don’t care for it, but “sorrys” used in this way is not wrong. It is a shame that the artist did not write “we do apologies.” Since sorry is not a noun or a name, there is no formal rule that applies to this unusual situation.
“Humanity’s profanities’ vileness assaults saints’ souls sorely.”
Yes?
The sentence is grammatically correct.
February 25, 2011? Um, who is answering these comments?
As we note under the “About Jane” tab on the website, the GrammarBook.com staff is fulfilling Jane’s wishes by maintaining the activities of the website.
Our last name is Paradis (the s is silent) how would we pluralize this?
In English, the plural of Paradis is Paradises.
Following the rules, the plural form of the family name Fenech would be Feneches. But what happens when you have a plural possessive of this family name, i.e We took care of the Feneches’ dogs. Would that be correct?
Please see our blog Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z for our response.
“Beauty’s where you find it…” -Vogue by Madonna
Is this the proper way to use the apostrophe?
Thanx
Yes.
Plural of ‘Properties’ as in ‘Properties Five-Year Anniversary’. Would it be Properties’?
Our blog Apostrophes and Proper Nouns says, “Add only an apostrophe to show possession for a place, business, or organization whose name is a plural noun or ends with a plural noun.” Therefore, write “Properties’ Five-Year Anniversary.”
I object strongly to five-year anniversary. It’s a tautology. You should use fifth anniversary.
You have a point, but also see this New York Times article.
How would you go about putting the possessive for family names…for example, would it be “The Thomases’ new house is wonderful,” or “The Thomas’s new house is wonderful,”
The Thomases’ new house.
How is city singular but still possessive? would it be cities’ or city’s?
The singular possessive form is city’s.
I am naming a business and want to be sure the grammar is correct. Gracie Jane’s, or Gracie Janes, or should it be Gracie Janes’?
If the business is named for someone named Gracie Jane, we recommend Gracie Jane’s.
um, what is plural possessive for the word ski?
The plural possessive is skis’.
Rule: To show the plural of a name that ends in s, ch, or z, add es.
I would add a qualification to this – adding es is correct if the ch is “soft”, as in Church, Lurch, Torch etc.
But if it is a “hard” ch, as at the end of McCulloch, add just an s.
Mr & Mrs Church are the Churches
Mr & Mrs McCulloch are the McCullochs
Because our post Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z covers both ch pronunciations, we have removed this less complete rule from this post to avoid confusion. Thank you for your comment.
when you have more than one bloody mary (the mixed drink) is it ‘bloody marys’ or ‘bloody mary’s’?
The plural of bloody mary is bloody marys. A simple plural does not need an apostrophe.
I’m a bit stuck. The original word is Milnerton which we’ve shortened to Milly, if we were to name our pub would it be The Millies Arms or The Milly’s Arms? Like wise awards evening would be The Millies Awards or The Milly’s Award.
If the title begins with “The,” the name becomes an adjective, therefore no possessive: The Milly Arms. If you drop “the,” you could make it “Milly’s Arms,” which comes off as a playful pub name. Likewise, with awards, it is far more likely to be the Milly Award than the Milly’s Award, but logic does not always prevail in these matters.
i saw this exam paper with an answer.the question is. “neither of the sick puppies _____ interested in having dinner last night” the giving choices of ans are: is, are, was, were. the answer is was. can you please help explain this to me?
The subject of the sentence is neither, which is singular. The verb must also be singular. Since it says “last night,” a past tense verb is required. Therefore, was is correct.
I’m wondering who created these “rules” and are other ways incorrect or just not as preferred (to some/many) as these listed here. For instance, do you think that my family can be the Wood’s or must we be the Woods? How would someone know that our surname is Wood and not Woods? Wood’s seems more clear and preferred to avoid confusion.
The authors of this website and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation researched the leading reference books on American English grammar and punctuation, including The Chicago Manual of Style, The Associated Press Stylebook, Fowler’s Modern English Usage, and many others. The rules are based on areas of general agreement among the authorities. Where the authorities differ, we provide options to follow based on the reader’s purpose in writing.
A simple plural does not use an apostrophe. Therefore, the plural of Wood is written the Woods. If your last name were Woods, the plural would be written the Woodses. Apostrophes are used to show possession. Please see our post Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z.
Please help me with this example: I coordinate with the calendars of multiple attorneys.
Would the correct apostrophe use in this sentence be:
Attorneys’ calendars
Thank you.
Yes, the apostrophe is correct.
Announcing employee’s anniversary. Is it June Anniversaries or Anniversary’s
The plural of anniversary is anniversaries. A simple plural does not need an apostrophe.
the churches’ spires, is a correct possessives
If you are referring to more than one church, the churches’ spires is the correct possessive form.
I was wondering if you can help me. My co-worker and I are having a debate about the following sentence:
Martin and St. Lucie Counties best children’s clothing store is hiring!
One of us believes “counties” doesn’t show possession and thinks it should be “county’s.”
Any chance we can get some help?
We are happy to help. One of you is half-right: “counties” does not show possession. However, “county’s” is a singular possessive that cannot be correct because the sentence references two counties. In order to show plural possession, first make the singular word plural, then add the apostrophe: singular: county, plural: counties, plural possessive: counties’.
Therefore the correct sentence is Martin and St. Lucie counties’ best children’s clothing store is hiring!
We can’t help but mention that they made the sentence more difficult than they needed to. We suggest The best children’s clothing store in Martin and St. Lucie counties is hiring!
Since one of the rules says:
“However, proper nouns are not pluralized the same way common nouns are.
Rule: Do not change the spelling of a name to make it plural. Instead, just add s.
Examples:
I visited the Murphys last weekend.
We have two Zacharys in our office.”
Why would the proper noun “County” be changed to “Counties” in this example? (I am dismissing the possessive form.)
“We are happy to help. One of you is half-right: “counties” does not show possession. However, “county’s” is a singular possessive that cannot be correct because the sentence references two counties. In order to show plural possession, first make the singular word plural, then add the apostrophe: singular: County, plural: Counties, plural possessive: Counties’.”
“Martin County” is a proper noun and “St. Lucie County” is a proper noun. However, when combined as “Martin and St. Lucie counties,” the word counties becomes generic and is no longer part of the specific names.
(We have edited our response of October 26, 2016, to clarify this point.)
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Is this right?
No; a simple plural does not use an apostrophe.
How do i write the plural of my last name which ends in S? “The Lewises are coming to dinner.” or “The Lewis’ are coming to dinner”
The simple plural is spelled Lewises. See our post Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z.
What if the name has apostrophe? O’Dells neck of the woods or O’Dell’s neck of the woods?
If you are referring to one person with the last name O’Dell, the possessive is written O’Dell’s. If you are referring to the full O’Dell family, the possessive is written the O’Dells’.
GrammarBook,
What authority can you cite to support your position that proper nouns (last names) are exempt from the universal rule, providing that a singular noun ending in “y” preceded by a consonant becomes plural by changing the “y” to “ies” ?
The following is from the Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 7.9:
Names of persons and other capitalized nouns normally form the plural by adding s or es. Exceptions … are generally listed in Webster’s.
Tom, Dick, and Harry; pl. Toms, Dicks, and Harrys
the Jones family, pl. the Joneses
the Martinez family, pl. the Martinezes
the Bruno family, pl. the Brunos
Sunday, pl. Sundays
Germany, pl. Germanys
Pakistani, pl. Pakistanis
This rule avoids the confusion that would be caused by changing the spelling of people’s last names. For instance, if your last name were “Barry,” we assume that you would want your family referred to as the Barrys not the Barries.
Do I need an apostrophe in the following:
Christmas at the Fairweathers
The Murphys do Australia 2017
We assume the “Murphys” are members of a family named Murphy. This is a simple plural and requires no apostrophe.
An apostrophe would be required for Christmas at the Fairweathers’ unless it’s the name of an establishment, perhaps an inn or restaurant, named The Fairweathers.
If “Christmas at the Fairweathers” refers to a celebration taking place at the home of the Fairweather family, should the last word then be a plural possessive i.e. Fairweathers’?
Yes, your reasoning is correct.
If I am referring to one community, and using it in a possessive statement, community should be spelled community’s, yes?
i.e. My community’s HOA board…
Yes.
Could you please explain how to form the plural of January? (Januaries vs Januarys) And why is it (not) recommended to use one of them if it is so.
Thanks in advance!
Both spellings are acceptable. In accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style, plurals of proper nouns are normally formed by adding s or es: Toms, Dicks, and Harrys, for example. Exceptions are generally listed in Webster’s. We found that Webster’s lists both Januarys and Januaries as correct plurals.
I suppose the rule is the same for plurals of names that end in “i”? The result looks and “sounds to the eye” (so to speak) rather strange, as though it should rhyme with “hiss” when read aloud. Should the sign outside the home of Nancy Pelosi’s family really read, “The Pelosis”?
Yes, the rule is the same. If you think the result is awkward, reword to “The Pelosi Family” or “The Pelosi Household.”
I am not sure if this has been answered already but how do you pluralize a French name that ends in a silent “s”?
Please see our response under Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z.
I’ve been puzzled about plurals for words that end in “ey” such as money. I’ve seen “monies” but shouldn’t it be “moneies”?
Merriam-Webster has this to say about the plural of money:
“Most nouns that end in -ey take a standard -s plural: monkeys, chimneys, attorneys, turkeys. Moneys naturally follows that pattern. Some usage critics decry the spelling monies because it encourages a pronunciation akin to the plural nouns ponies or cronies, as though the singular noun were actually spelled mony. These days, however, monies is in fact the more common spelling.”
Of course, if one cannot remember the proper possessive or, especially, plural form of proper nouns, it is a very simple matter to write – or say “There are three women named Patti in our office” rather than “There are three Pattis in our office.” Personally, I would prefer the former. In fact, I was one of five women named Brenda in my basic training company.
That’s a lot of Brendas! Your solution is a good one; we were simply wanting to illustrate the proper way to write the plural of Patti.
I have been in a long-time debate with a much younger person (and more recent college graduate) who insists it is now acceptable when sending holiday greetings to only add an apostrophe to a proper name that ends in s. The argument is that the apostrophe alone makes the name both plural (so there is no need to add “es”) and possessive. Also, they argue you are not to use “house” or “family.” For example, when addressing a card to an entire family or household, to the Thomas’ is appropriate.
Please tell me there is no unwritten rule that makes this acceptable just because it’s used in conjunction with a holiday greeting!
You are correct; while some people may have developed an informal guideline concerning this treatment, an established, formalized “holiday rule” does not exist. We stand by our Rules for Apostrophes. Perhaps you can ask the recent college graduate to validate the source of this “rule” and learn what that reveals.