To use a possessive apostrophe with a name, add 's for singular names (e.g., Chris's book) and just an apostrophe for plural family names (e.g., the Smiths' house); for singular names ending in 's', you can add 's (James's car) or just an apostrophe (James' car), with style guides often preferring 's for clarity, while plural family names ending in 's' just get an apostrophe after the 's' (the Joneses' car).
Use the apostrophe + s after the second name if two people possess the same item. Otherwise, use an apostrophe after each name. Never use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns: his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours, whose. They already show possession.
Both Chris's (apostrophe + s) and Chris' (apostrophe only) are acceptable for the singular possessive of "Chris," depending on the style guide, but Chris's is often preferred for clarity and follows traditional rules, while Chris' is used by some (like AP Style) to avoid the double 's' sound. For consistency, choose one style and stick with it, as both show possession for a single person named Chris.
Difficult family names
Remember the basic rule: don't try to make a plural with an apostrophe. Everyone is trying to keep up with the Joneses (add –es to form the plural). The form Jones's (with an apostrophe) refers to something that one of the Jones family members owns.
To show possession using an apostrophe, add 's for individuals (“Smith's car”) and just the apostrophe after the s for plurals (“the Smiths' car,” “the Martinezes' dog”). By convention, names from classical mythology and the Bible ending in s show possession with the apostrophe only (“Jesus' teachings”).
Both Lucas's and Lucas' are generally considered correct for the possessive form of the name Lucas, but style guides differ; Lucas's (adding 's) is often preferred for clarity and by some U.S. guides (like MLA), while Lucas' (just an apostrophe) is also common, especially in British English or for classical names, with both being acceptable for singular names ending in 's'.
It's Lopez's for singular possession (e.g., Lopez's car) and Lopezes' for plural possession (e.g., the Lopezes' house), but you can also use just an apostrophe for singular names ending in 's' or 'z' (e.g., Lopez' car) or rephrase to avoid the issue entirely by saying the Lopez family.
Davis' is the possessive plural for the noun.... . Kelle Millett that would be for one Davis. “Pamela Davis' daughter lives here.” But if there's more than one Davis, it's Davises and to make that possessive you could add the apostrophe after.
If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s. For names ending in s, you can either add an apostrophe + s, or just an apostrophe. The first option is more common.
If a name is singular but ends in an “s,” you always add an apostrophe after the name to show possession, but you can also add another “s” after the apostrophe if you prefer (e.g., Jess' office OR Jess's office). If the name is plural, simply add an apostrophe at the end to show possession (e.g., the Jones' new baby).
So, technically you can actually write it either way, but unless you are following your publisher's style guide, if you are writing fiction in the U.S., it's probably best to follow Chicago and write "James's."
You normally form a possessive noun from a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and an “s,” but there's disagreement about how to form the possessive of a name like “James.” Most style guides recommend adding the apostrophe and “s” like normal: James's.
Apostrophe errors often occur when the plural form and the possessive form are confused. Additionally, apostrophes also tend to be used incorrectly with years. Incorrect: Joneses yard is much bigger than Smith's. Incorrect: My brother graduated from NIU in the early 1990's.
Just a reminder — apostrophes are for making a word or a name possessive, not plural. If it's awkward or doesn't look or sound right, simply say the (your last name) family — The Sussex Family.
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.
When used in words that end with an “s”, the “s” after the apostrophe may be dropped. Whilst both are correct, it is good practice to be consistent. For example: Thomas' (2019) research or Thomas's (2019) research.
For singular possessives ending in X or Z, add apostrophe plus S: Donna Cox's party. Paul Martinez's house. For plural possessives ending in X or Z, first make plural by adding ES, then add the apostrophe on the end as you do for all plural possessives.
In the United States, the variant "Davis" is much more common. In the United Kingdom, the surname is usually pronounced the same as "Davis". This pronunciation is also used by many other English-speaking countries, though it sometimes competes with the common American pronunciation to distinguish it from "Davis".
Both Chris's (apostrophe + s) and Chris' (apostrophe only) are acceptable for the singular possessive of "Chris," depending on the style guide, but Chris's is often preferred for clarity and follows traditional rules, while Chris' is used by some (like AP Style) to avoid the double 's' sound. For consistency, choose one style and stick with it, as both show possession for a single person named Chris.
When proper names end in s (whether singular or plural), add only an apostrophe. Use Lewis University's, the University's or Lewis' when showing possession in a sentence. Never use Lewis's. To indicate omitted letters, such as in contractions.
The Papadopoulos family; the Papadopouloses. The Gonzalez family; the Gonzalezes.
For decades, use '70s (with an apostrophe before the number for the missing "19") for contractions like "the '70s," and use 1970s (no apostrophe) for the full form or as an adjective (e.g., "1970s music"), while 70s (no apostrophe) is a common plural, but avoid 70's as it incorrectly suggests possession or pluralizes the number itself, not the decade.
It's not incorrect to use another S after the apostrophe on singular proper nouns ending in S, so both “Cass' Apothecary” and “Cass's Apothecary” are correct (and in fact the latter is what's recommended by most style guides).
Both are correct, although “s's” is preferred. “Marcus's” would be a singular possessive, not a plural. “Marcuses” is plural but not possessive.