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.
The Joneses' house was for sale. You make Jones plural by adding “es” because it ends in “s,” but adding an apostrophe and “s” after that would make it difficult to pronounce (Joneseses) so you just add the apostrophe. Again, the main thing to remember is not to change the basic spelling of a person's name.
According to English style guides, singular possessives are formed with –'s and plurals with just an apostrophe, so the possessive of the singular Jones is Jones's and of the plural Joneses is Joneses'.
In terms of grammar, both “Jones house” and “Jones's house” are technically correct. However, the latter is a more commonly accepted form in modern English. When it comes to adding the possessive apostrophe-s to words ending in s, the general rule is to add an apostrophe and an s.
Apostrophes and Singular Nouns
It doesn't matter which you choose, but you should be consistent throughout your piece of writing. e.g., Mr. Jones's car or Mr. Jones' car; a waitress's wages or a waitress' wages.
With most surnames, you can simply add an s to the end of your last name to indicate the message is coming from more than one family member, for example, “the Patels.” If your name ends in s or z, as in Jones or Juarez, add es. The Joneses is correct because it indicates more than one member of the family.
The plurals of last names are just like the plurals of most nouns. They typically get formed by adding -s. Except, that is, if the name already ends in s or z. Then the plural is formed by adding -es.
Remember: the only time you add an apostrophe to a last name is if you are making your last name possessive. For example, "That is the Gamels' house on the corner." Thanks for reading! *STEVE GAMEL is the Owner/President of Edit This, a writing and editing services company located in Denton, TX.
Rule #2: You never need an apostrophe when signing or addressing cards. (Apostrophes imply possession, which isn't what you're trying to do. You're simply naming them in the plural.) These rules mean you should write out any last name in full, whether Williams or Garcia, and simply tack something onto the end.
When making your last name plural, you don't need to add an apostrophe! The apostrophe makes the name possessive. The last letter of your last name will determine if you add an “-s” or an “-es”. If your last name ends in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, or -x, you add -es to your last name to make it plural.
Joneses is the plural of Jones. An apostrophe is needed after the final s to show possession (i.e., the Joneses own the house). An apostrophe is not needed with Mrs. Jones because there is no ownership.
If you're going with The Associated Press Stylebook, James' is the correct way of writing James in the possessive form. But, for all other style guides, James's is the way to go.
Most Sources Say to Add -es to the End
The Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, Garner's Modern American Usage, and the Cambridge Guide to English Usage all say to make names that end with -s plural by adding -es, and they make no exceptions for pronunciation.
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.)
To show the possessive form for a person's name ending in S, you either add an apostrophe and S ('s) or just an apostrophe ('). The rule depends on the house style manual you're following. For example, Jones can be Jones' or Jones's. James can be James' or James's.
You do not use an apostrophe with last names in addresses. Add an "s" to the end of last names that don't end in "s," and add an "es" to the end of last names that end in "s." Traditionally, men's names come first.
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. The Dennises are a nice 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.
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).
The Associated Press Stylebook says the correct way to write the possessive case of Chris is Chris', not Chris's. Other style guides, including the Chicago Manual of Style, say Chris's is correct. If there isn't a specific guidebook you need to follow, you can use either Chris' or Chris's.
Pluralizing Family Names
The rules for pluralization are simple: Use an -s if your name ends with a vowel or a voiced consonant.
The important thing to remember is that Thomas is singular. When you're talking about more than one, you first form that plural by adding -ES. One Thomas, two Thomases. Then, to note that something is owned by more than one Thomas, just take the plural and make it possessive: Thomases'.
The Whole Family's Last Name
To show possession of a whole family: Add -es or -s to write the family's last name in plural form. Add an apostrophe at the end to show possession.
There are a lot of Joneses because there have always been a lot of Jons. In the Middle Ages, children were given surnames related to their father's first name, such as Williamson for the son of William, which meant that the surname changed with each generation.
Jones is a surname of English and Welsh origin meaning "son of John". The surname is common in Wales. It evolved from variations of traditionally Welsh names: Ieuan, Iowan, Ioan, Iwan, or even Siôn (note how the letter 'J' was originally being pronounced as 'i', akin to how J is pronounced in the Latin alphabet).