Last Name Grammar Question!

How do you pluralize a last name

  • The Smiths (no apostraphe)

    Votes: 39 86.7%

  • The Smith's

    Votes: 4 8.9%

  • No idea, but it's a good thing to know!

    Votes: 2 4.4%
  • Total voters
    45
S

scrapperjade

New member
Hey girls! I need help with a grammar rule!

My SIL & I are getting a hand-carved wood sign made for our in-laws 40th Anniversary in July. We want it to say "The Smiths" and "Established in 1972".

My question is how to pluralize the name Smith. Some signs are marked SMITHS (which I think is correct), and some (another company) mark them as SMITH'S (wrong??). I want to do it right, since this is a pretty big gift AND my FIL is pretty picky. If we did it wrong, that would be the only thing he notices (not the thought & effort & consideration we took to find them the perfect gift) - he would notice AND mention the error.

Please help!!!
 
No apostrophe. The apostrophe is for ownership: Smith's dog. For plural, you just add an "s."

ETA: And actually, if you were going to say something abut their dog, it would be The Smiths' dog -- plural AND possessive.
 
The SMITHS would be current. It is two people; they aren't owning anything.

If you wanted it to read THE SMITH'S HOUSE that would be the apostraphe would be correct. I can't believe the companies don't have this figured out. lol.
 
As the others have said, the sign should be The Smiths, Established in 1972. The company that made the sign that says SMITH'S has it wrong on two counts. As previously mentioned, the apostrophe shows ownership and if they did intend it to show ownership of the house, it would be THE SMITHS' HOUSE because there is more than one Smith living there.
 
Thank you! That's what I thought, but I second guess myself when it comes to things like this - chronic overthinker, lol!

The Smiths it is!
 
I honestly couldn't figure it out, so I picked "I have no idea". I honestly think they're both OK. Since the plaque would mounted on the house it conveys ownership of the house therefore : The Smith's [house]... it's implied. But then again "The Smiths" or "The Smith Family" is how I would address an envelope to a family when sending a Christmas card. In my opinion, either would work but people are more likely to judge incorrect use of an apostrophe than a lack of. So I say pick the sign that says "Smiths".
 
ltarbox said:
No apostrophe. The apostrophe is for ownership: Smith's dog. For plural, you just add an "s."

ETA: And actually, if you were going to say something about their dog, it would be The Smiths' dog -- plural AND possessive.
Click to expand...

^^^^^
THIS!
Smith- singular
Smiths- plural
Smith's- singular and possessive (A guy named Smith and his dog, Smith's dog)
Smiths'- plural and possessive (The Smith family dog, Smiths' dog)
 
Smiths is easy cause it's just add an s. And, like others posted, if it's the Smiths' house, then it belongs to all of them (plural possessive).

Although I know how to make my last name plural, I never like the way it looks, and no one else EVER writes it this way.

Couch, so....
Here are the Couches.
This is the Couches' house.
The -es just seems weird although I know it's right.
My answer? I usually use "The Couch Family" whenever I can! LOL
 
ccouch said:
Smiths is easy cause it's just add an s. And, like others posted, if it's the Smiths' house, then it belongs to all of them (plural possessive).

Although I know how to make my last name plural, I never like the way it looks, and no one else EVER writes it this way.

Couch, so....
Here are the Couches.
This is the Couches' house.
The -es just seems weird although I know it's right.
My answer? I usually use "The Couch Family" whenever I can! LOL
Click to expand...

I have the same problem with my last name - Tarbox. The plural form is Tarboxes. But, it kind of looks and sounds funny, so I often say The Tarbox Family as well. :) The funny thing was that my hubby's family thought it should be Tarboxs (they even bought the domain name), and I had to teach them. It was really hard for this English geek to have an email address that was grammatically incorrect. LOL.
 
Well there you go, I've learnt something today! Pretty sure you girls just explained all that better than my high school English teacher ever did! Lol
 
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