Surnames: How To Write Plurals and Possessives in three simple steps

If Mr. and Mrs. Jones invited you over for Thanksgiving dinner, would you be going to the
Jones’ house,
Jones’s house or
Joneses’ house?

And if Mr. and Mrs. Smith were also coming and bringing their homemade pies, would you be looking forward to eating the
Smith’s pies or
Smiths’ pies?

Step 1: Determine Singular or Plural

Determine whether you’re referring to one person (singular) or multiple (plural).

We know Mr. and Mrs. Jones are two people, as are Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Step 2: Create the Plural

Create the correct plural form.

If a surname ends in an “s” (or “z” or “x” or a “sh” sound), add “es” to form the plural.

• One Jones, two Joneses

Otherwise, add “s” to form the plural.

• One Smith, two Smiths

Step 3: Create the Possessive

Create the possessive form by adding an apostrophe:

• Joneses’
• Smiths’

Thus, you would be joining the Smiths and the Joneses for Thanksgiving dinner so that you could dine on the Joneses’ main course, your side dishes and the Smiths’ pies.