Writing Tip 63: Possessive Form of Names Ending in “s”
All the way back in Writing Tip #14, we talked about the incorrect use of apostrophes in surnames, when attempting to refer to multiple members of the family (i.e. “the Baileys” not “the Bailey’s”), but this subject of apostrophes with names deserves a revisit. Admittedly, there’s contention on this one—and we all know to stay away from fanatical grammarians when things get heated—however, I tend to agree with the Chicago Manual of Style when it comes to making names that end in “s” possessive.
As we learned early on in our grammar training, when a singular noun becomes possessive, we add an apostrophe “s” onto the end:
The man’s phone
The book’s title
Names are no different.* Yes, even when they end in “s”:
Kris’s blog
Thomas’s Bagels
Because plural nouns only gain an apostrophe when they become possessive, often people just add the apostrophe to names ending in “s” in the same form. Yet say one of the above phrases aloud. You’re adding the extra “s” in your head, aren’t you? This is the corporate conundrum of “Thomas’ [sic] Bagels.” The company pronounces it with the extra “s” but leaves it out in the spelling. Oh, watch the grammarians squirm over their breakfast plates!
*I hate when rules have exceptions, but there are two to note here: Jesus and Moses. Why? I have no idea other than a guess that people don’t like to call out flaws in a sacred text. Nevertheless, when you see reference to “Jesus’ words” or “Moses’ staff,” no need to call the Pope.
Punctuation can be a prickly adversary. Add quotation marks into the equation, and some people just close their eyes, hit the keyboard, and let commas and exclamation points land wherever gravity compels them. We propose a more planned approach.