The Dos and Don’ts of Listing Family Names on Cards

Remember these simple rules when writing the plural form of a last name.

Whether you’re addressing envelopes for your holiday cards, sending out birthday party invitations, or simply sending your bff a hand-written letter on your gorgeous new stationery, there are a few things to remember when you’re writing the plural form of a last name. And they’re easier than you think!

Don’t use an apostrophe.

When making a last name plural, you don’t need to add an apostrophe! The apostrophe makes the name possessive.

Add an —ES if the last name ends with X, S, Z, CH, or SH.

Here are a few examples:

• The Williamses

• The Gomezes

• The Frenches

• The Maddoxes

• The Arashes

Add an —S if the last name ends with any other letter.

Here are a few examples:

• The Tumas

• The Gilberts

• The Kennedys

• The Hartmans

• The Padgetts

• The Jacos

When in doubt, just add ‘Family.’

• The Jackson Family

• The Franco Family

• The Mohamed Family