Holiday Card Grammar 101: Pluralizing Last Names

It’s that time of year—when twinkle lights go up, and apostrophes start flying! 🎄 Before you sign those cards, make sure you're pluralizing last names the right way. (Hint: the apostrophe doesn’t belong!)

🎄 The Rules of Pluralizing Last Names

Here’s your quick and painless guide:

• Most names: Just add an “s.”

  • The Smith → The Smiths

  • The Taylor → The Taylors

• Names ending in s, ch, sh, x, or z: Add “es.”

  • The Jones → The Joneses

  • The Church → The Churches

  • The Bush → The Bushes

  • The Fox → The Foxes

  • The Perez → The Perezes

• Names ending in y: Simply add “s.” (No need to change the “y”!)

  • The Murphy → The Murphys

  • The Kennedy → The Kennedys

• Never—ever—use an apostrophe to make a last name plural. Apostrophes show possession, not plural.

  • ✅ The Smiths’ house = the house belonging to the Smiths

  • ❌ The Smith’s = just one Smith (and a grammatical blunder)

✉️ When in Doubt… Keep It Simple!

If you’re still unsure how to pluralize your last name, skip the stress and go with “The [Last Name] Family.”

• The Jones Family

• The Bush Family

• The Fox Family

This is a classic and clear way to sign your family name, and it looks good on everything from Christmas cards to birthday invitations, wedding thank-you notes, and even those adorable “We’ve moved!” announcements.

Now go share your holiday cheer with confidence—no stray apostrophes in sight. Because truly, a well-signed card is its own kind of festive magic.