How do you make the name Lewis plural?
"I am aware that if the word ends with an -s you would normally add an -es to pluralize as in Lewis and the Lewises.
3 Singular Nouns (w/ "s" ending) | noun | possessive |
---|---|---|
common noun ending in "s" [singular] | bus | bus's The bus's route went by Newt's house. |
proper noun ending in "s" [singular] | Lewis | Lewis's John Lewis's vibraphone is missing. [ Note exception 1] |
Names are proper nouns, which become plurals the same way that other nouns do: add the letter -s for most names (“the Johnsons,” “the Websters”) or add -es if the name ends in s or z (“the Joneses,” “the Martinezes”).
Don't use an apostrophe to make your last name plural. Apostrophes can be used to show possession—à la the Smithsʼ house or Tim Johnsonʼs pad— but they don't indicate there's more than one person in your family.
Jones = Mr. Jones's. Some people favor adding only an apostrophe to a singular noun ending in s, but if you follow the rule, you can't be wrong. If a plural noun does not end in an s, you must make it possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s: women's; children's.
...
With names, apostrophes are for possessives.
- The Joneses' dinner was a success.
- The Foxes' house was beautiful.
- The Alvarezes' grandmother was delighted.
- The Churches' singing was heavenly.
- The Ashes' train derailed in the mountains.
If a proper name ends with an s, you can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s. See the examples below for an illustration of this type of possessive noun. You're sitting in Chris' chair. You're sitting in Chris's chair.
All you need is an “s” at the end of the name (Smiths, Johnsons). If you have trouble remembering whether the apostrophe is necessary, think of your message. For instance, if you mean to say, “The Smiths live here,” then you don't need the apostrophe on the sign or that sentence.
So a safe solution is to treat singular nouns ending in S the same way you treat singulars nouns not ending in S: Form the possessive with an apostrophe and an S. Thomas's house. The important thing to remember is that Thomas is singular.
First, make the noun Williams into a plural: Williamses. Then add the possessive apostrophe according to the rules that gave us “the cats' tails.” That gives us “We had dinner at the Williamses' house last year.”
Is it Williams's or Williams?
The Associated Press Stylebook recommends just an apostrophe: It's Tennessee Williams' best play. But most other authorities endorse 's: Williams's. Williams's means “belonging to Williams.” It is not the plural form of Williams. People's names become plural the way most other words do.
If your last name is Johnson and you want to send a card from your family, simply add an "s": The Johnsons ("Merry Christmas from the Johnsons!"). Only use an apostrophe when you want to make a name possessive. ("From The Smith's" is always wrong, but "The party is at the Smiths' house" is correct.)

When making your last name plural, you don't need to add an apostrophe! The apostrophe makes the name possessive. The last letter of your last name will determine if you add an “-s” or an “-es”. If your last name ends in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, or -x, you add -es to your last name to make it plural.
Plural Last Name Examples:
Add es to your last name. Examples: If your last name is Jones, you will change it to Joneses. If your last name is Davis, you will change is to Davises.
For proper names like James, AP says, add an apostrophe only: He borrowed James' car. For generics like boss, add an apostrophe plus S: He borrowed the boss's car. But there's an exception: When the word that follows begins with an S, use an apostrophe only. Hence: the boss' sister.
The only time you would add the apostrophe is for possession: Welcome to Kerry Smith's Home or Cole and Kerry Smiths' Home. So if we're making signs, for instance, we'd say: Welcome to the Smiths, Welcome to the McBrides, Welcome to the Davises, Welcome to the Joneses, Welcome to the Hesses.
In most cases, you only have to add an s to the end of their entire last name—even if the last letter is y. So the Smith family becomes the Smiths, the Angelo family becomes the Angelos, and the Perry family becomes the Perrys.
If you were pluralizing "Adams" you would say "Adamses."
If you want it boiled down to something simpler, remember this one thing: NO APOSTROPHES. Got it? NO APOSTROPHES. Not in your own name, either: sign it “With warm holiday wishes from the Jameses,” not “the James's” or “the James' ” or “the Jameses',” or, heaven help us, “The Jame's.” Why?
This depends on the style you are using: Chicago and MLA say add 's as in: Mills becomes Mills's. APA says add 's to singular names ending in s, except if the name ends in an unpronounced s and then use only an apostrophe: Descartes becomes Descartes'
Is it Nicholas's or Nicholas?
The Chicago Manual of Style (the most popular style guide for books in the US) would go with “Nicholas's” while AP Stylebook (the most popular style guide for newspapers in the US) would go with “Nicholas'”.
Louis's. If it's pronounced Loo-ee and you don't add the final s, just the apostrophe, it would still be pronounced Loo-ee which would be wrong as a possessive - Loo-ee bag instead of Loo-ee's bag. So use the 's.
Unlike singular possessives, which take an apostrophe followed by an S, plural possessives take an apostrophe alone. So if you're going to the home of the Smiths, you're going to the Smiths' house. If you're going to visit the Williamses, that would be at the Williamses' house. Mr.
Noun. Russ (plural Russ or Russes)
There is no special rule here: you simple use the same rule as you do for other words. That means that the specific answers to your two sentences are: The ball is Travis's. Here come the Travises.
When you meet up with another Harris, we have two Harrises. If you're married, your spouse is Bob Harris's wife. You and your family live in the Harrises' abode. Singulars ending in "s" form the possessive with an apostrophe followed by an "s."
g. Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of proper nouns. Here are several examples: the Watsons, two Courtneys, three Charleses, the Dubois (French names ending in s, x, or z are usually left unchanged in the plural).
An apostrophe indicates ownership.
CORRECT: The Corvette is the Harris's car. CORRECT: The Corvette belongs to the Harrises. INCORRECT: The Corvette belongs to the Harris's.
Always form the plural of proper names by adding "-s" or "-es" (according to the usual rules). Never change the base spelling. Thus, Owens -> Owenses, Mills -> Millses ->, Smith -> Smiths, Jones -> Joneses, Perry -> Perrys (not Perries).
For example, should you use “Adams' (2013) work” or “Adams's (2013) work”? Per APA Style, the answer is that the possessive of a singular name is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s, even when the name ends in s (see p. 96 in the sixth edition of the Publication Manual).
What is the plural possessive of Rogers?
Normally words are made possessive by adding “es”. So we say, the Rogerses' House, the Joneses' car.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style (which folks in my profession refer to as the Bible of Book Publishing), the rule is the same as any other singular possessive. You write her name with possession just like you say it: Alexis's.
When you're talking about more than one, you first form that plural by adding -ES. One Thomas, two Thomases. Then, to note that something is owned by more than one Thomas, just take the plural and make it possessive: Thomases'.
Louis's. If it's pronounced Loo-ee and you don't add the final s, just the apostrophe, it would still be pronounced Loo-ee which would be wrong as a possessive - Loo-ee bag instead of Loo-ee's bag. So use the 's.
Remember: the only time you add an apostrophe to a last name is if you are making your last name possessive. For example, "That is the Gamels' house on the corner." Thanks for reading!
If a proper name ends with an s, you can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s. See the examples below for an illustration of this type of possessive noun. You're sitting in Chris' chair. You're sitting in Chris's chair.
If that's not confusing enough, a proper noun that ends in S, like Lois or James, can form its possessive with or without another S depending solely on which editing style you're following. So in a newspaper you might see Lois' hat, but in a book you'd see Lois's hat.
As far as I know, for apostrophe “ 's ” used as possessive, if the word already ends in “s” you do not add another s after the apostrophe “ ' ”. So I would say “Luis' house.”