HI!
I have a question regarding last names and plurals. I don't think that families need to have an apostrophe when writing on envelopes, yet most everyone includes an apostrophe. Here is an example:
The McFaddens
147 Main St.
Encinitas, CA 92024
OR
The McFadden's
147 Main St
Encinitas, CA 92024
OR
The McFaddens'
147 Main St.
Encinitas, CA 92024
There is more than one family member and it shouldn't be possessive, if it were to be possessive then the apostrophe should come after the s, right?
Wouldn't the same go for a sign in front of a home? The McFaddens or simply McFaddens, however, if we wanted to say The McFaddens' Home it would be possessive.
I am about to order a stamp for envelopes and a sign for a wedding gift that is for John and Chrissy Smith. I want the sign to read Smith est. 2010. However, I don't want to order Smiths if it should be Smith's and McFaddens if it should be McFadden's. As a 4th grade teacher I feel like I know the correct grammar, but I see so many people write last names the other way.
Thank you for your help!
I would think it would be The McFaddens if you are doing mailing addresses. After all, you are saying it is from the family, not the house. If you were doing a house sign, I would make it the McFaddens or McFadden's the McFaddens'. The first would signify this is the family, the second signifying the place of the McFadden family, the third would be the place of the McFaddens.
As an occasional sign painter, I can honestly say that I have seen all three.
I guess the real question is; Is there a style book for life?
I feel awkward going all Emily Post on you, but "The McFaddens" is improper. Sadly, if you do not know what they prefer to be called, you may be out in the dark, since the Emily Post-era is long gone. However, I would suggest a few things, a little Emily-Post-ish. First, if the wife took the husband's name, it is proper to address the correspondence "Mr. and Mrs. McFadden" — actually, it would be most proper, old-school, to use his first name; e.g., "Mr, and Mrs. Isaac McFadden". Second, if the wife has a degree more prominent than the husband, it is actually proper to refer to her first and give a title for the man (we need approval, after all): "Dr. Smith and Mr. McFadden." Third, if the wife did not take the husband's name (as my wife did not), the address would be "Mr. David McFadden and Ms. June Smith." I don't know if that is Emily Post-approved, but it is the constructions I use.
By the way, I also realized your original post asked an important question that will not be settled by what I say, but I shall say it anyway. To paraphrase, offhand, according to the bible that is Strunk & White, the singular is given a possessive with an 's (apostrophe-"s"), hence, if the family name is McFadden, the possessive is McFadden's, for a singular belonging of a McFadden. But if there are more than one McFadden, then McFaddens' is appropriate; however, if the surname were McFaddens, then the appropriate possessive would be McFaddens's. That's what I think, anyway. Any quibbles?
No quibbles with the possessives. But I do have a question. Why would The McFaddens annoy Emily Post? People refer to themselves and others in the plural all he time.
The Simpsons are arguing.
The Hiltons are vacationing in Paris.
I'm Chip Wanamaker of the Philadelphia Wanamakers.
I've also seen the plural and possessive spelled incorrectly nearly as often as I've seen it spelled correctly. When the name in the singular already ends in an S, it is better than even odds that it will be wrong.
Jones
Pl. Joneses
Sing. Poss. Jones's
Plur. Poss. Joneses'