The Possessive Of Proper Nouns Ending In S, Z, And X (With Examples)

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how to form the possessive of proper nouns ending in s, z, or x? It can get confusing. Here is an example: can you decide between “This is the Jones’ house” or “This is the Jones’s house“?

This guide is here to help you understand the rules for making names show possession. We have broken it down in the table below if you need a quick guide.

This table summarizes all the rules to form the possessive of proper nouns ending in ‘s’, ‘z’, and ‘x’:

Proper Nouns	Possessive Case Examples	Explanation
Names not ending in s, z, or x	Alan’s car. Nancy’s friend.	– For names not ending in s, z, or x, simply add an apostrophe and an s.
Singular names ending in s, z, or x.	James’s room. James’ room. Gomez’s dog. Marx’s ideas.	– If the name ends in s, add just an apostrophe or add an apostrophe and an s. – If the name ends in z or x, add an apostrophe and an s.
Plural names	The Joneses’ house	– Add only an apostrophe for plural names.
Religious and antiquity names	Jesus’ love Moses’ leadership	– After biblical and antiquity names ending in s, add just an apostrophe.

Now, let us explore the basic rule of the possessive case.

Possessive Case Rules

The basic rules for possessive nouns are quite simple. You have just to add an s to the noun. 

Here are some examples:

• I found Lisa‘s laptop.
• Don’t forget to clean Alan‘s car.
• I have a problem understanding Nancy‘s message.

The confusion arises when the nouns end in s or z as in James and Gomez. It is also confusing whether to add another s for plural proper nouns as in the Joneses.

How To Form The Possessive Of Proper Nouns Ending In S, Z, And X

Deciding the form of the possessive of proper nouns depends on the various manuals of the style adopted.

Names Ending In S, Z, And X According To The Different Manuals Of Style

The rule for forming the possessive case of names ending in s, z, and x is generally to add an apostrophe and s (e.g., James’s father, Gomez’s husband.) There is, however, a difference between The Associated Press Stylebook, The APA Publication Manual, and The Chicago Manual of Style about how to handle possessives for names ending in s and z. 

For the Associated Press Stylebook, you have to add an apostrophe for both singular and plural names:

• I received James’ email.
• We attended the Joneses’ party.

By contrast, the Chicago Manual of Style and The APA Publication Manual suggest we add an apostrophe and an ‘s‘ if the name is singular, but add only an apostrophe if it is plural:

• I received James’s email.
• We attended the Joneses’ party.

As you can see, it is a question of the manual style you adopt. 

In what follows, we provide the generally accepted rules to form the possessive case of proper nouns and help you clear up the confusion.

The Possessive Case For Nouns Ending In S

For proper nouns ending in s, form the possessive either by simply adding an apostrophe or adding an apostrophe and another s.

• Chris’ car (The Chicago Manual of Style.)
• Chris’s car (The Chicago Manual of Style and The APA Publication Manual.)

Both the above forms are correct. You can add just the apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s to a proper name that ends in an s.

Here are more examples:

• I visited Williams’ house.
• I visited Williams’s house.
• Have you seen Nicolas’ new dog?
• Have you seen Nicolas’s new dog?
• Where are Lucas’ keys?
• Where are Lucas’s keys?
• I wouldn’t mind helping Carlos’ wife.
• I wouldn’t mind helping Carlos’s wife.

The Possessive Case For Proper Nouns Ending In Z 

For proper nouns ending in ‘z‘, most grammar books suggest adding an apostrophe followed by an ‘s‘:

• Gomez’s new car is black.
• Perez’s cat bit me.
• Mrs. Sanchez’s kids are polite.
• I met Luz’s friends.

Note: The same rule applies to proper names ending in x: add an apostrophe and an s. Here are some examples:

• Jane is influenced by Marx’s ideas.
• We received Alex’s email.
• I met Rex’s son.
• He was driving Max’s car.

The Possessive With Plural Names

For plural names, the rule is to add only an apostrophe:

• The Obamas’ house
• The Joneses’ party
• The Smiths’ car

Religious And Greek Names

The traditional exceptions that take apostrophes alone are the following: 

Biblical names:

• Jesus’ sacrifice.
• Moses’ leadership.

Greek and antiquity names:

• Socrates’ dialogue.
• Aristophanes’ book.
• Xerxes’ kingdom.
• Hercules’ wife.
• Archimedes’ screw.
• Pythagoras’ theorem.

General Apostrophe Rules After S

In addition to proper nouns, understanding how to use apostrophes after s in other cases is essential. Here’s a breakdown of when and how to use apostrophes after s in common nouns, plural nouns, and possessive constructions.

1. Singular Common Nouns Ending in “S”

For common (non-proper) singular nouns that end in s, you typically form the possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s. This rule follows similar guidelines to proper nouns but applies to general nouns that aren’t names. Here are some examples:

• The class’s schedule was revised.
• The bus’s arrival was delayed.
• My boss’s instructions were clear.

While most style guides recommend adding an apostrophe and s, some allow for only an apostrophe in informal writing, especially if the extra s affects readability or pronunciation.

2. Plural Nouns Ending in “S”

For plural nouns that already end in s, simply add an apostrophe after the final s to show possession. This rule is consistent across different grammar guides:

• The students’ assignments are due tomorrow.
• The teachers’ lounge is on the first floor.
• The cars’ headlights were all turned off.

3. Irregular Plural Nouns Not Ending in “S”

If a plural noun does not end in s (such as children, men, women, or geese), add both an apostrophe and an s to form the possessive:

• The children’s toys are scattered everywhere.
• The men’s locker room is down the hall.
• The geese’s migration path is changing due to climate.

Irregular plural nouns are exceptions because they do not follow the standard pluralization rule and thus need an additional s for clarity.

Examples Summary

• Singular Common Noun Ending in “S”: The bus’s route
• Plural Noun Ending in “S”: The cats’ owner
• Irregular Plural Noun Not Ending in “S”: The people’s choice

By following these general rules, you can avoid confusion and accurately use apostrophes with both proper and common nouns ending in s. This understanding will help clarify meaning and improve readability in both written and spoken English.

Conclusion

As you can see, the formation of the possessive case of proper nouns may be confusing. But as a rule of thumb, add an apostrophe as well as an s (e.g. Charles’s dog) or just an apostrophe (e.g. Charles’ dog) if the name is singular. However, if the proper name is plural, add just an apostrophe (e.g. the Obamas’ dog.) For biblical and antiquity names, add only an apostrophe (e.g. Moses leadership, Hercules’ wife.) For names that end in z or x, grammarians suggest adding an apostrophe and an s (e.g. Luz’s car, Marx’s house.).

Related Pages

• Genitive Case
• Possessive adjectives
• Possessive pronouns
• Possessive adjectives exercise
• Possessive pronouns exercise