Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S

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Should one write "Jesus' name" or "Jesus's name"?

Which is correct, "Travis' friend" or "Travis's friend"?

The questions on the use of the apostrophe to form the possessive keep coming. This post is near how to form the possessive of a name that ends in -south.

Most stylebooks agree that the dominion for forming the possessive of a singular noun ending in -s is formed by adding 's:

the boss'due south altogether
the coach'south wheels
the witness'south testimony

When it comes to forming the possessive of a proper name that ends in due south, guides disagree.

Some stylebooks recommend a unmarried apostrophe for Biblical or classical names like Jesus and Achilles, but 'due south for names like James and Charles; others say, "Treat all names catastrophe in south the same."

The Chicago Manual of Manner once recommended a unmarried apostrophe to form the possessive of Biblical or classical names:

Moses' tent
Achilles' helmet
Jesus' name

Some guides nonetheless recommend this usage, but CMOS has changed its policy in a spirit of consistency; now it recommends that all proper names catastrophe in -south class their possessive by adding 's :

Moses's tent
Achilles's helmet
Jesus's name
Travis'south friends
Dickens'south novels
Descartes's philosophy
François's efforts
Tacitus's Histories
Kansas's legislature
Euripides'due south tragedies
the Ganges's source

Equally consequent, the Associated Printing Way Book opts for a single apostrophe for all proper names ending in -s :

Moses' tent
Achilles' helmet
Jesus' proper noun
Travis' friends
Dickens' novels
Descartes' philosophy
François' efforts
Tacitus' Histories
Kansas' legislature
Euripides' tragedies
the Ganges' source

The New York Times fashion manual mostly agrees with CMOS, simply adds this wrinkle:

Omit thes later on the apostrophe when a word ends in two sibilant sounds…separated only by a vowel sound:Kansas' Governor;Texas' population;Moses' behalf… Only when a proper noun ends with a sibilant letter that is silent, keep the possessive s:Arkansas'due south…

Disagreement on the consequence of apostrophe s vs. plainly apostrophe goes all the manner to the Supreme Court. Justice Clarence Thomas believes that the possessive form of a name like his should be formed by adding only an apostrophe: "Justice Thomas' opinion." Referring to the case Kansas five. Marsh (2006), Thomas wrote "Kansas' statute," but his colleague Justice Souter wrote "Kansas's statute."

If yous write for publication, how you treat the possessive of proper names that terminate in -s will be determined by your employer'south house style.

If yous are free to choose which style to follow, keep in mind that the writer's goal is to convey thoughts equally clearly as possible to readers. Mode guides be to assist writers in this goal, but it seems to me that in that location are issues with the recommendations of all 3 guides mentioned above.

I adopt the guidelines given in the Penguin Guide to Punctuation:

A name ending in s takes merely an apostrophe if the possessive form is not pronounced with an extra southward. Hence: Socrates' philosophy, Ulysses' companions, Saint Saens' music, Aristophanes' plays.

The reasoning behind this rule is that as nosotros don't say [sok-ru-teez-iz], there's no reason to write "Socrates's."

Punctuation is supposed to aid readers, not puzzle them. Information technology's no help to readers unfamiliar with English language pronunciation to mislead them into trying to say [dick-inz-iz], or [u-rip-uh-deez-iz] past writing "Dickens'due south novels" or "Euripides'southward plays."

The bottom line is that stylebooks do non agree on whether to write "Jesus' name" or "Jesus's name," "Travis' friend" or "Travis's friend." Writers not bound by a specific mode manual must make their ain decision and be consistent with information technology. Personally, I'd write "Jesus' proper name" and "Travis's friend" considering I would say "[jee-zus] name" and "[trav-is-iz] friend."

Related Mail service: Charles's Pen and Jesus' Name

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