What does an apostrophe mean in a last name?

It usually means the name is a contraction of something longer.

What does the apostrophe mean in Irish surnames?

The apostrophe is a reminder of the forced identity change the Irish had to endure because of British rule and emigration. With this in mind, many people of Irish descent feel strongly about the dash in their surname, as it holds important significance in their heritage.

When referring to a couple by last name is there an apostrophe?

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.

Should a last name have an apostrophe?

Adding an apostrophe makes the last name possessive, which is unnecessary in this case. Depending on the last letter of the name, simply add –s or –es. Leave out the apostrophe when making last names plural. For names that do not end in –s, –z, –ch, –sh, or –x, just add –s to the end of the name to make it plural.

Where does the apostrophe go in a name?

An apostrophe is a small punctuation mark ( ‘ ) placed after a noun to show that the noun owns something. The apostrophe will always be placed either before or after an s at the end of the noun owner. Always the noun owner will be followed (usually immediately) by the thing it owns.

Should surnames have an apostrophe?

What does the O in front of Irish names mean?

grandson of
It is derived from the Gaelic word “ua,” also abbreviated as uí or Ó, meaning “grandson of.” Thus any name beginning with O’ is without question an Irish patronymic. The O’ surnames began as early as the 11th century in Ireland, much earlier than the Mc/Mac surnames. The prefix Fitz- is also found in Irish surnames.

Should plural last name have apostrophe?

Don’t use an apostrophe to make your last name plural. Apostrophes can be used to show possession—à la the Smiths’ house or Tim Johnson’s pad— but they don’t indicate there’s more than one person in your family.

How do you read an apostrophe in a name?

In singular forms, the apostrophe comes first, e.g. one’s; everyone’s; somebody’s, nobody else’s, etc., while the apostrophe follows the s in plural forms as with nouns: the others’ complaints.

Why use an apostrophe in a name?

Use an apostrophe to indicate ownership by a proper noun. An apostrophe with an “s” after a proper noun indicates that the person, place or thing owns whatever noun follows his or her name. For example, “Mary’s lemons.” We know the lemons belong to Mary because of the ‘s.