Style Guide for Proper Names ~ Plurals, Possessives, and Unusual Spellings

Although tongue-in-cheek typos can add rustic charm to a Beaver Cut Products sign, many customers prefer to “go by the book”, grammatically-speaking. This guide covers the use of proper names in signs, including plurals, possessives, and unusual spellings.

Definitions

Proper name: refers to a person, place, or organization, usually capitalized, e.g., Pat Smith
Singular noun: refers to one person, place, or thing, e.g., Pat Smith
Plural noun: refers to more than one person, place, or thing, e.g., The Smiths
Possessive: indicates ownership, e.g., Pat Smith’s house

General Rules

Add s to make most names plural: Smith → Smiths
Add es to make names ending in s, x, z, ch, sh plural: Jones → Joneses
Add ‘s to make names singular possessive: Smith → Smith’s, Jones → Jones’s*
Add s’ to make most names plural possessive: Smith → Smiths’
Add es’ to make names ending in s, x, z, ch, sh plural possessive: Jones → Joneses’
For joint property, only change the final name to possessive: Chris & Pat → Chris & Pat’s

* It is also acceptable to add ‘ to make names ending in s or z singular possessive: Jones → Jones’

Examples

Sign refers to one person
Pat
Smith
Pat Smith

Sign refers to two people
Pat & Chris
Smith & Jones
Pat Smith & Chris Jones
Pat & Chris Smith (same last name)

Sign refers to a family
Smith
The Smith Family
The Smiths
Jones
The Jones Family
The Joneses

Sign refers to property belonging to one person
Pat’s Place
Smith’s Saloon
Chris’s Garden (or Chris’ Garden)
Jones’s Oasis (or Jones’ Oasis)

Sign refers to property belonging to two people
Chris & Pat’s Hideout
Jones & Smith’s Garage
Pat & Chris Smiths’ Cottage (same last name)
Chris & Pat Joneses’ House (same last name)

Sign refers to property belonging to a family
Smith Residence
Jones Pond
The Smiths’ Farm
The Joneses’ Cabin

Historic Locust Grove Farm sign in the Blue Ridge Mountains

George W. Calomiris,  Architect and President of Wm. Calomiris Co. in Washington DC, recently hired Beaver Cut Products to create this sign for the entrance to his historic farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

“The sign sits at the base of a really huge American holly. It’s a wonderful tree. We have lots if very old trees at this place. The oldest part of the house along with the slave quarters, smoke house and spring house date from 1768. The largest part of the house was added in 1810. It’s actually quite historic, in that Stonewall Jackson’s artillery commander, Roger Chew, who was teaching at VMI (Virginia Military Institute) with Jackson when the war began was born here. He returned to live out his life here after the war.”  ~ George Calomiris

The sign measures 18″ x 30″ x 2″. As shown below, Mr. Calomiris has backed the sign with a marine grade plywood to facilitate mounting.

Based on George’s preliminary renderings, we set about creating the illustrations of the Hereford bull and dogwood blossoms and providing layouts using several fonts. George wanted color on his sign. We are able to provide professionally hand painted details in light-fast artist’s oils for an extra fee. This is a photo of the Locust Grove Farm sign during the painting process…

And a photo of the completed sign with the finish coat applied.

 

Sallie Alley, a citizen naturalist’s wildlife sanctuary

“Hi James and John, I wanted to share with you a photo of the sign you made me — in place. Though the trail isn’t complete and we still lack tree leaves (they’re almost out) here in southern Maine, this is the sign’s home. Thank you for a nice-looking quality product. I am very pleased.

This is a personal project I’ve created to clean up the back end of my property abutting a gully. My grandson and I like catching red-backed salamanders here under logs (see photo attached). The critters may stay in a terrarium for a time, then are released back into the woods. This baby red-back is probably 1.5″, but they can grow to about 3.5″. Maine also has yellow-spotted salamanders which are larger – maybe 6″, and wider. I haven’t seen one in a while.

I have dedicated the salamander project in memory of my mother Mary-Agnes Wine who taught college biology here in Maine and was a volunteer AMC naturalist on the trail in the White Mountains for many years.  She passed away in Feb. 2013 at the age of 90.”

Nancy C., Cumberland, Maine

What’s in a name?

“What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
-Wm Shakespeare, spoken by Juliet in Romeo and Juliet

When purchasing a custom carved wood sign for your cabin, cottage or property, choosing the name is the first step. Many owners have already done this, but if you have not, this little article from Beaver Cut Products will help you find the inspiration to begin that process. 

Place names and early terrestrial orienteering. 

In a simpler time, before urban grids, sprawling cul-de-sacs, and 3-dimensional dwelling addresses, the wild lands were traversed using the paths of least resistance. Often these were trails established by migrating animals. These well-travelled paths were given names that referred to the destination point or to notable features of the landscape. Over centuries of use, the paths became roads, and settlements were started in convenient locations along the way. Houses, inns, stores and landmarks served as waypoints to help define distances and the lay-of-the-land. The names of these places would have given travelers knowledge of what to expect on their journey.

The naming of house and lands is an ancient practice, and for historians, has often provided an inroad to understanding the unwritten history of a region. Families, clans and tribes gave a human identity to the land in richly descriptive language. Eventually villages developed, and tribal customs evolved into governments. In countries where land mass was limited, the establishment and management of properties became important to those with the power of political control and inheritance. The names given to properties and dwellings are clues to the evolution of the place, and to the lineage of the inhabitants.

Place names in our present day and age.

Population density has dramatically increased the complexity of naming conventions. Urban street grids, housing development plats and apartment numbers are necessary to keep us connected, but are sterile and anonymous. Large developments are often given names that have little or nothing to do with the history of the place, and add a confusing visual noise to the cultural landscape.

Fortunately, standing out among them are the historic places and dwellings with unique and descriptive names that still serve us well and retain real meaning.

In countries where property is freely bought and sold, naming a wilderness cabin, home or property is a matter of personal choice, and not necessarily of public record. It is often done in a lighthearted manner. However, naming your cabin, house or property should be given careful thought. If it is handed down to future generations, the name may be carried on in reverence, and so can truly help create the “soul” of the place.

Today as in the past, place names will usually convey the attributes of a region. They are often an owner’s surname, or may reflect an occupation or interest. Popular names are taken from the trees, plants or animals common to the area, or from land features such as rivers, streams, valleys or mountains. Places also may refer to an event that takes place there, such as a river crossing, a display of northern lights, or a notable sunrise.

A well-chosen cabin, cottage or property name will reflect your interest in the region, and will give your place a life of its own. If it endures, it may even contribute to local history.

Choosing your name should be enjoyable, and there are many examples on our website and Facebook pages to show what others have done. Visit us at:

http://www.beavercutproducts.com
or visit  Beaver Cut Products’ Facebook Page Here

– James Garrison, Minneapolis