TransWikia.com

A collective noun when referring to a group of people with the same name?

English Language & Usage Asked on August 7, 2021

How can I refer collectively to a group of people with the same name, for example:

Having so many Johns around is confusing.

or

Having so many John’s around is confusing.

Which one is the correct usage? Or should I only refer to them as “people named John”?

This could be somewhat compounded when surnames are used, if the pluralized version is also common.

3 Answers

Johns is fine (if a bit unfortunate in its implications for that particular name). John's means "belonging to John".

Correct answer by chaos on August 7, 2021

As evidenced by the common phrase "keeping up with the Joneses", simply pluralizing, even if the name is already theoretically in a plural form, is the way to go.

Answered by Hellion on August 7, 2021

What if the name ends in Y? As in, Tammys or Tammies?

Answered by Laura on August 7, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP