Names and Titles

Capitalization and Punctuation Rules

Family Titles

Relationship titles such as mom, dad, grandma, aunt, uncle, etc.

Dependent on how addressed

• Capitalize – when the relationship title is substituted for a proper name in direct address
  • Do you want to go to lunch today, Mom?
• Lowercase – when the person is not directly addressed
  • I asked my dad if I could use his car.

In a conversation

• Capitalize – when the person is being directly addressed
  • “We will all remember Uncle Tom for being the grumpiest man ever born,” Sally said.
• Lowercase – when the person is not being directly addressed
  • “I feel sorry for Carol’s loss,” said the neighbor. “Everyone remembers her uncle’s grumpy nature.”

Personal Names and Titles

• Name used alone: Tom Clancy
• Name with a formal title (denote authority, professional or academic rank)
  • Capitalize – when the title comes before a name
    • Our guest speaker today is Senator Peter Townsend.
  • Lowercase – when the title comes after a name
    • Peter Townsend, senator from Oklahoma, likes donuts.
  • Lowercase – when the title stands alone
    • The senator is running for a second term.
• Title used as direct address
  • Capitalize – when the title is used in place of a name
    • What is your opinion on raising taxes again, Senator?
    • Will you help me bake a cake, Mom?
• Job descriptions
  • Lowercase – are not considered titles
    • author Tom Clancy
    • teacher Sally Henderson
• Deities and revered persons
  • the Almighty, God
  • Allah, Child of God, Holy Ghost

Courtesy Titles

Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.

• First reference of men or women
  • Introduce with first and last names, without a courtesy title
    • Sally Henderson will be visiting our group today.
  • Second reference of an adult or children over 16
    • Henderson will be with us today.
  • Second reference of a child under 16
    • Use their first name: Toby will be here today.

Abbreviating Formal Titles

Most formal titles are NOT abbreviated when used with a proper name. Only a few titles can be abbreviated.

• Gov. Patterson
• Lt. Gov. Dalton
• Sen. Townsend
• Rep. Baker
• Dr. Smith
• The Rev. Thompson
• Gen. Patton
• Lt. Buster
• Cpt. Kline
• Sgt. Turner
• Pvt. Bailey
• NEVER ABBREVIATE: President, Vice President

Capitalization of Names, Titles, Terms

• Business firm: Best Buy
• Business products: Kleenex, Pepsi
• Geographic names and regions: California, Niles Township, Western Hemisphere, Baja Peninsula
• Geological terms: Ice Age, Lower Jurassic period, Paleozoic era
• Government bodies and agencies: Internal Revenue Service, United States Post Office
• Historic events, special events and holidays: Battle of Midway, Columbus Day, Midwest Book Fair
• Institutions: Kansas State University
• Languages: English, French
• Names of sacred works: the Word, the Bible, the Koran, Genesis
• Nationalities: Australian, Chinese, African-American
• Public organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scouts
• Private organizations: Kansas Writers Association
• Religious holidays: Christmas, Easter, High Mass, Lent
• Religious names and denominations: Christianity, Islam, Methodist

Punctuating Titles of Works

Set in Italics

• Albums: Nina Simone Live in Paris
• Blogs: The Voyageur
• Books:  Moby Dick
• Cartoons or comic strips: Tom & Jerry
• Films: Raging Bull
• Journals: American Journal of Health
• Legal cases: Commonwealth v. Knox
• Magazines: Vanity Fair
• Musical albums: Jesus Christ Superstar
• Musical compositions (identified by name): Hungarian Rhapsodies
• Newspapers: The Wichita Eagle
• Operas: The Marriage of Figaro
• Paintings: Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night
• Plays: A Doll’s House
• Poems (long): Beowulf
• Poetry collections: The Collected Poetry of Dorothy Parker
• Radio shows:  The Abbott and Costello Show
• Sculptures: Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure
• Story collections: The Collected Stories of Grace Paley
• Television shows: Friends
• Websites: Wikipedia

Set in Quotation Marks

• Articles in magazines, journals, newspapers and encyclopedias: “Rivers of China”
• Blog entries: “Today’s the Day”
• Chapters in books: “The Carpet Bag” chapter in Moby Dick
• Episodes of television shows: “Obey Your Thirst”
• Essays: “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell
• Photographs: “The Falling Soldier”
• Poems (short): “It’s All I Have to Bring Today” by Emily Dickinson
• Short stories: “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
• Songs: “Amazing Grace”
• Unpublished works with a title (manuscripts, speeches, lectures, theses): “My Speech on Human Rights”

Set in Regular Font

• Awards
• Musical compositions not identified by name
• Political documents
• Scriptural works
• Sections, books, and prayers within scriptural works
• Works of antiquity