Brooks’ or Brooks’s?

Brooks’ and Brooks’s are both valid possessive forms of the name Brooks. The choice between them depends on the style guide you adhere to. In AP Style, you should use Brooks’, while in the Chicago Manual of Style, Brooks’s is preferred.

Below is a table illustrating the different forms of the name Brooks:

Form	Example
Singular	Brooks
Plural	Brookses
Singular possessive	Brooks’/ Brooks’s
Plural possessive	Brookses’

The name Brooks is fairly common in English-speaking countries.

As with Travis and Jones, there are two acceptable possessive forms for Brooks. Brooks’ is appropriate in AP Style, while Brooks’s is favored in the Chicago Manual of Style.

Here are examples showing how to use each form in a sentence:

Singular: James Brooks is my best friend from high school.

Plural: The Brookses have a beautiful garden in their backyard.

Singular possessive: Emily Brooks’ artwork was featured in the local gallery.

Singular possessive: Mr. Brooks’s garden is a source of pride for the neighborhood.

Plural possessive: I’m going to visit the brookses’ farm this summer.

Many times it becomes challenging to differentiate between the singular possessive forms especially that they sound the same.  Keep reading the rest of this article where we provide more examples on how to use each of the possessive forms.

Brooks’

Brooks’ is a correct singular possessive form of the surname Brooks, indicating that something belongs to one member of the Brooks family.

• Have you read Brooks’ latest book? It’s quite fascinating.
• Brooks’ dog is adorable and very well-trained.
• I borrowed Brooks’ laptop for the presentation.
• What did you think of Brooks’ performance in the play?

In accordance with AP Style, commonly used in journalistic writing, Brooks’ should be used.

Additionally, when using the singular possessive form of Brooks, ensure that it is clear that multiple Brookses do not own the object.

 If multiple family members possess something, use the plural possessive instead.

• We received an invitation to the brookses’ barbecue party.
• The brookses’ house is decorated beautifully for the holidays.
• Have you met the brookses’ children? They’re so polite.
• We attended the brookses’ wedding anniversary celebration last weekend.
• The brookses’ garden is full of colorful flowers in the spring.

Brooks’s

Brooks’s is also a correct singular possessive form for the surname Brooks, indicating possession by a member of the Brooks family.

• Samantha Brooks’s dedication to her studies earned her a scholarship.
• Brooks’s favorite hobby is playing the guitar.
• The project was completed under Brooks’s supervision.
• We celebrated Brooks’s birthday with a surprise party.
• Brooks’s talent for cooking always impresses everyone at gatherings.
• I admire Brooks’s dedication to charitable work.

Moreover, Brooks’s is the more standard version of the singular possessive and is often preferred in formal and legal writing.

You should use Brooks’s in when you are  following the Chicago Manual of Style.

When multiple members of the Brooks family possess something, the plural possessive form Brookses’ should be used.

• The brookses’ dog loves to play fetch in the backyard.
• We often see the brookses’ family walking together in the park.