Guide · Practical
How to Address Christmas Cards
Addressing Christmas cards is mostly a question of names: whose go on the envelope, in what order, with or without titles, and how to write a family’s last name without an apostrophe sneaking in. The postal part is simpler, though it differs a little between the United States, the UK and Ireland. This guide covers both, with examples you can copy. All the names and addresses below are made up, and the ZIP Code, postcode and Eircode in them are ones that can’t exist.
The short version: three envelopes
In the United States
Jane and Daniel Ortiz 418 Linden Avenue Anytown, OH 00000
The name goes on the first line, then the street address, then the city, state and ZIP Code together on the last line. Your own address (the return address) goes in the upper-left corner of the front of the envelope, and the stamp in the upper right. The USPS guidance on addressing an envelope asks for the address, return address and postage all on the same side.
In the UK
Mr and Mrs Patel 27 Holly Road Little Waltham CHELMSFORD CM3 3CK
Each part has its own line: name, house number and street, village or locality if there is one, post town, then the postcode on the very last line. The post town is traditionally written in capitals, and the postcode always is. No county is needed when you have the postcode. If you’d like a card returned when it can’t be delivered, Royal Mail suggests writing your address on the back of the envelope; the stamp goes in the top right-hand corner.
In Ireland
Mary and Pat Hennessy Ballyroe Kilmallock Co. Limerick V35 A1B2
Name, house number or house name, street or townland, town and county, then the Eircode. An Post asks for the Eircode on the last line for mail posted within Ireland, and for the Dublin postal district number wherever one applies (“Dublin 6”). An Post doesn’t set a place for the return address; as in the UK, many people write it on the back.
Names: the part people worry about
A married couple with the same last name
There are three common forms, from most to least formal:
- Traditional: Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Ortiz
- Classic but simpler: Mr. and Mrs. Ortiz
- Modern and friendly: Jane and Daniel Ortiz
The traditional form uses the husband’s first name for both, and many people still use and like it, especially among older relatives. Others would rather see their own first name. For friends and family, first names are always fine. The order of the first names doesn’t matter; many people put first the one they know best.
Couples with different last names
Write both full names, joined by “and”: Ms. Jane Kim and Mr. Daniel Ortiz. If they don’t fit on one line, put the second name on the next line, starting with “and”. The Emily Post Institute warns against one combination in particular: “Mr. and Ms. Daniel Ortiz”, which attaches her title to his name. Informally, “Jane Kim and Daniel Ortiz” is all you need.
Unmarried couples and partners
The same rule applies: both full names, on one line if they fit. Formal guides often join an unmarried couple with ”&” rather than “and”, but on a Christmas card either is fine.
Two men or two women
Use both names with their titles, Mr. Sam Lee and Mr. Tom Hart, or simply “Sam Lee and Tom Hart”. If they share a last name, “Sam and Tom Hart” is warm and correct. Some couples like “Mr. and Mr. Hart” or the very formal “Messrs. Hart”; if you’d like to be formal, ask which they prefer.
Doctors and other titles
Use a professional title the way the person uses it: Dr. Jane Ortiz and Mr. Daniel Ortiz. If both are doctors with the same last name, “The Doctors Ortiz” or “Drs. Jane and Daniel Ortiz” both work. For clergy, military ranks and judges, follow the form they use themselves. On a family Christmas card, nobody minds if you drop the titles entirely.
Widowed, divorced or single
A widow may still be “Mrs. Daniel Ortiz”, the traditional form, but many prefer their own first name: “Mrs. Jane Ortiz” or “Ms. Jane Ortiz”. A divorced woman usually uses her own first name and whichever last name she now goes by. When in doubt, Debrett’s advice is simply to ask; failing that, her full name with no title at all is always polite. Some people use Mx., a title that doesn’t indicate gender; if someone does, use it.
How to address Christmas cards to a family
“The Ortiz Family” or “The Ortizes”
Both are correct. “The Ortiz Family” is the easiest, because it never needs a plural. If you’d rather use the plural, the rules are short:
- Most names add -s: the Smiths, the Kims, the Murphys, the Kennedys.
- Names ending in s, x, z, ch or sh add -es: the Joneses, the Lopezes, the Foxes, the Walshes.
- Never add an apostrophe to make a plural. “The Smith’s” means something belonging to one Smith. The apostrophe only appears for possession: “the Smiths’ new house”.
Names ending in “y” keep it: the Kennedys, never “the Kennedies”. If a plural looks awkward (the Williamses), “The Williams Family” is always available.
Naming the children
For close family and friends, list everyone: Jane, Daniel, Mia and Leo Ortiz. Adults usually come first and children follow, oldest to youngest. A more formal envelope can put the parents on the first line and the children’s first names underneath:
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Ortiz Mia and Leo 418 Linden Avenue Anytown, OH 00000
The old titles for children, “Miss” for a girl and “Master” for a young boy, are now rare and sound old-fashioned to most people, though you may still see them on very formal British envelopes. Adult children living at home are best given their own card, or named in full.
Blended families and several last names
Write each name, or each household name, as the family writes it: “Jane Kim, Daniel Ortiz, Mia and Leo”. Use a combined name such as “The Kim-Ortiz Family” only if they use it themselves. For a single parent, “Jane Kim and Mia” or “Jane, Mia and Leo” is warm and clear.
Christmas card etiquette for last names
Use the name they use. If a woman kept her own last name, don’t give her her husband’s. If a couple hyphenated, use both parts. If you’re not sure, a family friend or an old card from them will usually tell you.
Spell it as they spell it. Check the small things: Mc or Mac, O’Brien with its apostrophe, accents and other marks (Siobhán, Zoë, José). A carefully spelled name is a small compliment.
Hyphenated names take one plural. Add the s to the end: “the Garcia-Lees”.
Your own return address follows the same rules. If your label says “The Joneses” or “The Jones Family”, it’s right. “The Jones’s” is not.
US, UK and Irish conventions side by side
| United States | UK and Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Titles | Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., with a period | Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, usually without a full stop |
| Return address | Upper-left corner, on the front | On the back, if you add one |
| Last line, mail within the country | City, state and ZIP Code together | UK: postcode on its own line; Ireland: Eircode on its own line |
| Town | Mixed case is fine | UK: post town traditionally in capitals |
| County | Not used | UK: not needed with a postcode; Ireland: often written (“Co. Cork”) |
| Children’s titles | Rarely used | “Miss” and “Master” still seen on formal envelopes |
Sending a card to another country
Put the country on the last line. For a card leaving the United States, the USPS international guidance asks for the destination country’s name, in English, on the last line, with the address printed in capital letters and without commas or periods. Write “USA” on the last line of your own return address.
Follow the other country’s layout. For the UK, the postcode goes on the line just above “UNITED KINGDOM”. For Ireland, An Post asks for the Eircode on the second-last line, just above “IRELAND”.
Copy the address the way they write it. House numbers, postcodes and town names come in a different order in many countries. If a relative abroad sends you their address, copy it line for line and add the country underneath.
MARY AND PAT HENNESSY BALLYROE KILMALLOCK CO LIMERICK V35 A1B2 IRELAND
Timing matters as much as addressing for cards going abroad; our guide on when to mail cards at home and overseas has a simple timeline.
Addressing a card sent online
A card sent by email or shared as a link has an envelope too, but it only needs one thing: the name you usually call them by. On Paper Lantern the card opens on a sealed envelope that reads, for example, “For Aunt Rose”, so write the name exactly as you’d say it: “Grandma”, “Aunt Rose”, “Tom and Ana”. Titles and last names are rarely needed, and there’s no street address at all. Our page on sending a card by email or by text walks through the rest, and you can browse all our Christmas cards to choose a scene.
Inside the card, the last line matters as much as the envelope. Our guide to closing lines and signatures covers couples, families and long lists of names, and our guide to card manners covers who to send cards to in the first place.
Questions
Do you put “and family” on a Christmas card envelope?
You can. “Jane Kim and family” is friendly and common, especially when you aren’t sure of every child’s name. “The Kim Family” does the same job.
Should I use Mr. and Mrs. on Christmas cards?
Only if you’d like a formal touch, or you know the person likes it. For friends and family, first names are perfectly correct.
Is it “the Smiths” or “the Smith’s”?
“The Smiths”. An apostrophe never makes a name plural; it shows possession (“the Smiths’ dog”).
Whose name goes first for a couple?
It no longer matters. Many people put first the person they know better, or the one who is related to them.
Do I need a return address on a Christmas card?
It isn’t required, but it helps a card that can’t be delivered find its way home, and it reminds people of your current address. In the US it goes on the front, top left; in the UK and Ireland it’s usually written on the back.