Brand names and apostrophes

The use, or lack of use, of apostrophes in brand names that originated as the founder’s name is a subject that generates a lot of discussion. It can be argued that if the name is derived from the founder's surname then they should keep the possessive apostrophe - so "Harrod’s" and "Sainsbury’s". But Harrods dropped their apostrophe in about 1920, whereas Sainsbury’s have retained theirs. But where the origins of the name have become of less importance over time, and where the business has chosen to omit the apostrophe from their branding, it can also be argued that it is an entirely valid and acceptable business decision. "Harrod’s" is now known as "Harrods", not as the store originally founded by Mr Harrod, and that’s their prerogative.

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Interestingly, what is now known as "Sainsbury’s" was originally known as "J Sainsbury", but they decided to drop the "J" and add a possessive apostrophe and “s”. Again, it was their prerogative to decide how their business brand should be presented.

 

It’s definitely a topic that generates strong feelings - in 2012, Waterstone’s (the book store) announced that they were dropping the apostrophe from their name. There was a good deal of outrage from some directions, but they went ahead, and the business is now correctly known as "Waterstones".

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While these examples are all taken from UK business names, the same apostrophe omission from brand names applies across the English-speaking world.