How to sign a Christmas card from a family or couple
Put the parents first, then the children from oldest to youngest, pets last. Write a plural last name with -s or -es and no apostrophe, or fall back on "The Smith Family". Pick one order and use it on every card this year. The details and a few examples are below.
This page is about the signature inside the card. For the name on the envelope, see how to address Christmas cards.
What the etiquette guides say
From the Vistaprint Christmas card etiquette guide (read October 17, 2026):
- Name order. Traditionally the woman's name goes first, and modern sign-offs can follow any preferred order.
- Different surnames. Use both full names. First names alone are what I'd use for close friends.
- Children. List them after the parents, oldest to youngest.
- Pets. Add pet names at the end.
- Plural surnames. Never use an apostrophe. Add -s to most names, and -es to names ending in s, ch, sh, x or z. A name ending in y just takes -s (the Berrys). If the result looks awkward, write "The Smith family".
The CBS 58 newsroom piece a guide to signing your family's name on holiday cards agrees on the apostrophe (a signature is neither a possessive nor a contraction) and calls "The Smith Family" the failsafe. Shutterfly's how to sign a Christmas card lets you choose between one first name, both partners' names, everyone's names or the family name.
Examples to copy
| Household | Sign-off |
|---|---|
| Couple, same last name | Anna and Tom Miller |
| Couple, different last names | Sarah Jenkins and John Smith |
| Family with children | Anna, Tom, Emma and Jake |
| Family with a dog | Anna, Tom, Emma, Jake and Biscuit |
| Plural last name | The Millers, the Joneses, the Berrys |
| Any family, when unsure | The Miller Family |
| Single person | Anna |
Match the sign-off to the person
The guides cover names. They say less about the line before the names, so this part is my suggestion. Keep three versions and pick by how well you know the recipient:
- Close family and friends: "Love," and every first name, pets included.
- Friends and neighbors: "Merry Christmas," and the parents' and children's first names.
- Coworkers, clients and acquaintances: "Warm wishes," and "The Miller Family" or both full names.
With a printed or photo card the names are often on it already. A handwritten line above them, even just "Hope to see you in January," makes it feel sent rather than mass-produced.
Edge cases
- Blended families. My suggestion: list the adults, then all the children together in age order, the same way on every card.
- After a divorce or a death. Vistaprint advises against a joint card for a separated or divorced couple, and says to remove a deceased partner's name from the envelope. My suggestion: sign with the names that match your household now.
- A new baby. My suggestion: add the baby's name last among the children, and keep the same order on every card this year.
Keep it the same on every card
Decide on the exact wording once. If you ask people for addresses, the same decision shows up in the request: the card list on this site puts the name you enter, like "Anna and Tom Miller", at the top of the address form, so recipients see who is asking in the same words you will sign with. The list also keeps each card's sent and received tick, which helps when you write 40 cards over several evenings and want to know where you stopped.
More: addressing the envelope, how many cards to order and tracking sent and received cards.