Family Title Capitalization
Kinship words can act either like names or like ordinary common nouns. Chicago guidance capitalizes forms such as “Mom,” “Dad,” and “Grandma” when they stand in place of a personal name, while generic/descriptive uses are normally lowercase.
Capitalize a family term when it functions as a name (“Ask Mom”); lowercase it when it is generic or descriptive (“ask my mom”). Gray areas and house style can affect edge cases.
Key details
Important caveats
Generic Boundary
Possessives/articles and generic reference usually signal an ordinary common-noun use, which is lowercased.
Further guidance
Name Substitute
When a kinship term genuinely stands in for a personal name, Chicago treats capitalization as appropriate.
Practical Application
Capitalize a kinship term when it functions as a name or direct substitute for a name, and lowercase it when it is modified or used generically. Apply the same rule consistently across dialogue and narrative prose.
Reader Check
Could you replace the family term with the person’s name without changing the grammatical role?
Worked Example
“I asked Mom to call” uses the term as a name; “I asked my mom to call” uses a descriptive common noun and is lowercase.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Capitalization FAQ: kinship names — Chicago Manual of Style (opens in a new tab)Chicago Manual of Style · Chicago guidance on kinship names used in place of personal names