Mr and Mrs are prefixes. They go before a person’s name, as in Mr Smith or Mrs Johnson. Suffixes go after the name, as in John Smith Jr. or Jane Doe, PhD. That is the answer forms and databases use. This guide explains the one technical wrinkle, the correct order when a name has several parts, and the punctuation differences between American and British English.
Written by Mitch Rankin, CEO and owner of EnglishForward.com since 2018. Last reviewed 10 October 2026.
Prefix in a form, title in grammar
In grammar books, a prefix is a small piece attached to the start of a word, such as the un- in unhappy. Mr and Mrs are not attached to anything: they are separate words. Grammar books therefore call them titles or honorifics.
Forms, address books and databases call the same thing a name prefix, because it comes before the name. So both answers are right. Use “title” when you are writing about language, and “prefix” when you are filling in or building a form.
Titles that go before the name
| Title | Used for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mr | A man | Does not show marital status |
| Mrs | A married woman (or a woman who uses it) | Shows marital status |
| Ms | Any woman | A safe default when you do not know her preference |
| Miss | A girl or an unmarried woman | Some women prefer it |
| Mx | Someone who does not want a gendered title | Increasingly offered on forms, especially in the UK |
| Dr | A doctor of medicine or a person with a doctorate | See “Dr and PhD” below |
| Prof | A professor | Common abbreviation for Professor |
| Rev | A member of the clergy |
If you do not know how a woman prefers to be addressed, Ms is the safest choice in formal writing. If you do know, use the title she uses.
Parts that go after the name
- Generational: Jr (Junior), Sr (Senior), II, III.
- Qualifications and honours: PhD, MD, CPA, OBE, Esq.
Example: John Smith Jr. and Jane Doe, PhD. Style guides differ on whether to put a comma before Jr or Sr. Both forms are seen. Choose one and use it consistently.
The common mistake: using Dr and PhD together
Use the title or the qualification, not both:
- Correct: Dr Jane Doe
- Correct: Jane Doe, PhD
- Not correct: Dr Jane Doe, PhD
The same applies to Mr or Ms with Esq. and similar pairs. Pick one way of showing the status.
A full name can still carry both a title and a suffix when they do different jobs: Mr John Smith Jr. (title plus generation).
Full stop or no full stop?
| Style | Mr | Mrs | Dr | Prof | Rev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American and Canadian | Mr. | Mrs. | Dr. | Prof. | Rev. |
| British and most Commonwealth | Mr | Mrs | Dr | Prof. | Rev. |
The British habit is to drop the full stop when the abbreviation ends with the same last letter as the full word (Mister, Mistress, Doctor). Prof and Rev end with different letters, so many British writers keep the full stop for them. Practice varies, so check your organisation’s style guide and apply it consistently.
Designing a form or database
- Label the field Title (or Title/Prefix) for Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr.
- Label a separate field Suffix for Jr, Sr, III and qualifications.
- Make the title field optional, and add Mx and a free-text option. Do not force people to reveal marital status.
- Do not use the title to decide a customer’s gender in your records. Ask for it separately if you truly need it.
Quick examples
- Formal letter: Dear Ms Patel, (not Dear Ms. Patel, in British style)
- Envelope: Dr Samuel Okoye
- Name with generation: Mr Robert Allen Jr.
- Academic credit: Maria Lopez, PhD
Frequently asked questions
Is Ms a prefix? Yes. It goes before the name, like Mr and Mrs.
Are Mr and Mrs abbreviations? Yes. Mr comes from Mister (originally Master) and Mrs from Mistress. We say “mister” and “missus”, but the written forms are always shortened.
Can I use Mr and Mrs together? Yes, for a couple: Mr and Mrs Allen.
Which is correct on a CV: Dr or PhD? Either, but not both. Use whichever your field or the employer expects.
One common mistake English learners make is confusing prefixes with suffixes when filling out forms. Mr., Mrs., Miss, and Ms. are titles used as prefixes because they appear before a person’s name, while suffixes such as Jr. or Sr. appear after a name. My advice is to check the order of each part of a name when completing CVs, job applications, and official documents, as using the correct title helps keep your writing professional.
Related guides
- Her husband or his husband: pronoun agreement
- Everyday English grammar rules and common pitfalls (check this link is live before keeping it)
Have a title question about a specific letter or form? Ask it in the English Forward community forum.
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