Proper Noun – Concept and Its Uses

Proper nouns 

The specific names of persons, places, animals and things are proper nouns. 

Jane, New York City, Blackie, Ford 

While common nouns are the generic names of people, places, animals and things; proper nouns are specific. 

Proper nouns are always capitalized.  

For example: 

Proper nouns are specific nouns. They are capitalized, no matter where they appear in a sentence. 

Proper nouns are used to refer to: 

Names of people and animals 

The names of particular people and animals are proper nouns. 

For example: Barack Obama, Donald Duck 

• Titles of people 

Certain names have titles attached to them. Titles are given to people who are in specific positions. When they are used as part of names, they can be capitalized. 

For example: Doctor John is our family doctor. 

I heard that President Biden will address the nation today. 

Names of places 

The names of specific streets, cities, states, countries, geographical regions, zoos, parks, etc., come under proper nouns. 

For example: Canada, San Francisco, Miami Beach, the Rocky Mountains 

Articles or unimportant words in the names of places are not capitalized. 

For example: the Atlantic Ocean, the United States of America 

Names of things 

The names of specific or unique things are proper nouns. 

For example: Mars (planet), Harry Potter (book), Toyota (car) 

• Days, months, and holidays 

Months of the year, days of the week, and holidays are proper nouns and they are capitalized. 

For example: Friday (day), November (month), Christmas (holiday) 

Brand names 

Brands describe a specific product. The names of brands or companies are proper nouns. 

For example: Google, Reebok, Disney, Turito

• Titles of works 

The titles of movies, TV shows, plays, books, newspapers, magazines and songs are proper nouns. 

For example: Frozen, the New York Times 

Seasons and directions are not proper nouns. They are capitalized only if they are parts of names. 

For example: 

I am driving south. 

I am going to visit South Africa. 

I’m planning to visit my grandparents this summer. 

Tina’s best friend’s name is Summer.