Hi chelseakartechner,
Based on your post, it sounds like you're experiencing some issues with messaging certain contacts. Since the behavior is isolated to these specific contacts, we'd recommend checking the contact information stored on the device to ensure it wasn't unexpectedly changed. If needed, you can make changes to a contact using the steps in Edit contacts on iPhone.
If you're unable to make necessary changes to the contact information you're seeing, we recommend deleting the contact, then re-adding it. Find those steps in Manage and delete contacts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
When you delete a contact, it permanently deletes it from your device. And if you delete a contact from your email account, you also permanently delete the contact from all devices signed into that email account.
Here's how to delete a contact:
Open Contacts and tap the contact that you want to delete.
Tap Edit.
Scroll Down and tap Delete Contact then tap Delete Contact again to confirm.
If needed, Add and use contact information on iPhone will walk you through adding the contact again.
If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone or iPad also provides some helpful steps for the most common issues sending and receiving messages on your device.
Regards.