Dis/Continuity in the Representation of Gender in Names Across Cultures: An Introduction

Given names in many countries are typically sex-specific, whether this is legally enforced or completely unregulated. Gender-neutral names have been rare, have tended to evolve from masculine names, and have been seen as more advantageous for girls than boys, to whom sex stereotyping is more rigidly applied. However, in the context of recent shifts in gender equality and in conceptualizations of gender as nonbinary, linguistic marking of gender through names may itself be changing over time and exhibit variations across different language cultures. Our main goal in this special issue is to advance knowledge on contemporary gender-related personal naming practices through examining evidence about continuities and discontinuities in linguistic representations of gender in given names. We bring together a collection of studies that explore how gender is marked through names in a range of language cultures in Europe (Spanish, Bulgarian, and German) and Asia (Japanese and Mandarin Chinese). In this introductory article, we provide an overview of changing societal contexts of gender relations and identities that frame developments in the linguistic marking of gender through names, review research literature, and outline a theoretical background for the articles included in the special issue.