Unisex Names
Kelly from Harbor Springs asked
for a word denoting a name that can be used both for boys and for girls, citing
his own name as an example. Existing examples include Avery Brooks and Avery
Winter; Bailey Chase and Bailey Hanks; Cameron Monaghan and Cameron Diaz; Cody
Hodgson and Cody Kennedy; Drew Brees and Drew Barrymore; Kelly Hansen and Kelly
McGillis; Morgan Freeman and Morgan Fairchild.
Various sources call
them unisex names, epicene names, gender-neutral names, or androgynous names.
Unisex and gender-neutral are obvious to everyone, so let’s take a quick look
at the other two.
Androgynous combines two
Greek roots--
aνδρο- male + γυνή- female. Originally, it meant someone exhibiting both male and female
characteristics, so it is used here in a less physical sense.
Epicene comes from the Greek eπί close + κοινός common, amounting to denoting neither sex. Grammatically,
sheep would be the common term, while ewe and ram would highlight gender
distinctions.
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