Acceso usuarios
Pei-Ci Li, Marc Allassonnière Tang
This study investigates gender-specific names, as well as gender-neutral names in Mandarin Chinese, and explores their naming strategies from both synchronic and diachronic perspectives. Synchronically, we examined the 100 most frequently used names for girls, boys, and gender-neutral names, using data from the full population of Taiwan (Ministry of the Interior of Taiwan, 2018). We analyzed the frequency of each character in accordance with metaphoric and nonmetaphoric qualities. Diachronically, we reviewed the most frequently used gender-specific names from the recent 100 years over each 10-year period and then analyzed how they change over time. Both diachronically and synchronically, a higher diversity in boy's names is observed. Such diversity aligns with traditional perspectives that assign greater social and public expectations to men. Over time, there appears to be a decrease in gender stereotypes, as reflected in naming practices. The most commonly used gender-neutral names often feature characters with less gendered connotations, which may involve the incorporation of functional words or metaphoric usage not conventionally associated with either gender
