Thu, 11:20–12:50, Classroom 2-rim (faculty of Arts)
(slides)
How do Japanese baby names express gender — and how is this changing today?
In this talk, we examine contemporary naming practices using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data: parental naming stories from the Baby Calendar website, historical and modern name guides, and large-scale frequency data from sources such as Heisei Namae Jiten and Meiji Yasuda.
Our analysis shows a clear shift: traditional gender distinctions are becoming less rigid, with more gender-neutral names and a softening of masculine naming patterns. Placing Japan in a broader perspective, we argue that these developments reflect a wider global trend in the rethinking of gender and identity through personal names.
Note: This is work done with Ivona Barešová.