Chinese scholar, Zhu Wanjin analyzed sexism practices from the perspective of lexicology; Bai Jiehong analyzed sexism from the cultural perspective; Yang Yonglin points out that sexism have two senses: the narrow sense and broad sense。 Admittedly, such studies on language and gender are still rare and their studies have not touched upon how to reduce or eliminate the sexism in language。 Moreover, little work has been completed on sexism in English naming。

3。 Sexism in English Personal Names 

Naming practices involve a lot of issues。 Names, titles and other terms of address are a powerful means of identifying and describing people。 Depending on the society and the language, name can reflect a person’s sex, age occupation, social status, and geographical, linguistic, religious or affiliation。

For most of us, a name is much more than just a tag or a label。 It is a symbol, which stands for the unique combination of characteristics and attributes than define us as an inpidual。 It is the closest thing that we have to shorthand for the self-concept。 The vast majority of names carry distinct feminine or masculine connotation。

3。1 Family names

When women were born, they were given their fathers’ name and adopted their husbands’ names upon their marriage。 It’s only sons who can carry on their fathers’ name forever, whereas women lost this capacity when they got married。 This stresses the portrayal of women as the prosperity of men, passed from father to husband。 They just have no freedom to own their own names。

Children typically inherit their fathers’ rather than their mothers’ family names, which enables fathers but not mothers to achieve a direct continuity of naming from generation, provided they have sons。 Even if there are only daughter, however the derivation of female forms from male names enables the transmission to continue。 It’s very common for women in English-speaking countries to adapt their husband’s names upon they got married。 Thus women are said to “marry into families”, and families are said to “die out” if an all-female generation occurs。文献综述

Thus, Spender (200) comments: “Practically, it means that women’s family names don’t count and there is one more device making women invisible。”

In the ceremony, the official asks, “ Who gives the bride away?” and the father answers, “I do,” or “ Her mother and I do”, but that does not solve the problem inherent in the idea that a bride is something to be handed over from one man to another。

3。2 Personal names 

The names that people give their children show the hopes and dreams they have for them and also personal names often reflect their parents’ hope and expectations for their children。 So from their personal names, we can know the different attitudes of parents to boy and girls。 Personal names for girls and boys often reflect stereotyped features of feminity or masculinity prevailing in a particular culture or society。 For example, boys are often given associated with strength, power and heroism whereas girls have names reflecting grace and other feminine virtues。

In British culture, girls usually have names taken from small, aesthetically pleasing items。 So, women may be named after virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity; or Vegetation: Rose, Lily, Iris; or calendar units: April, May, Spring or minerals:Pearl, Ruby, Crystal, which stress beauty and elegance。

However, men are more likely to be given names with meanings of power and strength。 For example, Neil means champion; Martin is from Mars, the god of war; Harold means Chief of the army; Richard means strong king and so on。