Ms. Larsen

At work this week, I was contacted by another engineering firm through email, with the letter addressed to "Ms. Larsen."  This was not the first time that something like this has happened, but it was the most recent (I never corrected the writer of the email, by the way).  It made me think about my name and, unfortunately, even with the inclusion of my middle name, there's no clear indication of my gender.

This is not the fault of my parents.  Jordan is a traditionally masculine name.  In fact, it was around the early eighties when I was born that the trend of naming girls Jordan began.  During most of my childhood, I never met a female Jordan, though I did encounter a few male ones.  It wasn't until high school that I became aware that girls being named Jordan was even an option.  It seemed odd to me, like naming a girl Robert or Steven.  Since then, while I do encounter the occasional male Jordan (there was one that works at the restaurant I tried working at), if I meet a Jordan, it usually is a girl: while I was working at IHOP during college, I encountered at least a dozen female Jordans.  But, and this is important, they were all younger than me.

Girl names go through trends that boy names don't.  You always have at least one Michael in a classroom and usually a few Davids and Juans and Joshuas, but while I attended middle school with lots of Heathers and Megans and Ashleys [or is it Ashleies?], I'm betting that you'll find a lot more Mackenzies and Addisons and Madisons these days.  Anyway, girls' names change a lot, but that also means, for some reason, taking surnames and making given girl names.  Personally, I think this is remarkably idiotic.  "I have a cute baby girl.  I should name her Papadopoulos!"  I really don't get it.

Anyway, if the trend continues, and I have no reason to think that it shouldn't, by the time I'm an old man, I'll have a girl's name.  I can see it now: "Back in my day, Jordan was the manliest name around..."