Mr./Ms. Xxxx

In replying a letter, when the gender of the addressee cannot be identified from the name, can I write "Mr./Ms. Xxxx".

That sounds reasonable to me. It's what I would do.

Although it is possible, quite often, to work out the gender by searching in Google for one of the names- the first name will generally give a clue, though you might need a couple of searches to work out which one is which.

If you really want to cover all possibilities, you would have to address it to "Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms XXX". If I were you, I would endeavour to find out the addressee's sex before writing to them.

But the OP is asking about replying to a person whose gender is not determinable by their name or signature. In this case, The postal address should begin Mr/Ms Jess Ticulation, and salutation Dear Mr/Ms Ticulation.

If nothing else, it lets them know that as a matter of courtesy to their correspondent they should indicate their gender after their signature rather than make people guess or go to the trouble of finding out.

Thus:

Yours faithfully,

[signed] Sam Widges (Mrs/Sir/Dame/Mr)

Tdol said:

Although it is possible, quite often, to work out the gender by searching in Google for one of the names- the first name will generally give a clue, though you might need a couple of searches to work out which one is which.

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[h=1]Searching in Google is useful for English names, but it does not apply to those names translated from other language based on pronunciation and written with English alphabets.[/h]

Note that you need to say:

When replying to a letter....

bigC said:

Searching in Google is useful for English names, but it does not apply to those names translated from other language based on pronunciation and written with English alphabets.

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It can-I have used it with exactly this sort of case. If you find several pages, and Google Images will help further, you can get an idea of the gender. Virtually every variation of every English spelling of a first name is to be found on Google.

If you know the person's title (Dr., Prof., etc.), use that.

But really, if at all possible, try to figure out the person's gender, because some people may take offense if you use "Mr./Ms."

bubbha said:

If you know the person's title (Dr., Prof., etc.), use that.

But really, if at all possible, try to figure out the person's gender, because some people may take offense if you use "Mr./Ms."

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That why I hesitate to answer an email, luckily, the email is important.

Your question is about replying to a letter.

The writer must be aware that their forename does not reveal their gender, so they've no right to take offence (BE spelling) if you use 'Mr/Ms'.

If they sign their name as Chris Cross, they can also expect to be addressed as 'Dear Chris Cross' (Chris can be Christopher or Christine).

The same goes for replying to an email.

Thanks for your answer.

I will write "Dear (Name appeared in email)".

Rover_KE said:

If they sign their name as Chris Cross, they can also expect to be addressed as 'Dear Chris Cross' (Chris can be Christopher or Christine).

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Friends of mine married. When she took his last name, their full names became the same -- they were both named Chris.

In Japan, married couples have to use the same surname, and in some areas this law is enforced. It could be either, though it is generally the man's. My wife has a friend who is a scientist, whose first books were published before she married. She has to divorce her husband every time she publishes a book to keep her name as an author, and remarry him afterwards to keep her children's names the same. :crazyeye:

Tdol said:

In Japan, married couples have to use the same surname, and in some areas this law is enforced. It could be either, though it is generally the man's. My wife has a friend who is a scientist, whose first books were published before she married. She has to divorce her husband every time she publishes a book to keep her name as an author, and remarry him afterwards to keep her children's names the same. :crazyeye:

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Why she not simply put a note on the book to declare both names belong to the same person.

Some things are not that simple in different legal systems, and options would confuse search engines and webpages.

Tdol said:

In Japan, married couples have to use the same surname, and in some areas this law is enforced. It could be either, though it is generally the man's. My wife has a friend who is a scientist, whose first books were published before she married. She has to divorce her husband every time she publishes a book to keep her name as an author, and remarry him afterwards to keep her children's names the same. :crazyeye:

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It makes me dizzy just thinking about that.

My wife legally left her family and set up a legal family with herself as the head before we married. That way, as I am a foreigner, neither of us had to take the other's name. I hope that clears things up. The pronunciation of my surname in Japanese means extra-marital sex, which I don't suppose was on her mind when she did it. :shocked!:

Tdol said:

The pronunciation of my surname in Japanese means extra-marital sex [...]

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Well, your surname might sound like it, but please don't worry about it too much - the pronunciation is actually a bit different.