How to use it
- Click a symbol to copy it.
- Paste it into your text, profile or document.
- Check the detail panel for its official name, Alt code or HTML code.
Female ♀ and male ♂ symbols
The two classic symbols are ♀ FEMALE SIGN (U+2640) and ♂ MALE SIGN (U+2642). They started out as astronomical symbols for the planets Venus and Mars, and alchemists also used them for copper and iron. ♀ is often described as Venus's hand mirror and ♂ as the shield and spear of Mars, although historians suggest the shapes may simply come from abbreviations of the planets' Greek names.
In the 18th century the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus used the two signs to mark female and male plants, and biology has used them ever since, for example to label specimens or describe crosses in genetics.
| Windows | Word (type, then Alt + X) | HTML | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♀ | Alt + 12 | 2640 | ♀ |
| ♂ | Alt + 11 | 2642 | ♂ |
The Alt codes use the numeric keypad and work in most classic Windows programs.
Symbols for gender identity and orientation
| Symbol | Official Unicode name | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| ⚧ | MALE WITH STROKE AND MALE AND FEMALE SIGN | Transgender symbol |
| ⚢ | DOUBLED FEMALE SIGN | Lesbian |
| ⚣ | DOUBLED MALE SIGN | Gay man |
| ⚤ | INTERLOCKED FEMALE AND MALE SIGN | Heterosexual couple |
| ⚥ | MALE AND FEMALE SIGN | Intersex, androgyne |
| ⚦ | MALE WITH STROKE SIGN | Sometimes used in transgender symbolism |
| ⚲ | NEUTER | Agender, non-binary or neutral |
The meanings in the last column come from community use, not from Unicode, which only names the shapes. Different groups may prefer different symbols, and some people prefer words to any symbol at all. Most of these characters were added in Unicode 4.1 and ⚲ in 5.0; on very old devices ⚲ in particular may not display. ⚨ and ⚩, variants of the stroked male sign, are in the grid too.
Emoji: ♀️ ♂️, people and flags
♀ and ♂ also exist as emoji (♀️ ♂️), and they do a quiet job behind the scenes: many gendered emoji are a person emoji joined to ♀️ or ♂️ with an invisible zero-width joiner. That's how 🏃 becomes 🏃♀️ (woman running) or 🏃♂️ (man running). If an app doesn't support the combination, you may see the person and the sign side by side.
The page also includes:
- 👨 man, 👩 woman and 🧑 person, the gender-neutral option
- 🏳️🌈 rainbow flag, built from a white flag, a joiner and a rainbow
- 🏳️⚧️ transgender flag, in light blue, pink and white; it's one of the newer emoji and may not appear on older phones
Because flags are sequences of several code points, copying only part of one leaves a white flag and a separate rainbow or ⚧. Click the flag here and the whole sequence is copied together.
Restroom and baby signs
The emoji 🚹 (MENS SYMBOL), 🚺 (WOMENS SYMBOL), 🚻 (RESTROOM) and 🚼 (BABY SYMBOL) come from the Transport and Map Symbols block. They're handy in event info, venue directions or a quick “restrooms are on the second floor 🚻” message. For an all-gender restroom, 🚻 or plain words like all-gender restroom are the clearest choice, since there's no dedicated emoji for it. On printed signs, use proper signage graphics rather than emoji: emoji look different on every device and can't be relied on for exact shapes or colors.
Using gender symbols respectfully and clearly
- Use words in forms. A sign-up form that offers only ♀ and ♂ is harder to understand than one with labels, and it leaves people out. If you use the symbols, put a text label next to them.
- Follow people's own choices. If someone uses a particular symbol or flag in their profile, that's the one to use when you refer to them.
- Mind the context. ♀ ♂ in a biology worksheet, ⚧ in a support group post and 🚻 in event directions are all different jobs. The symbol should help the reader, not replace the information.
Click a symbol to copy it, or use Add to my text in the detail panel to build a line in the text box at the bottom. The detail panel also shows the code point, CSS escape (\2640) and JavaScript escape (\u2640) for developers. Recently used symbols stay at the top of the page, stored only in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Which symbol is male and which is female?
♂ (circle with an arrow) is the male sign, from the symbol for Mars. ♀ (circle with a cross below) is the female sign, from the symbol for Venus.
How do I type ♀ or ♂ on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 12 on the numeric keypad for ♀, or 11 for ♂. In Word, type 2640 or 2642 and press Alt + X.
What is the transgender symbol?
⚧ (U+26A7). It combines the female sign, the male sign and a male sign with a stroke on one circle.
Is there a non-binary symbol?
There's no official one in Unicode. ⚲ (NEUTER) is commonly used for agender or non-binary identities, and some people use flags or words instead.
Why does the transgender flag show as two emoji?
It's a sequence of several characters. Apps or devices that don't support it show the parts separately, such as a white flag and ⚧.
Last updated: November 13, 2026