Gender Neutral Emojis: Person, Man and Woman Versions
Most people emoji come in three versions: a person with no stated gender ๐ง, a man ๐จ and a woman ๐ฉ. Unicode's own list has 92 of these concepts, and 90 of them have all three. The tables below put each trio side by side so you can copy the one you want, and show which version Unicode added first, because the order is not what most people expect.
How the man and woman versions are built
Most gendered emoji are not separate characters. The man and woman versions are sequences: the neutral emoji, an invisible joiner (ZWJ, U+200D), then the male sign โ or female sign โ. Woman shrugging is ๐คท + ZWJ + โ, and a phone that understands the sequence draws one picture. A phone that does not shows both parts side by side, which is why an old device can turn ๐คทโโ๏ธ into a shrug followed by a female sign. Jobs work the same way with a different starting point: teacher is ๐ง, ๐จ or ๐ฉ joined to a school ๐ซ.
Every trio, grouped by type
Tap any emoji to copy it. The year under each one is when Unicode added it, from Unicode's own emoji list (Emoji 18.0). Your keyboard may still lack the newest ones if your phone has not updated.
People and ages
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| personEmoji 5.0 (2017) | manEmoji 0.6 (2010) | womanEmoji 0.6 (2010) | Man and woman, 2010 |
| childEmoji 5.0 (2017) | boyEmoji 0.6 (2010) | girlEmoji 0.6 (2010) | Man and woman, 2010 |
| older personEmoji 5.0 (2017) | old manEmoji 0.6 (2010) | old womanEmoji 0.6 (2010) | Man and woman, 2010 |
| deaf personEmoji 12.0 (2019) | deaf manEmoji 12.0 (2019) | deaf womanEmoji 12.0 (2019) | All three, 2019 |
| pregnant personEmoji 14.0 (2021) | pregnant manEmoji 14.0 (2021) | pregnant womanEmoji 3.0 (2016) | Woman, 2016 |
Jobs
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| health workerEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man health workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman health workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| studentEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man studentEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman studentEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| teacherEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man teacherEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman teacherEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| judgeEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man judgeEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman judgeEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| farmerEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man farmerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman farmerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| cookEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man cookEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman cookEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| mechanicEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man mechanicEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman mechanicEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| factory workerEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man factory workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman factory workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| office workerEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man office workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman office workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| scientistEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man scientistEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman scientistEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| technologistEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man technologistEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman technologistEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| singerEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man singerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman singerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| artistEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man artistEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman artistEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| pilotEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man pilotEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman pilotEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| astronautEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man astronautEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman astronautEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| firefighterEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man firefighterEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman firefighterEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Man and woman, 2016 |
| police officerEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man police officerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman police officerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| detectiveEmoji 0.7 (2014) | man detectiveEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman detectiveEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2014 |
| guardEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man guardEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman guardEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| construction workerEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man construction workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman construction workerEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
Roles and clothing
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| person with crownEmoji 14.0 (2021) | princeEmoji 3.0 (2016) | princessEmoji 0.6 (2010) | Woman, 2010 |
| person wearing turbanEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man wearing turbanEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman wearing turbanEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| man in tuxedoEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man in tuxedoEmoji 13.0 (2020) | woman in tuxedoEmoji 13.0 (2020) | Person, 2016 |
| bride with veilEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man with veilEmoji 13.0 (2020) | woman with veilEmoji 13.0 (2020) | Person, 2010 |
| person feeding babyEmoji 13.0 (2020) | man feeding babyEmoji 13.0 (2020) | woman feeding babyEmoji 13.0 (2020) | All three, 2020 |
| person getting massageEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man getting massageEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman getting massageEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
Gestures
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| person frowningEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man frowningEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman frowningEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person poutingEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man poutingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman poutingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person gesturing NOEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man gesturing NOEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman gesturing NOEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person gesturing OKEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man gesturing OKEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman gesturing OKEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person tipping handEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man tipping handEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman tipping handEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person raising handEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man raising handEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman raising handEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person bowingEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man bowingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman bowingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person facepalmingEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man facepalmingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman facepalmingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
| person shruggingEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man shruggingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman shruggingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
Hair
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| person blond hairEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man blond hairEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman blond hairEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| man beardEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man: beardEmoji 13.1 (2020) | woman: beardEmoji 13.1 (2020) | Person, 2017 |
| person: red hairEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man red hairEmoji 11.0 (2018) | woman red hairEmoji 11.0 (2018) | Man and woman, 2018 |
| person: curly hairEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man curly hairEmoji 11.0 (2018) | woman curly hairEmoji 11.0 (2018) | Man and woman, 2018 |
| person: white hairEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man white hairEmoji 11.0 (2018) | woman white hairEmoji 11.0 (2018) | Man and woman, 2018 |
| person: baldEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man baldEmoji 11.0 (2018) | woman baldEmoji 11.0 (2018) | Man and woman, 2018 |
| person getting haircutEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man getting haircutEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman getting haircutEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
Activities and sports
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| person walkingEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man walkingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman walkingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person walking facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | man walking facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | woman walking facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | All three, 2023 |
| person standingEmoji 12.0 (2019) | man standingEmoji 12.0 (2019) | woman standingEmoji 12.0 (2019) | All three, 2019 |
| person kneelingEmoji 12.0 (2019) | man kneelingEmoji 12.0 (2019) | woman kneelingEmoji 12.0 (2019) | All three, 2019 |
| person kneeling facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | man kneeling facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | woman kneeling facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | All three, 2023 |
| person with white caneEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man with probing caneEmoji 12.0 (2019) | woman with probing caneEmoji 12.0 (2019) | Man and woman, 2019 |
| person with white cane facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | man with white cane facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | woman with white cane facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | All three, 2023 |
| person in motorized wheelchairEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man in motorized wheelchairEmoji 12.0 (2019) | woman in motorized wheelchairEmoji 12.0 (2019) | Man and woman, 2019 |
| person in motorized wheelchair facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | man in motorized wheelchair facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | woman in motorized wheelchair facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | All three, 2023 |
| person in manual wheelchairEmoji 12.1 (2019) | man in manual wheelchairEmoji 12.0 (2019) | woman in manual wheelchairEmoji 12.0 (2019) | Man and woman, 2019 |
| person in manual wheelchair facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | man in manual wheelchair facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | woman in manual wheelchair facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | All three, 2023 |
| person runningEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man runningEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman runningEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person running facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | man running facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | woman running facing rightEmoji 15.1 (2023) | All three, 2023 |
| person in steamy roomEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man in steamy roomEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman in steamy roomEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| person climbingEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man climbingEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman climbingEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| person golfingEmoji 0.7 (2014) | man golfingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman golfingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2014 |
| person surfingEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man surfingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman surfingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person rowing boatEmoji 1.0 (2015) | man rowing boatEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman rowing boatEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2015 |
| person swimmingEmoji 0.6 (2010) | man swimmingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman swimmingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| person bouncing ballEmoji 0.7 (2014) | man bouncing ballEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman bouncing ballEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2014 |
| person lifting weightsEmoji 0.7 (2014) | man lifting weightsEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman lifting weightsEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2014 |
| person bikingEmoji 1.0 (2015) | man bikingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman bikingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2015 |
| person mountain bikingEmoji 1.0 (2015) | man mountain bikingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman mountain bikingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2015 |
| person cartwheelingEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man cartwheelingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman cartwheelingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
| person playing water poloEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man playing water poloEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman playing water poloEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
| person playing handballEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man playing handballEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman playing handballEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
| person jugglingEmoji 3.0 (2016) | man jugglingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | woman jugglingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
| person in lotus positionEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man in lotus positionEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman in lotus positionEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
Fantasy characters
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mx ClausEmoji 13.0 (2020) | Santa ClausEmoji 0.6 (2010) | Mrs. ClausEmoji 3.0 (2016) | Man, 2010 |
| merpersonEmoji 5.0 (2017) | mermanEmoji 5.0 (2017) | mermaidEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| superheroEmoji 11.0 (2018) | man superheroEmoji 11.0 (2018) | woman superheroEmoji 11.0 (2018) | All three, 2018 |
| supervillainEmoji 11.0 (2018) | man supervillainEmoji 11.0 (2018) | woman supervillainEmoji 11.0 (2018) | All three, 2018 |
| mageEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man mageEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman mageEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| fairyEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man fairyEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman fairyEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| vampireEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man vampireEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman vampireEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| elfEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man elfEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman elfEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| genieEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man genieEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman genieEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
| zombieEmoji 5.0 (2017) | man zombieEmoji 5.0 (2017) | woman zombieEmoji 5.0 (2017) | All three, 2017 |
Couples and pairs
In this table the man and woman columns are two men and two women. Mixed pairs are listed under the table.
| Person | Man | Woman | Added first |
|---|---|---|---|
| people with bunny earsEmoji 0.6 (2010) | men with bunny earsEmoji 4.0 (2016) | women with bunny earsEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2010 |
| people wrestlingEmoji 3.0 (2016) | men wrestlingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | women wrestlingEmoji 4.0 (2016) | Person, 2016 |
| people holding handsEmoji 12.0 (2019) | men holding handsEmoji 1.0 (2015) | women holding handsEmoji 1.0 (2015) | Man and woman, 2015 |
| kissEmoji 0.6 (2010) | kiss: man, manEmoji 2.0 (2015) | kiss: woman, womanEmoji 2.0 (2015) | Person, 2010 |
| couple with heartEmoji 0.6 (2010) | couple with heart: man, manEmoji 2.0 (2015) | couple with heart: woman, womanEmoji 2.0 (2015) | Person, 2010 |
Woman and man
Emoji with no neutral version
Only 2 concepts on Unicode's list still have no person form. Dancing is one: there is a woman dancing ๐ from 2010 and a man dancing ๐บ from 2016, but no person dancing between them. The other is the woman with headscarf ๐ง, which exists only as a woman. If you want a neutral dancer, the closest options are people with bunny ears ๐ฏ or the ballet dancer ๐งโ๐ฉฐ added in Emoji 17.0.
People emoji that only come in neutral
These 15 have no man or woman version at all. Unicode drew them without a gender from the start, so there is nothing to choose between.
Families: 25 gendered, 4 neutral
Families show the gap most clearly. Unicode lists 25 family emoji built from men, women, boys and girls, added in Emoji 2.0 and 4.0. The 4 neutral families below, built from adults and children, only arrived in Emoji 15.1 in 2023. They are the ones to use if you do not want the emoji to say who the parents are.
Why the neutral one is often the oldest
In 38 of the 90 trios the person form came first. That covers almost every gesture and sport: ๐, ๐ and ๐ were in the original 2010 set without any gender in their names, and the man and woman versions were added as sequences in Emoji 4.0 in 2016. Phone makers had been drawing many of the originals as one gender anyway, the information desk person ๐ as a woman and the police officer ๐ฎ as a man, so the 2016 sequences gave people the other option rather than introducing gender for the first time.
The 29 where the neutral form came last
Jobs went the other way. The 2016 update added a man and a woman for each of sixteen occupations, from ๐จโโ๏ธ and ๐ฉโโ๏ธ to ๐จโ๐ and ๐ฉโ๐, and the neutral versions ๐งโโ๏ธ and ๐งโ๐ waited until Emoji 12.1 in 2019. Hair styles followed the same pattern a year apart. The adult, child and older adult ๐ง ๐ง ๐ง came in 2017, seven years after ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฆ ๐ง ๐ด ๐ต. The most recent catch-up was royalty: the prince ๐คด and princess ๐ธ are from 2016 and 2010, and the person with crown ๐ซ only arrived in 2021.
Does the neutral version look neutral?
Not always, and it depends on the phone. Unicode only names the emoji and gives a rough sketch; each company draws its own, and nothing requires the person form to look different from the other two. On some sets the neutral version is easy to read as one gender, and the 2010 originals vary most because they were drawn before the gendered versions existed. If it matters what the other person sees, open the emoji's own page and compare the Apple, Google, Twemoji and OpenMoji designs before you send it.
Every emoji in all skin tonesHow ZWJ sequences workPeople and body emojiThe full Unicode emoji listEmoji that are easy to mix up
Gender neutral emoji questions
How many emoji have a gender neutral version?
On Unicode's list (Emoji 18.0), 90 people concepts have a person, a man and a woman form, and 15 more exist only as neutral. Only 2 concepts have gendered versions with no neutral one: dancing and the woman with headscarf.
What is the gender neutral version of the woman or man emoji?
It is ๐ง, named simply person, added in Emoji 5.0 in 2017. It is the base for neutral jobs too: ๐งโ๐ป technologist, ๐งโ๐ณ cook and ๐งโ๐ซ teacher all start from it.
Why do I see an emoji and a โ or โ sign instead of one picture?
Your device does not support that sequence yet. Gendered emoji are a neutral emoji joined to โ or โ, and an older phone or app shows the two parts side by side. Updating the system or the app usually fixes it.
Is there a gender neutral Santa?
Yes. Mx Claus ๐งโ๐ was added in Emoji 13.0 in 2020, beside Santa Claus ๐ from 2010 and Mrs. Claus ๐คถ from 2016. It is listed under Fantasy characters above.
Is there a gender neutral family emoji?
Yes, four of them, added in Emoji 15.1 in 2023: two adults and a child ๐งโ๐งโ๐ง, two adults and two children ๐งโ๐งโ๐งโ๐ง, and one adult with one or two children ๐งโ๐ง ๐งโ๐งโ๐ง. Before that every family emoji named the parents as men or women.