Mx (title)
Mx (usually pronounced , or and sometimes ) is an English language neologistic honorific that does not indicate gender. Developed as an alternative to gendered honorifics (such as Mr. and Ms.) in the late 1970s, it is the most common gender-neutral title among non-binary people and people who do not wish to imply a gender in their titles. Mx. is widely accepted by the Government of the United Kingdom and many businesses in the United Kingdom, and is also in many English dictionaries. Etymology. The word was first proposed in the late 1970s. The "x" is intended to  stand as a wildcard character, and does not necessarily imply a "mixed" gender. Usage. In 2013, Brighton and Hove City Council in Sussex, England, voted to allow the use of Mx on council forms, and in 2014 the Royal Bank of Scotland included the title as an option for customers. In 2015, recognition spread more broadly across UK institutions, including the Royal Mail, government agencies responsible for documents such as driving licences, most major banks, several other companies, and UK charity Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. The title is now accepted by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and  Customs, the National Health Service and many councils, universities, insurance companies and utility retailers in the United Kingdom. The House of Commons of the United Kingdom confirmed in 2015 that it would accept the use of Mx by MPs. In 2015, Mx was included in a "New York Times" article about Bluestockings. Its casual usage in the paper was picked up by popular news sites and blogs. "The Times's" standards editor Phil Corbett later responded to the usage of the title. Later the same year, Mx was included in the "Oxford English Dictionary". In 2016, Metro Bank became the  first bank in the United Kingdom to offer Mx on its forms (though other banks had amended records to Mx on request prior to this). In 2017, banks of the HSBC Group announced the addition of Mx alongside several other gender-neutral titles as options for their customers. HSBC's 30 March announcement coincided with the International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated the following day. In March 2021, Oscar Davies, a non-binary barrister from the United Kingdom, became the first person to use "Mx" (instead of Mr/Ms) on the board of their chambers. Although Mx remains uncommon in  the United States, in April 2016 it was added to the "Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary". "Mixter" is sometimes treated as a long form of the title (like "Mister" is of "Mr"). An informal study in 2019 found that 1.9% of the 896 participants worldwide pronounce it "Mixter" () while most pronounce it "Mix" () or "Məx" () (with a schwa).