HTML Entity for Male Sign (♂)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Male Sign (♂) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, the named entity ♂, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+2642 (MALE SIGN) in the Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF)—the standard symbol for male gender, used in forms, profiles, scientific content, and inclusive design.
Render it with ♂, ♂, ♂, or CSS escape \2642. For the female sign use ♀ (♀, U+2640). Do not confuse ♂ with the combined male and female sign (⚥, U+26A5).
⚡ Quick Reference — Male Sign
U+2642Miscellaneous Symbols
♂Hexadecimal reference
♂Decimal reference
♂HTML5 named entity for U+2642
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+2642
Hex code ♂
HTML code ♂
Named entity ♂
CSS code \2642
Meaning Male gender symbol
Related U+2640 = Female sign (♀); U+26A5 = Male and female (⚥)Complete HTML Example
This example demonstrates the Male Sign (♂) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, the named entity ♂, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\2642";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Male Sign using Hexadecimal: ♂</p>
<p>Male Sign using HTML Code: ♂</p>
<p>Male Sign using HTML Entity: ♂</p>
<p id="point">Male Sign using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The Male Sign entity is universally supported in modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the male sign (♂) in form context and compared with the female sign (♀):
♂ is the readable option🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
♂ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 2642 to display the Male Sign. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
♂ uses the decimal Unicode value 9794 to display the same character.
Named Entity
♂ is the semantic named entity — the easiest to read in source HTML and the most self-descriptive option.
CSS Entity
\2642 is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after.
Same visual result
All four methods produce the Male Sign glyph: ♂. Unicode U+2642 sits in the Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF).
Use Cases
The Male Sign (♂) commonly appears in:
Gender selection in registration, profiles, and survey forms alongside text labels.
Biology, healthcare, and anatomy pages referencing male gender symbols.
Science textbooks, biology courses, and educational materials on reproduction.
Research papers, datasets, and documentation using standard Unicode symbols.
Digital restroom and facility indicators when paired with accessible text.
Symbol dictionaries, Unicode charts, and HTML entity reference pages.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
♂for readable source markup - Pair ♂ with clear text labels in forms and UI
- Add
aria-labelwhen the symbol stands alone - Pick one style (hex / decimal / named) per project
- Test glyph rendering across browsers and devices
Don’t
- Rely on the symbol alone for critical gender selection
- Confuse ♂ with ⚥ (combined) or ♀ (female)
- Mix entity styles randomly in one file
- Put CSS escape
\2642in HTML text nodes - Use padded Unicode notation like U+02642—the correct value is
U+2642
Key Takeaways
Three HTML references all render ♂
♂ ♂ ♂For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\2642Unicode U+2642 — MALE SIGN in Miscellaneous Symbols
Prefer ♂ for readability—it’s the most self-descriptive named entity
Always pair the symbol with explanatory text in forms and accessible UI
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
♂ (named), ♂ (hex), ♂ (decimal), or \2642 in CSS content. All produce ♂.U+2642 (MALE SIGN). Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF). Hex 2642, decimal 9794. Named entity: ♂.♂, ♂, or ♂) go directly in markup. The CSS escape \2642 is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of ::before or ::after. Same visual result, different layers of the stack.♂, ♂, and ♂ are equivalent in modern browsers and all render ♂. Do not confuse with U+26A5 (combined sign) or ♀ (U+2640).Explore More HTML Entities!
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