# Gender from a name with API v2

> Predict gender from a first name or full name with GenderAPI v2. See seven language examples, JSON responses, country context, AI fallback and credit costs.

Canonical HTML: https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/gender-from-name

Last reviewed: 2026-09-25

## Before sending the request

Send JSON to POST https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender. Use your existing API key in Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY and Content-Type: application/json. Every request is processed independently.

Choose your language in the code example. Set GENDERAPI_API_KEY in the process environment before running it. Missing or unrecognized keys can use the shared IP trial, so confirm meta.access.mode is api_key when integrating an account.

- [Authentication and trial access](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/authentication)
- [All request parameters](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/request-parameters)

## Gender from a name

Use type: name for a first name or full name. A successful response may still contain gender: null. Single requests check the dataset first and, by default, ask AI when it cannot determine a gender.

Run these examples on your server. Set GENDERAPI_API_KEY in the process environment to your existing API key. Confirm meta.access.mode is api_key: an unrecognized key can fall back to the IP trial.

Every prediction request is a new billable operation, including retries. These examples do not automatically retry. Check billing status before sending another request.

HTTP 4xx and 5xx JSON responses preserve the error body and return a nonzero exit status. Check code, action and meta.usage.billing_status before retrying.

**cURL**

cURL 7.76+ in a POSIX shell. Run in your terminal.

```bash
curl --silent --show-error --fail-with-body --max-time 30 \
  --request POST 'https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender' \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ${GENDERAPI_API_KEY:?Set GENDERAPI_API_KEY}" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
  "type": "name",
  "value": "Onur",
  "country": "TR"
}'
```

**JavaScript / Node.js**

Node.js 22+; built-in fetch. Save as example.mjs and run node example.mjs.

```javascript
// Server-side Node.js. Save as example.mjs.
const apiKey = process.env.GENDERAPI_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set GENDERAPI_API_KEY");
const body = {
  "type": "name",
  "value": "Onur",
  "country": "TR"
};

const response = await fetch("https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify(body),
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(30_000),
  redirect: "error",
});
const raw = await response.text();
if (!(response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "").includes("json")) {
  throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}: expected JSON; request ID ${response.headers.get("x-request-id")}`);
}
const result = JSON.parse(raw); // Also accepts application/problem+json.
if (!response.ok) {
  console.error(`HTTP ${response.status}`, result);
  process.exitCode = 1; // A retry is a new operation; inspect billing first.
} else {
  console.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
  // For batches, inspect every item: HTTP 200 may contain item errors.
}
```

**Python**

Python 3.10+; standard library. Save as example.py and run python3 example.py.

```python
import json
import os
import sys
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("GENDERAPI_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set GENDERAPI_API_KEY")
body = json.loads("{\"type\":\"name\",\"value\":\"Onur\",\"country\":\"TR\"}")

class NoRedirect(urllib.request.HTTPRedirectHandler):
    def redirect_request(self, req, fp, code, msg, headers, newurl):
        return None

request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender",
    method="POST",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer " + api_key,
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
)
opener = urllib.request.build_opener(NoRedirect())
try:
    response = opener.open(request, timeout=30)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    response = error  # Keep the Problem Details body on non-2xx responses.
with response:
    status = response.status
    raw = response.read().decode("utf-8")
    if "json" not in response.headers.get("Content-Type", ""):
        raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {status}: expected a JSON response")
    result = json.loads(raw)
print(json.dumps(result, indent=2), file=sys.stderr if status >= 300 else sys.stdout)
if not 200 <= status < 300:
    sys.exit(1)  # Inspect code, action and billing before retrying.
# For batches, inspect every item even when HTTP status is 200.
```

**PHP**

PHP 8+ with the cURL extension. Save as example.php and run php example.php.

```php
<?php
$apiKey = getenv('GENDERAPI_API_KEY');
if (!$apiKey) {
    throw new RuntimeException('Set GENDERAPI_API_KEY');
}
$body = json_decode('{"type":"name","value":"Onur","country":"TR"}', true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);

$ch = curl_init('https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => 'POST',
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION => false,
    CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
        'Authorization: Bearer ' . $apiKey,
        'Content-Type: application/json',
    ],
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($body, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR),
]);
$raw = curl_exec($ch);
if ($raw === false) {
    throw new RuntimeException(curl_error($ch));
}
$status = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
$contentType = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_CONTENT_TYPE) ?: '';
curl_close($ch);
if (strpos($contentType, 'json') === false) {
    throw new RuntimeException("HTTP $status: expected a JSON response");
}
$result = json_decode($raw, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR);
$output = json_encode($result, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT | JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR) . PHP_EOL;
if ($status < 200 || $status >= 300) {
    fwrite(STDERR, $output); // Preserve the Problem Details body.
    exit(1);
}
echo $output;
// For batches, inspect every item; HTTP 200 can contain item errors.
```

**Java**

Java 17+; standard HTTP client. Save as GenderApiExample.java and run java GenderApiExample.java.

```java
import java.net.URI;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.time.Duration;

public class GenderApiExample {
    private static String requiredEnv(String name) {
        String value = System.getenv(name);
        if (value == null || value.isBlank()) throw new IllegalStateException("Set " + name);
        return value;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        String apiKey = requiredEnv("GENDERAPI_API_KEY");
        String body = "{\"type\":\"name\",\"value\":\"Onur\",\"country\":\"TR\"}";
        HttpClient client = HttpClient.newBuilder()
            .connectTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(10))
            .followRedirects(HttpClient.Redirect.NEVER)
            .build();
        HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder(URI.create("https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender"))
            .timeout(Duration.ofSeconds(30))
            .header("Authorization", "Bearer " + apiKey)
            .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
            .POST(HttpRequest.BodyPublishers.ofString(body, StandardCharsets.UTF_8))
            .build();
        HttpResponse<String> response = client.send(request,
            HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
        if (!response.headers().firstValue("content-type").orElse("").contains("json")) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("HTTP " + response.statusCode() + ": expected JSON");
        }
        // JSON text; parse with your application's JSON library when integrating.
        if (response.statusCode() < 200 || response.statusCode() >= 300) {
            System.err.println(response.body()); // Includes Problem Details.
            System.exit(1);
        }
        System.out.println(response.body());
        // For batches, inspect each item's data or error, including on HTTP 200.
    }
}
```

**C# / .NET**

.NET 8+ console application. Use as Program.cs in a console project, then run dotnet run.

```csharp
using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using System.Text;
using System.Text.Json;

string RequiredEnv(string name) =>
    !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable(name))
        ? Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable(name)!
        : throw new InvalidOperationException($"Set {name}");

var apiKey = RequiredEnv("GENDERAPI_API_KEY");
using var handler = new HttpClientHandler { AllowAutoRedirect = false };
using var client = new HttpClient(handler) { Timeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30) };
using var request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, "https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender");
request.Headers.Authorization = new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", apiKey);
request.Content = new StringContent("{\"type\":\"name\",\"value\":\"Onur\",\"country\":\"TR\"}", Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");

using var response = await client.SendAsync(request);
var raw = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
if (!(response.Content.Headers.ContentType?.MediaType?.Contains("json") ?? false))
    throw new InvalidOperationException($"HTTP {(int)response.StatusCode}: expected JSON");
using var result = JsonDocument.Parse(raw);
if (!response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
    Console.Error.WriteLine(result.RootElement); // Preserve Problem Details.
    Environment.ExitCode = 1;
}
else
{
    Console.WriteLine(result.RootElement);
    // For batches, inspect every item even on HTTP 200.
}
```

**Go**

Go 1.22+; standard library. Save as main.go and run go run main.go.

```go
package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "io"
    "net/http"
    "os"
    "strings"
    "time"
)

func requiredEnv(name string) string {
    value := os.Getenv(name)
    if value == "" { panic("Set " + name) }
    return value
}

func run() error {
    apiKey := requiredEnv("GENDERAPI_API_KEY")
    body := "{\"type\":\"name\",\"value\":\"Onur\",\"country\":\"TR\"}"
    request, err := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.genderapi.io/api/v2/gender", strings.NewReader(body))
    if err != nil { return err }
    request.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer " + apiKey)
    request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    client := &http.Client{
        Timeout: 30 * time.Second,
        CheckRedirect: func(req *http.Request, via []*http.Request) error {
            return http.ErrUseLastResponse
        },
    }
    response, err := client.Do(request)
    if err != nil { return err }
    defer response.Body.Close()
    raw, err := io.ReadAll(response.Body)
    if err != nil { return err }
    if !strings.Contains(response.Header.Get("Content-Type"), "json") || !json.Valid(raw) {
        return fmt.Errorf("HTTP %d: expected a JSON response", response.StatusCode)
    }
    if response.StatusCode < 200 || response.StatusCode >= 300 {
        return fmt.Errorf("HTTP %d: %s", response.StatusCode, raw)
    }
    fmt.Println(string(raw))
    // For batches, inspect every item even on HTTP 200.
    return nil
}

func main() {
    if err := run(); err != nil {
        fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err) // Keep Problem Details for error handling.
        os.Exit(1)
    }
}
```

## Example response

This synthetic response illustrates the JSON shape, not measured accuracy or a guaranteed live result. It shows IP-trial access; an authenticated operation reports meta.access.mode: api_key and null trial-only quota fields. Read data for the inference and meta.usage for the operation's billing outcome.

```json
{
  "data": {
    "input": {
      "type": "name",
      "value": "Onur",
      "country": "TR"
    },
    "name": "onur",
    "gender": "male",
    "country": "TR",
    "confidence": 0.9,
    "confidence_kind": "observed_frequency",
    "sample_count": 100,
    "source": "dataset",
    "result_status": "identified",
    "reason": null,
    "country_source": "dataset",
    "match": {
      "name": "onur",
      "method": "normalized",
      "scope": "country",
      "country": "TR"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
    "duration_ms": 12,
    "access": {
      "mode": "ip_trial",
      "reason": "api_key_missing"
    },
    "usage": {
      "charged_credits": 1,
      "remaining_credits": 9,
      "billing_status": "confirmed",
      "resets_at": "2026-09-26T12:00:00.000Z",
      "limit": 10,
      "period_seconds": 86400
    }
  }
}
```

- [Response fields and confidence](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/responses)

## Country context and unknown names

Supply country only when you have relevant context. The API can select a country-specific dataset row or fall back to a global row. data.match.scope shows which was selected; the returned country does not establish where the person lives.

Single requests default to AI fallback for 1 credit total. To use only the dataset, send options: {"ai_mode": "off"}. Unresolved inputs can return gender: null and are still billable when the operation succeeds. A full name may match a component; data.match records the selected candidate and matching method.

For nickname-like name values, forceToGenderize: true permits inference without a real given name: a resolved dataset result costs 1 credit; otherwise nickname-aware AI costs 2 total. A positive starting balance is sufficient and the resulting balance can be negative.

## Related guides

- [AI modes and forceToGenderize](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/ai-options)
- [Batch predictions](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/batch)
- [Credits and usage](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/credits-and-usage)
- [Errors and retries](https://www.genderapi.io/docs/v2/errors-and-retries)