# Why is a name result ambiguous or unknown?

> An unresolved V2 prediction uses native JSON null for gender, not the string "null". A name may be ambiguous or the available evidence insufficient; check result_status and reason when present. Preserve the unknown outcome instead of forcing a category. A successful unknown prediction is billable at the selected tariff. Request or provider errors are separate failures with billing information in meta.usage.

Canonical HTML: https://www.genderapi.io/frequently-asked-questions/ambiguous-and-unknown-name-results

Last reviewed: 2026-09-26

## Answer

An unresolved V2 prediction uses native JSON null for gender, not the string "null". A name may be ambiguous or the available evidence insufficient; check result_status and reason when present. Preserve the unknown outcome instead of forcing a category. A successful unknown prediction is billable at the selected tariff. Request or provider errors are separate failures with billing information in meta.usage.

## Related canonical guidance

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