Misses - Use As A Title (honorific)

Use As A Title (honorific)

The usage of "Miss" as a title in the United States is most frequently seen when referring to girls under eighteen. Though Miss is less commonly used as a title by unmarried adult women in the United States than in the past, some still prefer to be referred to as such. Twenty-first century etiquette honors an adult woman's personal preference of title. However, if the preference is not known, "Ms." is used. "Ms." is becoming the preferred choice as this female title in business. It is the equivalent to the male title "Mr." as neither is marital status specific.

Miss was formerly the default title for businesswomen, but has largely been replaced by Ms. in this context. It was, and to some extent remains, a default title for actresses (Miss Helen Hayes, Miss Barbara Stanwyck) or other celebrities (Miss Amelia Earhart). Such default usage has also proved problematic; the poet Dorothy Parker was often referred to as Miss Parker, even though Parker was the name of her first husband and she herself preferred Mrs. Parker. Later in the century, the use of "Miss" or "Mrs." became a problem for The New York Times in referring to political candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a married woman who did not use her husband's surname, since Mrs. has been used with a woman's maiden name only in limited circumstances in public life before the 1980s. (See more at Mrs.)