What is an honorific?

An honorific title is a term of address that is generally meant to convey respect or honor. Examples include Sir, M’am, Professor, Mr., Ms., etc.

Miss, Mrs., and Ms.

Both Miss and Mrs. are derived from the term Mistress, which was a term used for women that originally lacked association with marital status. The use of Miss and Mrs. have evolved to indicate a woman’s status as single and married, respectively. The use of Mr. as a derivation of Master has retained its universal use for both single and married men. Common use of Ms. is attributed to Ms. Sheila Michaels, who was active in the women’s movement of the 1960s and promoted its usage. As the practice for women of keeping their maiden name into marriage became popular, Ms. presented an appropriate solution as a form of address. In 1972, Gloria Steinem gave her new feminist magazine the title Ms. In 1984, the use of Ms. was brought into the spotlight when referring to the vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, who used her maiden name professionally. It was not until 1986 that the New York Times finally issued a statement that it would use Ms. when referring to a woman who prefers that honorific or when the marital status of the woman is unknown.

What about Mx.?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines Mx. (pronounced “mix”) as “a gender-neutral title of courtesy prefixed to a person's surname, sometimes with first name(s) interposed. Mx. was originally offered as an alternative to Mr, Mrs, Miss, and Ms, as a means to avoid having to specify a person's gender, but has frequently been adopted as a title by those who do not identify themselves as male or female (e.g. transgender or intersex people).” OED indicates that the current usage is fairly low.