About My Name

My preferred name is Zephiris Zephiris and my preferred pronouns are they/them. I am a full stack programmer currently studying @ UCSC.

My former name, a name which I loved, is Zephyr. That said, I am changing it because Zephyr has a bit of a masculine connotation. Since I am nonbinary I prefer a name which mixes masculinity and femininity.

In greek mythology, the Greek god Zephyr, god of the west wind, is married to Iris, the Greek goddess of rainbows. I decided to sandwich the two names together to get Zephiris.

The name can also be broken down into three nicknames:

1. Zeph Zeph -> For when I seem more masculine
2. Iris Iris ~> For when I seem more feminine
3. Phire Phire -~ For when I seem more androgynous

All three are equally correct, so use whichever one you think fits me best in the moment. Of course you can also call me by my full name, Zephiris, too.

About My Gender

I am nonbinary, and I often use the color violet to describe my gender. Violet, being the opposite of red and a blend of blue and pink, is a color which can represent the mix of masculinity and femininity. While red is a color of anger, of blood, violet is a color of complexity, of mystery, of intensity. While red is passionate, violet is focused.

I often find my presentation always collapses into a slightly different blend of masculinity and femininity - manhood and womanhood. While the underlying essense of myself does not waver, the way I convey that essense does. If you'd like to read more about how I view my gender in relation to my presentation through the lens of my tattoo check out my compass tattoo.