The male symbol in genograms is a square. This foundational shape represents all male family members — fathers, sons, brothers, grandfathers — and serves as the basis for additional notation like deceased status, medical conditions, and emotional patterns.
Male
Square shape
With Age
Age inside shape
Index Person
Double border
Male: Square shape in standard genogram notation
In standard genogram notation established by McGoldrick, Gerson, and Petry, a male is represented by a square. The square is drawn at a consistent size (typically 1–2 cm) and can contain the person's age or initials. The name and birth year are usually written below or beside the shape.
According to McGoldrick, Gerson, and Petry in Genograms: Assessment and Treatment: "Males are indicated by a square." This convention has been used consistently since the formalization of genogram notation in the 1980s and is universally recognized in family therapy.
The square shape is the foundation. Additional information is layered on top of or around it:
Written below the square. First name is sufficient for most clinical work; full names are used for detailed family records.
Age is written inside the square or birth year below it. Some practitioners write both: "42" inside and "b. 1983" below.
Written near the symbol when relevant to the clinical context. Useful for understanding family dynamics and stress factors.
Color fills or annotations indicate conditions: orange for alcoholism, half-fill for carriers, and other conventions per the practitioner's system.
The basic square can be modified to convey additional information:
The square-for-male, circle-for-female convention in genograms follows a long tradition in genetics and pedigree charts. Medical geneticists adopted these shapes in the early 20th century for pedigree diagrams, and when Murray Bowen and later McGoldrick formalized genogram notation for family therapy, they carried this convention forward for consistency with the broader scientific community.
The angular shape of the square is easy to distinguish from the circle at a glance, which matters when reading complex multi-generational diagrams with dozens of family members.
When drawing genograms by hand, keep all squares the same size for consistency. Uneven sizes can unintentionally suggest importance or dominance. In digital tools like GenogramAI, symbol sizes are standardized automatically.
Standard genogram conventions place family members in specific positions:
Circle — basic female representation
X through shape — indicates death
Brackets — adopted family member
Orange fill — substance use disorders
The square convention comes from medical genetics pedigree charts, where squares represented males and circles represented females. When genogram notation was formalized for family therapy in the 1980s, these shapes were adopted for consistency with the broader scientific community.
Yes. Modern genogram practice includes a diamond or question mark shape for individuals who identify as non-binary, gender non-conforming, or whose gender is unknown. GenogramAI supports these options in the gender selection.
The index person (identified patient or focus of the genogram) is indicated by a double-lined square — essentially a square within a square. This immediately identifies who the genogram centers on.
When drawing by hand, squares are typically 1–2 cm per side. The key is consistency: all male symbols should be the same size within a genogram. Digital tools like GenogramAI handle sizing automatically.
An adopted male is shown as a square with brackets around it (or connected to adoptive parents with a dashed line). The biological parents, if known, are connected with a dotted line.
GenogramAI makes it easy to add male family members and build complete multi-generational family diagrams with standard notation.
Create Genogram Free