It was coined in the late 1990s by a Canadian woman named Alana (she asked that her last name not be used in this story) when she was volunteering for a not-for-profit internet provider based in Ottawa after she graduated from Carleton University. In May 1997, she posted in a local Usenet newsgroup: “If you have had life-long difficulty starting dating or forming relationships, you might like to check out my new web page.” She provided a link to a personal site that she titled, “Alana’s Involuntary Celibacy Project.”
On the site, early versions of which are preserved on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Alana revealed, “I don't really like the term ‘involuntary celibacy,’ but haven’t found a good alternative either.” While she kicked around other possible terms (like “perpetually single” or “dating-shy”), none of them seemed to do the trick. In October 1997, she announced on Usenet that she had started a mailing list devoted to involuntary celibacy. As was typical of electronic mailing lists of the day, she gave it an abbreviated name: “INVCEL.”
Alana told me that she and the other mailing list participants began using “invcel” as a shorthand term for either “involuntary celibacy” or “involuntary celibate,” before it became clear that they needed something that was easier to pronounce. One participant suggested removing the “v,” and “incel” was born.
On the site, early versions of which are preserved on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Alana revealed, “I don't really like the term ‘involuntary celibacy,’ but haven’t found a good alternative either.” While she kicked around other possible terms (like “perpetually single” or “dating-shy”), none of them seemed to do the trick. In October 1997, she announced on Usenet that she had started a mailing list devoted to involuntary celibacy. As was typical of electronic mailing lists of the day, she gave it an abbreviated name: “INVCEL.”
Alana told me that she and the other mailing list participants began using “invcel” as a shorthand term for either “involuntary celibacy” or “involuntary celibate,” before it became clear that they needed something that was easier to pronounce. One participant suggested removing the “v,” and “incel” was born.
