The first time most people ever heard of the actor Leslie Nielsen, chances are they thought he was a she. Or how about Glenn Close? Names like Pat, Lynn, Chris, Dana, Kelly, on paper, give no clue as to the person's sex.
When notarizing for people with names like those, it's a good idea to note their gender in your journal. If someone is trying to perpetrate a scam using a gender-neutral name, having that information in your journal might just come in handy down the road.