percentage of redheads by country percentage of redheads by country

[43], In certain Biblical accounts, Hebrew and Israelite individuals were described as having ruddy hair. 45. How many redheads are there? We all like to know what makes us, us. A fragment by the poet Xenophanes describes the Thracians as blue-eyed and red-haired. A: Debra Messing, best known for her turn in Will and Grace, is naturally blonde but is one of the worlds best loved redheads. [82], Many painters have exhibited a fascination with red hair. [71] Melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment in skin and hair, use the MC1R to recognize and respond to MSH from the anterior pituitary gland. And where can you find the highest concentration of blondes? It is often said that between 1% and 2%, or 70 to 140 million people around the world, have red hair. Dark hair turning red can be a sign of protein deficiency. There are six main shades: strawberry-blonde, ginger, classic red, deep red, auburn and deep auburn. Percentage of Facebook users expressing interest in a list of 26 famous American redheads. 14. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. This also explains why we so often assume that people with red hair must be of some Irish or Scottish origin. For other uses, see, Medical implications of the red hair gene, Prejudice and discrimination against redheads. The pigment in their hair that causes it to be red will just fade over time, causing their hair to turn blonde or white, but never gray. 529548. In November 2008 social networking website Facebook received criticism after a 'Kick a Ginger' group, which aimed to establish a "National Kick a Ginger Day" on 20 November, acquired almost 5,000 members. 23. [125] The organizers state; "The event is a good thing for many redheads, who had been embarrassed about being redheads before. 9. If you liked our suggestions for incredible facts about redheads, then why not take a look at Love facts, or Capricorn facts. 2023 BBC. Approximately 2-6% of the US population is redheaded, giving the US the largest redhead population in the world at 6-18 million people. However, it's most common in people of Northern European descent. There seems to be some advantage in having pale skin if you live in parts of the world where there isn't much sunshine," he says. If that was the case in Scotland, that would suggest that the country with its population of 5.3 million was home to just over half a million redheads - less than 1% of the global total. That's approximately 140 million people. 31. [47], Estimates on the original occurrence of the currently active gene for red hair vary from 20,000 to 100,000 years ago. Last nights hair goals achieved thanks to @ryanrichman , #mirandahobbes #sexandthecity #satc #satclines, See you tonight Minneapolis. Another redhead origin story says redheads are descended from Vulcan, the Greek god of the forge. ), are described as "admoni", meaning red or ruddy.[44]. Red hair can originate from several changes on the MC1R-gene. As they can't sufficiently absorb Vitamin D (it's down to their lower melanin-concentration), redheads internally produce their own Vitamin D when they're exposed to low light conditions. Industry % of GDP. Jennie is a Manchester native who discovered a love of teaching and travel whilst teaching at a kindergarten in China, and has spent her time since then becoming an expert in both. 70. So if we can now confidently say that a fifth of the world's redheads do not live in Scotland, do we know what proportion actually do? A savage red-haired man is portrayed in the fable by Grimm brothers (Der Eisenhans) as the spirit of the forest of iron. [127], MC1R Magazine is a publication for red-haired people worldwide, based in Hamburg, Germany. Afghanistan. Redheads are often said to have a hot temper because red is associated with fire and danger. This is thought to be connected to a hormonal receptor found in redheaded individuals which is related to pain-relieving endorphins. The historic fortress Fort San Domingo in Tamsui, Taiwan was nicknamed ang mo sia (). " In Ireland about 10 per cent have red hair, but it appears that a staggering 46 per cent are carriers of the red head variants," Moffat told the Daily Telegraph, " For England, the estimate is 6. Apparently they have on average 90,000 strands while blondes have 110,000, and brunettes have 140,000. When you buy through the links on our site we may earn a commission. [122], Since 2014, a red-hair event is held in Israel, at Kibbutz Gezer (Carrot), held for the local Israeli red hair community,[123] including both Ashkenazi and Mizrahi red-heads. Spanish people used to believe that redheads' hair colour came from stealing flames from the devil. During the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, hundreds of women with red hair were accused of witchcraft. For more interesting facts, take a look at Scorpio facts and hazel eyes facts. [79] In the Indian medicinal practice of Ayurveda, redheads are seen as most likely to have a Pitta temperament. Find out the hair tricks from around the world that you should be using. A: Yes, red hair is a genetic mutation (albeit a stunning one!) It primarily referred to Dutch traders who were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japan during Sakoku, its 200-year period of isolation.[117]. Sunshine can both be good and bad for a person's health and the different alleles on MC1R represent these adaptations. To explain this, you have to go back tens of thousands of years, says Rees. Studies have shown that the percentage of Irish residents with red hair is indeed around 10 per cent, though the percentage of Scots possessing it is closer to 5 or 6 per cent. Ginger hair can be found south of Europe, particularly in the Berber population of Morocco. In Asia, genetic red hair is rare but reddish brown colouring is sometimes found across the Middle Eastern nations of Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Syria. Although the Jewish people have been displaced over the years, it is still guesstimated that around 10% of Jewish men have red hair or beards. Best of all, it shows all of this using a colour scale of autumnal auburns and reds. Red hair prevalence in England is about 4%. Some scientific studies have found that bees are more attracted to people with red hair. Q: Red hair is beautiful, but are there any disadvantages to being a redhead? 62. The melanin that ginger haired people possess almost always takes the form of freckles, which are actually just concentrated patches of melanin. [69] A follow-up study by the same group showed that men and women with red hair had a greater analgesic response to morphine-6-glucuronide. Because of their commonly fair skin and sensitivity to ultraviolet light, redheads are more likely to develop skin cancer. (starring redhead Leigh Francis) featured a spoof documentary which involved a caricature of Mick Hucknall presenting a show in which celebrities (played by themselves) dyed their hair red for a day and went about daily life being insulted by people. The 1943 film DuBarry Was a Lady featured red-heads Lucille Ball and Red Skelton in Technicolor. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Given that red hair doesn't adapt to warm climes, the gene could - at some point - become extinct. Sex and the Citys Cynthia Nixon injected some fire into every girls favourite series with her auburn tresses. What science tells us about the afterlife. 54. [72][73] One study, however, reports a link between red hair and a higher rate of bruising.[73]. Find out the secrets ER staff wont tell you. "I was walking through Edinburgh with 200 redheads behind me and I was mostly trying not to lead people into traffic. We will now officially know which country has the highest percentage of redheads, thanks to the Redhead Map, a project from MC1R Magazine which aims to pinpoint every single redhead in the world. These ones are brought to you by Eupedia. Some people say redheads bruise easily, but this may just be down to redheads' pale skin showing bruises more clearly. Studies have shown that red hair alleles in MC1R increase freckling and decrease tanning ability. [109] Alexander responded to the insult by stating that he was "proud to be ginger". Ireland boasts the highest national average of redheads with 10 percent, while Scotland comes a closesecond with six percent. Other places in Asia and Europe may have it, such as Italy or China, but it probably exists at less than one percent. [129][130], In the Iliad, Achilles' hair is described as ksanths ([131]), usually translated as blonde, or golden[132] but sometimes as red or tawny. Lots of English-language surnames are inspired by redheads. [30] In Chinese sources, ancient Kyrgyz people were described as fair-skinned, green- or blue-eyed and red-haired people with a mixture of European and East Asian features. "Gingerism" has been compared to racism, although this is widely disputed, and bodies such as the UK Commission for Racial Equality do not monitor cases of discrimination and hate crimes against redheads.[93]. Names like Flannery, Reid and Russell can all trace their origin to red hair. Making up 10 percent of the population, Ireland has more redheads than anywhere else on the globe. Tarim mummies have been found with red hair dating to the 2nd millennium BC. 69. 7. While only 4 percent of the world's population carries the recessive redhead gene, according to the Oxford Hair Foundation, that number will probably only decrease as redheads reproduce with. How Many People in the World Have Black Hair. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Superstar actress Nicole Kidman is perhaps Australias best known redhead, while British model Alexina Graham became the first ever ginger beauty to walk the Victorias Secret Fashion Show in 2018. Additional Redhead Sightings Also, some Riffians in Morocco and Kabyles in Algeria have red hair. [121], A smaller red-hair day festival is held since 2013 by the UK's anti bullying alliance in London, with the aim of instilling pride in having red-hair. ", In his 1895 memoir and history The Gurneys of Earlham, Augustus John Cuthbert Hare described an incident of harassment: The sketch saw fictional character Sandra Kemp, who was forced to seek solace in a refuge for ginger people because she had been ostracised from society. Read about our approach to external linking. But these men were called Typhonians, and were representatives not of Osiris but of his evil rival Typhon, whose hair was red. blonde is less common but still widespread. Scotland boasts the highest percentage of natural redheads, with 13% (40% might carry the gene there) while Ireland comes in second with 10%. In the heat of the moment, it seems, he simply got his words muddled, and that proportion of redheads in Scotland became something very different. It also has been shown that individuals with pale skin are highly susceptible to a variety of skin cancers such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. 1. The MC1R gene is also responsible for freckles in many redheads. But red hair tends to be thicker so it looks just as full. In her spare time she can be found up to her elbows in a craft project or curled up somewhere comfy with a book and a hot cup of tea. You have to remember, however, most of them probably have European descendants. A scientist told ScotlandNow: "I think the regressive gene is slowly dying out Climate change could see a decline in the number of people with red hair in Scotland." The genetic variant causes MC1R to function differently on melanocytes, leading to less eumelanin and more pheomelanin. The second table lists countries by the percentage of the population . An article from National Geographic reports that while the overall number of redheads in the world may decline due to generational skips in the required recessive gene, the potential for red hair remains unchanged. 64. Check out these facts about animals you have all wrong. By Nathaniel Scharping Apr 28, 2020 8:00 AM. 62. Find out with these true facts about redheads. The National Geographic article in fact states "while redheads may decline, the potential for red isn't going away". 17. Americans aren't the only ones who like to celebrate their fiery locks. Scotland has the highest percentage of redheads in the world, at 13% of the population. 8. So, in certain places in the world at least, there's a big advantage to being in this minority. According to Montague Summers, red hair and green eyes were thought to be the sign of a witch, a werewolf or a vampire during the Middle Ages: Those whose hair is red, of a certain peculiar shade, are unmistakably vampires. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. Kenny, E, et al., "Melanesian Blond Hair Is Caused by an Amino Acid Change in TYRP1", Rees JL (2002a) Molecular phototypes. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Overall, Northern European countries have a greater proportion of redheads than anywhere else in the world. The Ancient historian Josephus would mistranslate the Hebrew Torah to describe the more positive figure of King David as 'golden haired', in contrast to the negative figure of Esau, even though the original Hebrew Torah implies that both King David and Esau had 'fiery red hair'. 15. However, reddish-brown hair is common among Syrians, Lebanese, Jordan, and Palestinians. The Ancient Egyptian god of the desert, Set, was frequently depicted with red hair. Both parents must be carriers of the mutated MC1R gene to be able to produce redhead offspring, of which there is a 25% chance if they don't have red hair themselves. Scotland has the highest percentage of redheads in the world, at 13% of the population. If two redheads have a baby, the child will always have red hair. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. Irish leprechauns are usually pictured with red hair as well as their classic green suit. According to some studies, about 3.6% of the Jewish women have red hair while 10% of the Jewish men have red beards. Melanocyte-stimulating hormone normally stimulates melanocytes to make black eumelanin, but if the melanocytes have a mutated receptor, they will make reddish pheomelanin instead. Q. East Asians seem to have the most Neanderthal DNA in their genomes, followed by those of European ancestry. [8] A 1956 study of hair colour among British Army recruits also found high levels of red hair in Wales and in the Scottish border counties of England. Q: Who are the most famous redhead celebrities? Scotland is thought by some to have the highest concentration of redheads in the world, so maybe it was an appropriate location for the Ginger Pride march, led by Canadian comedian Shawn Hitchins. Lots of people are fascinated by red hair, so if you're one of them, check out our list of fascinating facts about this beautiful shade. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. Redheads are twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease. The number of alleles linked to red hair has since been expanded by other authors, and these variants are now identified as the RHC alleles. "Their pigmentation is characteristically brunet, but definite blonds occur. However, in rare cases red hair can be associated with disease or genetic disorder: There have also been rare reports of scalp or beard hair spontaneously turning partially red, with no identified pathological cause.[76]. [81], Queen Elizabeth I of England was a redhead, and during the Elizabethan era in England, red hair was fashionable for women. It is not likely to disappear at any time in the foreseeable future. Among the countries with the highest percentage of redheads, Great Britain has long been recognized as a place with its share of redheads. In the Chinese historical document Kang mu, the Kipchak people are described as red haired and blue eyed.[35][36]. [128], In ancient Egypt, red hair was associated with the deity Set as well as Ramesses II. The Chinese characters for ang mo are the same as those in the historical Japanese term Km (), which was used during the Edo period (16031868) as an epithet for Dutch or Northern European people. While the numbers and percentages don't quite put Great Britain in the realm of Ireland and Scotland, it remains one of the more highly populated countries regarding its number of redheads. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Mbappe breaks PSG goal record in win over Nantes, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, [57], A 2007 report in The Courier-Mail, which cited the National Geographic magazine and unnamed "geneticists", said that red hair is likely to die out in the near future. But how many redheads are there in the world - and where do they live? [41][42], In Asia, red or auburn hair has been found among the ancient Tocharians, who occupied the Tarim Basin in what is now the northwesternmost province of China. 16. Based on those figures, it would obviously put Scotland at the top of the hill when it comes to being king of the redheads. Approximately 6% of the Scottish population has red hair while about 10% of the Irish population has red hair, making it the most red-haired country in the world. One of the first women's professional basketball teams, the All-American Redheads, was named after the fact all its members had red hair. But don't worry 4. [108], In October 2010, Harriet Harman, the former Equality Minister in the British government under Labour, faced accusations of prejudice after she described the red-haired Treasury secretary Danny Alexander as a "ginger rodent". Early artistic representations of Mary Magdalene usually depict her as having long flowing red hair, although a description of her hair color was never mentioned in the Bible, and it is possible the color is an effect caused by pigment degradation in the ancient paint. [85], A book of photographs of red haired people was published in 2020, Gingers by Kieran Dodds (2020). [94] In 2007, a UK woman won an award from a tribunal after being sexually harassed and receiving abuse because of her red hair;[95] in the same year, a family in Newcastle upon Tyne, was forced to move twice after being targeted for abuse and hate crime on account of their red hair. 57. For example, Esau and David (Gen. 25:25; 1 Sam. Thanks to their lack of melanin, redheads burn more quickly and severely than other hair colours. The jury's still out", "Melanocortin-1 receptor gene variants affect pain and mu-opioid analgesia in mice and humans", "Anesthetic requirement is increased in redheads", "The melanocortin-1 receptor gene mediates female-specific mechanisms of analgesia in mice and humans", "The Effect of Hair Colour on Anaesthetic Requirements and Recovery Time after Surgery", "Women with Red Hair Report a Slightly Increased Rate of Bruising but Have Normal Coagulation Tests", Pathology Guy: Accumulations and Deposits, "A missense mutation disrupting a dibasic prohormone processing site in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) increases susceptibility to early-onset obesity through a novel molecular mechanism", "Heterochromia of beard hair - A rare case report", "Painting with a portrait of a woman in profile", "Image Young Redhead in an Evening Dress", "One Ginger's Top Ten List of Red Headed Superheroes (and Villains) - Women Write About Comics", "In pictures: Connecting the world's redheads", Schoolboy bullied over ginger hair hanged himself, "Australian slang a story of Australian English", Geographical Names Board of New South Wales, "Facebook 'Kick a Ginger' campaign prompts attacks on redheads", "Tesco apologises over 'ginger jibe' card", "I too have ginger hair. Studies by Bodmer and Cavalli-Sforza (1976) hypothesized that lighter skin pigmentation prevents rickets in colder climates by encouraging higher levels of vitamin D production and also allows the individual to retain heat better than someone with darker skin. Researchers at the American Academy of Opthalmology have stated that everyone on planet earth had brown eyes around 10,000 years ago. While they marched through the streets of Edinburgh, he made a startling claim. Do redheads have less hair? Countries in the world by population (2023) This list includes both countries and dependent territories.Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates. Lalla Salma, Morocco's Queen, names one famous person from this region who has red hair, by the way. [6][7] In 1907, the largest ever study of hair colour in Scotland, which analysed over 500,000 people, found the percentage of Scots with red hair to be 5.3%. A small study in the journal Anesthesiology found that redheaded women required 19 percent more of the anesthesia desflurane to be put to sleep than women with dark hair. 56. However, some red-bearded people lack MC1R genes. [47] The gene HCL2 on chromosome 4 may also be related to red hair. [38][39] Emigration from Europe has increased the population of red haired humans in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. And of course Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex - formerly the worlds most eligible bachelor and now an expectant father and doting husband. (Both derive from the same precursor molecule, POMC, and are structurally similar.) Hair color is as a result eumelanin and pheomelanin which are types of melanin. "The second son, John, was born in 1750. From 2010-2016, the. In Irish myth, the mystical races of the Tuatha de Danaan and the Sithe are both said to have ginger hair. He grew up, however, a remarkably attractive-looking young man. 47. However, tiny number of Polynesians people, such as ones from Papua New Guinea, have reddish-brown highlights. Find out how with these interesting facts about redheads through history. Several accounts by Greek writers mention redheaded people. 43. The MC1R variant gene that gives people red hair generally results in skin that is difficult or impossible to tan. The amount varies a bit, from less than a percent to likely over 2 percent, depending on our heritage. [22] In Medieval Italy and Spain, red hair was associated with the heretical nature of Jews and their rejection of Jesus, and thus Judas Iscariot was commonly depicted as red-haired in Italian and Spanish art. creative tips and more. In the meantime, we thought we'd do some data collection of our own to find out where red heads are located and their vulnerability to gingerism (discrimination against people with red hair). identified aleles on MC1R associated with red hair. Genetic studies of dizygotic (fraternal) twins indicate that the MC1R gene is not solely responsible for the red hair phenotype; unidentified modifier genes exist, making variance in the MC1R gene necessary, but not sufficient, for red hair production. 34. concluded that red hair is not the result of positive selection but of a lack of negative selection. If the parent is a carrier but does not have ginger hair themselves, there is roughly a 25 percent chance their baby will have red hair. [59], Red hair is caused by a relatively rare recessive allele, the expression of which can skip generations. Although red is the rarest natural hair color, it certainly gets the people who have it talked about. [citation needed], Sometimes, red hair darkens as people get older, becoming a more brownish color or losing some of its vividness. [58] Other blogs and news sources ran similar stories that attributed the research to the magazine or the "Oxford Hair Foundation". 2. A study showed women with red hair had a greater analgesic response to that particular pain medication than men. Listen to our podcast. By contrast, less than 1 in every 100 people in southern Europe have red hair. In Poland, legend has it that if you see three redheads at once, you'll win the State Lottery. In Russia, ginger hair is believed to be a sign of having a hot temper and being a bit of a wild child. Most natural redheads have brown eyes, followed by green or hazel coloured irises. 67. "We don't have that sort of data, but many different researchers have carried out smaller studies where the selection has not been entirely random in the way you would like.". [46], The alleles Arg151Cys, Arg160Trp, Asp294His, and Arg142His on MC1R are shown to be recessives for the red hair phenotype. Romans valued slaves with ginger hair more highly. According to a 2010 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Cancer, a fact about redheads is that they are about two and a half times as likely to develop the dangerous skin cancer as people with other hair colors. In Scotland around 6% of the population has red hair, with the highest concentration of red head carriers in the world found in Edinburgh, making it the red head capital of the world. [68] Other research publications have concluded that women with naturally red hair require less of the painkiller pentazocine than do either women of other hair colors or men of any hair color. Q: What are the odds of having red hair and blue eyes? That's according to a study by a German sex researcher who found that women with red hair had sex more often. [11][12] Later by the 10th century, Southern Slavic populations would have darker hair and skin tone, as the Slavs assimilated the indigenous inhabitants of the Balkans, including Greek and Illyrian peoples. "I wouldn't say there are no reliable estimates, but the ideal way to do this would of course be like the census, where everybody's examined at various ages and you have robust data. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. A: Roughly one to two percent of the world's population are born with natural red hair - that's still a sizable number of about 140 million! By joining Kidadl you agree to Kidadls Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receiving marketing communications from Kidadl. 48. Normally, you wouldnt see people with brown or black skin having read hair. 10. Some people think that because red hair is carried by a recessive gene, redheads might be going extinct. "The probable reason for that is that we make vitamin D in our skin. It shows that in most of Scotland and Ireland, as well as a random patch in central Russia, 10% of people are of the ginger genre. The USA has the highest redhead population of any country in the world, boasting between 6 and 18 million redheaded citizens. 26. None of them are proven: these ones are just for fun. [89], In his 1885 book I Say No, Wilkie Collins wrote "The prejudice against habitual silence, among the lower order of the people, is almost as inveterate as the prejudice against red hair. Early Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli's famous painting The Birth of Venus depicts the mythological goddess Venus as a redhead. Salma reportedly met a man at a party in 1999 and married him three years later. Some Ashkenazi Jews also have red hair. It is often said that between 1% and 2%, or 70 to 140 million people around the world, have red hair. "[125], The first and only festival for red heads in the United States was launched in 2015. In purely numerical terms, it is highly likely that the US has the highest number of people with red hair, because of the size of its population. According to Ginger Parrot, if you have freckles, technically you do tan just in tiny, specific areas! 53. "Redhead" redirects here. Cardi's unrecognisable with XXL blonde disco curls, 13 amazing facts about redheads that everyone needs to know, Cosmopolitan, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network. Click on the name of the country or dependency for current estimates (live population clock), historical data, and projected figures. [65][66][67], Researchers have found that people with red hair require greater amounts of anesthetic. Riverdale actress Madelaine Petsch is a proud natural ginger, as is House of Cards alum Kate Mara.