40+ Amazing Green Eyes Facts: How Much Do You Know About The Rarest Eye Color?
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The green eyed girl is sung about all over the world and with so many amazing facts about green eyes, now we know why.
It's very hard to find people with green eyes as they make up a tiny percentage of the population. People with blue eyes are rare, but green eyed folk take it to a whole new level, making up just two percent of the global population.
Whether you have brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes or any other eye color, you'll love these fun facts about green eyes.
If you like our article on the most amazing facts about green eyes, we think you'll also like our list on the coolest facts about hazel eyes and awesome facts about redheads.
Green Eyes Around The World
These interesting facts about green eyes from all around the globe, from the East to the West, will leave you wowed at just how rare green eyes are.
1. Green is the rarest eye colour in the world for humans!
2. Only two percent of people in the world have green eyes, making them the rarest eye color for all humans. Brown is the most common eye color.
3. Countries in the north have higher rates of people with green eyes, including Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
4. In Ireland and Scotland, people with green and blue eyes make up about 86 percent of the whole population!
5. Iceland is the country with most green eyes, with 88 percent of people in Iceland having either blue or green eyes. More women tend to have green eyes than men in this country.
6. Roughly 85 percent of people in Finland have light colored eyes.
7. Some famous female celebrities with green eyes include Scarlett Johansson, Adele, Gigi Hadid, Emma Stone, Rooney Mara, Maisie Williams, and Kate Middleton. Vanity Fair once referred to Scarlett Johansson's eyes as being "as pure green as a cat's".
8. Male celebrities with green eyes include Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Paul Rudd, Jon Hamm, Eddie Redmayne and John Krasinski.
9. Green eyes are said to be the most attractive eye color in the world! Maybe we love them so much because of how rare they are.
10. There are many different shades of this eye color, from deep forest green eyes to light green eyes.
11. Using the term 'green eyes' when talking about jealousy originated from William Shakespeare.
He was the first person in writing to connect green eyes with jealousy. In the Merchant of Venice he wrote, "How all the other passions fleet to air, as doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair, and shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy!"
So if someone ever comments on your green eyes to point out your envy, you can thank Shakespeare for that.
Biological Facts About Green Eyes
There are many cool biological facts about the rarest eye color that you might not know, like the fact that green eyed people are actually mutants! Hopefully you will learn something new from these facts about people with green eyes.
12. No babies are born with green eyes. Every baby is born with either brown or blue eyes, and the green eye color can take anywhere between three to six months to develop.
13. Green eyes aren't actually green! While they may look green to us, there is no green pigment in anyone's eyes.
Instead, the eye color is a mix of light brown or amber in the iris, a yellowish pigment called lipochrome and a little bit of Rayleigh scattering that gives a blue shade. All of these components mixt together to make green eyes look green. Rayleigh scattering is also the same light scattering process that makes the sky look blue!
14. Green eyes have one of the lowest concentration of melanin than any other eye color aside from blue.
15. If you have green eyes you are a mutant! Don't worry, nothing scary is going to grow out of your eyes, it is just a genetic mutation of the eye, just like blue eyes.
16. Hazel eyes and green eyes are completely different. While people sometimes get them confused, the two are separate eye colors.
17. We don't know if hazel eyes came from green eyes or brown eyes.
18. According to scientists, there are at least eight genes and maybe even as many as 16 genes that determine what eye color someone will have. This is why it is very hard to work out what color eyes a baby will be born with and if it will change color over time.
19. Women are far more likely to have green eyes than men, but science doesn't know why!
20. Although green eyes are more common in the western world, anyone in any race can develop green eyes. There are green eyes in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa.
21. One unfortunate fact about this eye color is that those with green eyes are more likely to experience light sensitivity as light colored irises are at a higher risk of sensitivity, this includes blue eyes as well as those with the green eye color.
22. Although it isn't 100% proven, some studies say that people with green or blue eyes have higher levels of pain tolerance than others with hazel or brown eyes.
23. Congenital heterochromia is a super cool condition that affects around six out of 1000 people. This condition means that people have two different coloured eyes! Jane Seymour, who is a Hollywood actress, actually has one green eye and one brown eye.
24. The chances of having both green eyes and red hair are incredibly low. There is surprisingly an even lower chance of people with blue eyes having red hair as well.
Cool Facts About Green Eyes In Nature
Here's our favourite facts about green eyes in nature, from animals all the way to plants.
25. Humans aren't the only animals that can have green eyes.
26. Animals that can have green eyes include lemurs, snakes, house cats, frogs, parrots, panthers, cheetahs, monkeys and many reptiles and birds.
27. There is a plant called the 'green eye' that has beautiful magenta and yellow flowers with a green centre. They are called green eyes because the centre of the flower resembles bright green eyes.
28. Colors of eyes of animals are not limited to the eye colors of humans, with many animals having eyes in shades of orange, red and yellow.
Fun Theories About Green Eyes
While these theories are very cool and you might relate to some of them, they are just for fun and aren't factual. From green eyes personality traits to the meaning of green eyes, these not-so-factual "facts" about green eyed people are sure to entertain you.
29. There is a myth that people with green eyes live longer lives.
30. There are legends that people who have blue and green eyes result from aliens coming to earth and injecting their DNA into human bodies so that the children develop these bright eyes. Crazy right?
31. Back in Ancient Egypt, green was believed to be a symbol of life, re-birth, and good health. This is why the Eye of Horus amulet, which Egyptians used to protect themselves from disease, was usually made of green stone.
32. Many witches, nymphs and water spirits are given green eyes in folktales from all over the globe.
Some of these characters from English folklore include Peg Powler, the water spirit who inhabits trees, and Jenny Greenteeth, a water hag who would pull children into the water! The Russian and Slavic legend of Rusalka the water spirit also has green eyes.
Even in Japanese culture there is the Kappa, a green mythical creature that attacks humans while they are in the water and is also said to have green eyes. As freaky as they sound, these characters were most likely created so children would stay away from water when they are alone.
33. The color of someone's eyes could very well could have an impact on their personality.
The development of the iris of green eyes may actually play a role in determining how a personality develops.
A study in 2007 in Sweden found that the genes used to develop the iris in green eyes are the same ones used to develop the frontal lobe of the brain, which is the part of the brain that controls our personality!
The study found that different iris developments were correlated with different personality traits. While personalities are far more complex than just eye colors, it is food for thought.
34. Some of the green eyes traits associated with people include being outgoing, intelligent extroverted, mysterious, creative, intuitive and loyal.
35. It thought that men with this eye color are likely to be great inventors and naturally funny!
36. Women with green are believed to be incredibly empathetic.
37. This rare eye color is said to symbolise the strength of one's soul.
38. People with green eyes may be prone to jealousy very often.
39. Green eyed people are very passionate about any work they undertake!
40. The deeper the green of a person's eyes, the healthier they are.
41. The most charming women are those with dark green eyes.
42. People with green eyes may are said to be more connected with nature.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for green eye facts then why not take a look at these Scorpio facts, or zodiac facts?
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Bachelor of Communication specializing in Media Arts Production, Communication, and Media Studies
Hannah BowyerBachelor of Communication specializing in Media Arts Production, Communication, and Media Studies
A fitness enthusiast with a passion for helping people find their best selves, Hannah is a qualified personal trainer who is currently training to be a yoga instructor. She is also knowledgeable about mindfulness and meditation. Hannah has lived and worked in many different countries across Asia and the Americas over the last four years, and loves to write about her travels. Her dynamic nature is reflected in her love for running, whether it's towards a plane or a personal best.
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