Let’s talk about nicknames for redheads!
Are you a redhead? Are you one of those special people whose hair ranges from pale strawberry blonde, through fiery red, to light auburn and chestnut?
Well, if you are, you are one of the lucky 2% of people on this entire planet of seven billion people who can claim to be a true ginger, and you are very special!
But why is it ‘red?’ I hear you scream.
In England, before the fruit came along, the color orange hadn’t been invented, so the color we now call orange was at that time, just red.
However, following the importation of oranges, the color orange was adopted, but too late for redheads!
Origins of Red Hair
To acquire red hair, both parents have to have a mutated gene called the MCIR gene, which is on Chromosome 16 (don’t worry, they won’t grow three legs!)
Even if neither of them has red hair themselves, there is still a one in four probability of them producing a lovely little redhead.
If one is a redhead, the chances are one in two, and if they both have red hair, it’s a dead cert!
Red hair appears in all races, even in African and Chinese people. It’s extremely rare, but it does happen.
The biggest population of gingers is in Northern Europe, particularly among people of Celtic origin. In Ireland, the population is 10% red-headed, and in Scotland, a whopping 13%!
The Origins of the Term ‘Ginger’
Ginger was first coined in a sporting magazine in 1797 and was first used to describe the color of a fighting cockerel, which was an orange-sandy color, much like a ginger cat.
It also approximates the color of a ginger root, which isn’t quite so orange. The ‘ginger’ appellation first referred to the “hair of a light sand color,” but gradually morphed into the meaning it has today.
Interesting Facts about Redheads
- Do you know that red-headed women have sex more often than their blonde and brunette sisters? Well, they are, after all, in my humble opinion, more beautiful!
- Redheads feel less pain, except in their teeth (an even better reason not to go to the dentist!) but they need more anesthetic than non-gingers for an operation.
- Redheads have far fewer hairs on their heads than the rest of us, but each hair shaft is much, much thicker. It also doesn’t fade to gray, just gradually turns to pink, then to pristine snow white!
- Redheads -BRRRR- feel the cold more, but don’t fare well in the heat either. The minute a ray of sunshine touches that pale, freckled skin, it turns a fetching shade of lobster red and burns to a crisp!
- Redheads, for some reason, are more likely to be left-handed! Look at a group of them and see all the southpaws.
Stereotypes about Redheads
Apparently, redheads have bad tempers! Well, who can blame them? If I were subject to the amount of abuse they have to endure on a daily basis, I might get a bit miffed myself.
There was a move afoot at one stage to put ‘Gingerism’ on the same par as racism and sexism as a hate crime since people have been very badly wounded in anti-ginger attacks.
Also, people have even committed suicide because of bullying. Well, enough of this doom and gloom! Gingers are lustful, so we hear! Well, all I can say to that is if they are so lustful why aren’t there more of them?
Myths about Gingers
According to South Park – that show has a lot to answer for – they have no souls! They were conceived during a woman’s menstruation and are unclean.
Many redheads were thought to be witches and put to death by burning, and apparently, they morph into the Undead when they die and become vampires.
In Corsica, a person has to spit on the road after a redhead has walked past to ward off evil spirits. Some people even think they’re related to Satan!
List of Nicknames for Redheads
Yay! The bit you’ve all been waiting for! There are literally THOUSANDS of nicknames for people with red hair, with more being invented all the time, no doubt, but I have here as many as I can find.
I’ve tried to include many origins too, but unfortunately, some will forever be a mystery.
Here goes!
- Ginger
- Carrot Top/Head
- Fiery Red Head
- Rusty – the color of rust.
- Highlander – referring to Rob Roy MacGregor, a famous Scottish redheaded warrior. ‘Roy’ is descended from the Gaelic word ‘ruadh’ or red.
- Yeti – The Abominable Snowman. Didn’t know he had red hair!
- Freckles – referring to the matching freckles that accompany red hair.
- Lobster (when in the sun) – the color a lobster becomes when boiled.
- Copper Nob/ Head/Top/ Kettle – the color of copper, which is a red-toned metal.
- Blue, Bluey – Red-haired Australian soldier of WW1 (ironic).
- Tampon Top – conceived during menstruation (don’t use this unless you want a serious fight!)
- Fire Crotch – red pubic hair.
- Cherry – red; the color of cherries.
- Flame – the color of fire.
- Fire Top – flame-colored
- Candle – Flame-topped.
- Strawberry (blondes) – the lightest of reds, almost blonde.
- Rose Top – red as a rose.
- Robin – red as the robin’s breast (it’s actually orange)
- Red riding hood – a fairytale girl who wears a cape with a red hood.
- Fiery redhead – hair the color of fire.
- Fireballs – red pubic hair.
- Ginger Nut – the name of a ginger cookie popular in Britain which is burnt orange in color.
- Gingersnap – as above.
- Fire Face – Red haired.
- Ginger Ninja – Rhyming slang – redhead.
- Cheeto-head – hair the same color as a carrot or orange.
- Ginger Tige – handsome red-headed
- Firemuff – woman’s red pubic hair.
- Scarlet Fever – redhead obsession
- Corly – redheaded pale-skinned
- Hot Head – fiery temper ascribed to redheads.
- Red Dog – No definition but descriptive.
- Ranga – from orang-utans, a red-haired ape, mostly used in Australia as a derogatory term for a redhead.
- Bonzo – no definition.
- Ang mo – Chinese for ‘red hair.’
- Redzee – no definition, possibly just a variation of ‘red.’
- Redwood – a tree with red bark.
- Bushfire – Red hair
- Lil Red – Little Red.
Redhead Girls’ Nicknames
The following are nicknames for girls with redheads:
- Ginga – Ginger.
- Scarlet – Bright Red.
- Spitfire – fiery temper as ascribed to most redheads, especially women.
- Match Stick – Like the striking end of a match – red.
- Raggedy Anne – Redheaded rag doll.
- Flame – the color of fire.
- Firecrackers – explosive, referring to a fiery redhead’s temper.
- Fanta – orange-flavored soft drink.
- Garfield – cartoon ginger cat.
- Roxy – Also Roxy Red.
- Rufina
- Roslin – red line.
First Names for Girls with a Red-haired Connection:
Rose, Amber, Ruby, Autumn, Coral, Garnet, Ginger, Poppy, Rowan, Scarlett, Sienna,
Nicknames for Redheaded Guys
The following are nicknames for boys with redheads:
- Agent Orange – poisonous herbicide – only chosen for the name, I think!
- Belisha Beacon – In the UK, an orange light beside a pedestrian crossing warning people of danger.
- Bloodnut – A person with a head (nut) the color of blood.
- Flame Cranium – Flame Head.
- El Gingero – The Ginger One.
- Fred The Red – Rhyming slang – the color red.
- Trusty Rusty – Rhyming slang – the color of rust.
First Names for Boys with a Red-haired Connection:
Rufus, Rusty, Rowan, Rudolph, Ruiraidh (Rory), Phoenix, Robin, Russell, Roy.
Festivals for Redheads
Since 2010, The Irish Redhead Convention has been held every year in Crosshaven, County Cork, to promote all things ginger! Dancing, singing, fitness, visual art, music – even speed dating – no doubt leading to the making of more little gingers!
Redhead Days in Breda, The Netherlands, is held every year in the first week in September. They go all out to welcome international visitors and entrance is free.
The Israeli Redhead Festival takes place at Kibbutz Kezer (Carrot) at the end of August. Sadly, because of the political situation, numbers have to be limited. Pity – it looks like fun!
Famous Redheads
- Mary Queen of Scots of Scotland.
- King Henry the Eighth of England.
- King Richard 1 of England (The Lionheart)
- Queen Elizabeth 1 of England.
- Prince Harry Windsor of the United Kingdom.
- Winston Churchill – wartime Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- Lord Nelson – Famous British naval commander and national hero, famous for his naval victories against the French during the Napoleonic Wars.
- Axl Rose – lead singer of the rock band Guns N’ Roses.
- Boris Becker – German tennis player and winner of Wimbledon.
- Chuck Norris – martial arts champion and actor.
- Mark Twain – The novelist, who wrote ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
- Vincent Van Gogh – Artist famous for his unique style and mental instability.
- Mick Hucknall – Lead singer of the rock band Simply Red.
- Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley from the ‘Harry Potter’ series of movies.
- Calvin Coolidge – US President (#30)
- Andrew Jackson – US President (#7)
- George Washington – US President (#1)
- Dwight Eisenhower – US President (#34)
- Martin Van Buuren –US President (#8)
- Thomas Jefferson –US President (#3)
- Lucille Ball – American comedienne and actress.
- Sophie Turner – Sansa, Lady of Winterfell, Game of Thrones.
- Nicole Kidman – Australian Actress.
- Judy Garland – American singer and actress, famous for ‘The Wizard of Oz.’
Find Your Own!
To name but a few…redheads are everywhere – they walk among us.
I’ve listed quite a few nicknames for people with red hair here. Some funny, descriptive, ironic and downright lewd!
Can you find any more red hair nicknames?
I love our red-headed brothers
I also hated it growing up, hair was bright af as a kid and with freckles, gtfoh, throw in an inherited 1st name that a few years ago I found out was really popular in 1915 (dads birth yr), talk about shy, I might still be f***ed up from it all! lol But it’s been pretty cool as an adult, had some interesting comments/approaches thru the years, one of the best was at festival around New Orleans, a lady working there was “ewe we childs, u mean women’s be paying good money to get dat color and u just gots it naturally”. Nicknames, Red was fine, still get called that, got tagged with one that I hated, still do! Redlight, it just stuck, nothing to do with the hair, but common eye color relating to the biz I was in. (at the time-lol mid 70’s) Was only called Ginger once, in late 30’s, I didn’t like it then and don’t like it now! Had a double dose, both parents had it!
Why isn’t Elmo on the list?
because no person with red hair wants to be called a puppet
I am a redhead, I have huge blue eyes, I have always compared to brave on Disney or Mad Max from Stranger Things. I am also the only girl saxophone player. One day my and the alto player next to me were talking and the boy behind me starts asking the alto player if he is dating “Cherry” he then asks who? Then the boy points to me, as a redhead, I turn red SO fast and SUPER red. So I don’t think I will EVER need to buy blush. The alto player looks annoyed and embarrassed. I have been called red, carrot, ginger, strawberry, orange-y. But never cherry, I found this was a thing, people call redheads cherry. Not just that dumb 7th grade boy thinking me and my crush were dating. So I now know people call redheads cherry. This annoys me. I am lucky, people never make fun of me but I do get stared at and I get called A LOT of nicknames. I am just waiting for st. Patrick’s day, where people will tease me, mock me and act foolish. The other redhead in the school, we get clumped together people thinking we are twins, when I have never once talked to her. Part of me wants to dye my hair blue, knowing I would get less notice and stares, with blue hair.
I grew up wondering why my father would reproduce, and hating him for it. He was the redhead who created me. I thought it was so cruel to put someone, like me, into the world. Growing up redheaded… was tough. Today I don’t really like white people all that much. I prefer to be around any other group of skin colored folks. And it still makes me cringe when someone calls me white. I was never white. I am a redhead, and it’s different.
While it’s mostly present in caucasians, red hair can present in every single skin color and nationality. The gene has to present on both sides of the family as well. For example, your father had red hair and then someone generations back on your mother’s side either had red hair or simply carried the gene.
I’m a ginger…I dealt with the bullying easily cause I was a clown ???? Class Clown Award 1st-6th grade… Other classmates would look at me to laugh and so I obliged… It wasn’t peer pressure because I didn’t resist doing it… Doctors tried to silence me with Ritalin but my dose gave me butterflies in my stomach which counters obviously outgoing feeling was nervous…So I stopped taking that…
After 6th grade, I try to pursue but seems to be the obvious talent to entertain…I took up theater in middle School only to then disrupt not one class but two classes combined and driving the theater teacher to the brink…. I punished and sent to the back of the theater and the kids must just kept on lookn back for me to do something so i did… I did have insecurities when it came to girls but grew out of it after highschool…
Today I’m still clowning at 43yo and enjoy making people laugh…
Quick witted sarcastic dry humor is fun to people that don’t know you…
#dryhumor
How about this first one?
• Red headed step child
• Pyro©
• Pyress©
• Pinky Dinky©
One of my best friends is a red head and I would never call her anything but Kate. I love her spirit and how she makes people smile. She’s kind of the wild one out the five of us and I don’t know what we’d do without her. Love you, Kate!
I’m a strawberry blonde and I have quite a few friends with BRIGHT red hair. I was super surprised to hear about all of the abuse towards red heads!! Where I live, most people either love red hair or at least tolerate it. In elementary school I was bullied for a lot of things, my hair was never one of them. I understand what bullying and abuse feels like. All of you red heads out there struggling, just know things will get easier. There are places where you will be accepted and fit in so don’t lose hope!
Being a red head is the best thing you could ask for. There is only just 2% of the population,I’m a ranga myself and I love it. But I’m right handed though………
Most kids & people just can’t resist bullying and making fun of redheads…my son was born with bright orange hair he was beautiful.
His whole life he has been subjected to such cruelty. This was horrible for him growing up
and of course it broke my heart.
And unfortunately he’s was in so many fights
growing up….. Being taunted and made fun of
has made him put up a cold front around his heart……. Today he is 31 and he still has to listen to the jokes about his hair and he doesn’t let it get to him..He just laughes it off…. He now believes he is one of the 2%. and that he must be special..My advice to the reds and the Orange
haired kids& adults just try your best to not let it be a big thing…#love all shades of red.
I am one of 8 redheads in my family and only 2 of them are men. Male redheads are not treated the same as female redheads, that’s for damn sure. My brother was an actor for a while and because red hair impeded his chances to get roles, he focused on body building so he could compensate by having a desirable body type for certain roles. It’s absolutely terrible but it worked. If a redhead is drop dead gorgeous, both face and body, we’re treated well, offered the job, get the hot date etc. If we’re “lacking” in attractiveness at all, then our red hair seems to cruelly exacerbate that.
I love being a redhead! Honestly, I wouldn’t ask for a different hair color. My friends are always saying how much they love being around me because I’m such a daredevil and have a fiery spirit. A lot of my friends are introverts so I’m always the one bringing them to life and living each day as if it would be the last. If y’all have seen Titanic, Jack says “I got everything I need, air in my lungs and a few sheets of paper. Life is a gift and I don’t intend on wasting it.” (I might not have quoted correctly word for word lol but u get the point.) Us redheads are rare, so let’s strive to embrace who we are and snap at those who tear as down. Who gives a crap what people say. We won’t be special if we let them burn out our flame.
My mother had black hair and somewhat darker complexion, her TWIN sister had bright red hair with a light freckled complexion. My mother had a mild mannered disposition with lots of similar friends, her sister had also many friends but ones on the wild side. When they all got together, it really was a party as neither was the least shy.
The evil of redheads derives from Judas Iscariot, who was supposedly a red head.
my favourite one is tampon top
I am trying to find a name to call a redhead (Dylan) because he called my redhead friend (Katie) troll.
His name is Dylan, that’s already offensive enough lol
I just have another nickname for a red head.
One of my best friends in high school was red head and we called him “muff”. There’s also “fire crotch” I found out the carpets do match the drapes ?
Also when we’d smoke weed in our garage out back, we would be sitting on top of the 4 wheelers that were in there and my fiery friend would blow the smoke out of his nose and with the light shining in the window, he looked like a fire breathing dragon. (Also, we were a lil stoned so imagination then runs wild.)
Thanks for letting me share.
My closest friends in life have all been red heads so I can’t go on without the fiery spirit they have.
I call my crush, he’s a guy, Matchstick. I call him this because he’s tall and he’s ginger (technically strawberry-blonde). I didn’t even realize that Matchstick was a girl nickname
My husband calls me “Strawberry” which is short for the doll “Strawberry Shortcake”.
Lucille Ball died her hair with henna…. it was like a huge thing, dude…
@Andre Lake. Amen.
How can you leave out Donald Trump from this list ?
I thought it looked like an orange peel….?
Vamos Mexico! Los de pelo rojo somos los mejores
“Go Mexico! Those with red hair are the best”
I’m a redhead and got called dynamite my whole life. It did help that my initials are TNT also. I hated being tease so much for my red hair that I despised my hair and started keeping it dyed. I was also told you can’t be Hispanic because they don’t have red hair and blue eyes. Ohhh yes we do! Well the older I get the more I am embracing and being proud of my uniqueness. I get told I’m even more hot headed because I’m a redheaded Mexican.
My husband calls me “Red.” Obvious but not on your list.
Lucille Ball is not a natural redhead. Julianne Moore (actress), Bryce Dallas Howard (actress), Angie Everhart (model), Patti Scialfa (musician & Mrs. Bruce Springsteen), Molly Bernard (actress), Andrew Santino (comedian/actor), Jessica Chastain (actress) are.
I’ve been called “Chucky” my whole life. To be honest, not only am I a ginger, but I have a full-fire head… and I have to constantly move around. In Mexico they call me “Canelo Alvarez” after a famous Mexican boxer who was a red-head. People, why do you have to mock us red-heads? Maybe we don’t have souls, but we have hearts! It hurts when people insult us! Can you possibly comprehend how much it wounds me when you start calling me names and making fun of me? When I can’t help being fiery and hyper-active and you whisper about me and kick me and literally spit at me!? The people who wanted to make ginger-abuse illegal had the right idea. Stop mocking us!
Honestly, I’m a Ginger and I don’t care.
Lol I don’t either
The redheads who “don’t care” most likely didn’t suffer the kind of abuse/bullying that it sounds like you did. I also suffered the same type of bullying until I was old enough to emerge from the “ugly duckling” phase, grew huge boobs and got my braces off-I didn’t get teased any more, but I got a lot of attention from the guys!
It’s totally different for guys, however. My oldest son was teased and bullied throughout all of his school years. He also has a full thick head of hair, and now also has a full red beard. Thankfully these things usually end when we leave school, but based on what I witnessed my son go through, and the stories he told me years later, what he went though wasn’t just teasing, but was outright abuse from his peers. Sometimes physical and sometimes verbal/emotional. And that DEFINITELY should be illegal, iho. It doesn’t matter who is doing the abusing, abuse is abuse and it’s affects can last a lifetime.
I’m sorry that you went though what you did because of your hair, Malachai. And as redheads, as much as we try to lay low and not be noticed when bullies come around, we just can’t hide, can we? Our hair always gives us away!
I hope things are butter for you now. It really, really sucks. Good luck!
I totally understand. My grandson when he was 13 ( quite thin and small built) was always tormented by a bully at school, he gave it right back. In the end, the bully showed up at my daughters house with 8 friends after school, before my daughter or son in law was home from work. The got my grandson to come outside. They encircled him and made him fight the bully. my grandson ended up with his leg broken in 3 places and had to have surgery and now has a rod in his leg with a nasty scar above his knee from surgery! The kids video’d it too. A couple kids carried him up to his apt so he could call his mom and left him stranded there with a severely broken leg!!
They went to court, the other kid was put on probation (he had a lawyer). My grandson on the other hand, because when he went outside, he had an air-soft gun(bee-bee gun) and shot it at the ground (not hitting anyone), trying to scare the kids off. Because of doing this, my grandson was charged with being a Juvenal delinquent. He’d never gotten in trouble before! So now my grandson had to do community service and all. The so called Public Defender had convinced my daughter she didn’t need an attorney because it was a “open and shut” case. Yea! Against my grandson evidently!
My grandson used to love going to the park and rec hall to play basketball. Now he’ll only go at sundown to the park and goes to the rec hall at 5-6 am to avoid being around a bunch of kids! My daughter can’t afford an attorney to appeal it and have it removed off his record or counselling for him. I can’t either.
My other little Gingersnap is 1.5 yrs old and is very gung-ho, has a temper and is a daredevil, lol, which is the opposite of his 14 yr old brother who has always been laid back. -Did I mention my daughter had her 2nd little ginger 4 days after the fight happened and they were in the process of moving 1 day after it. This was also 1 week before Christmas 2018 too!. Crazy way to end the year!!
But anyway, for the most part everything is going good and he’s not in the same school as the other boy now. But still it’s crazy people have to deal with and live with this type of hatefulness.
Take care ya’ll and have a fabulous day!!
First of all Carrot tops are green not orange or red how blind are people???
– Redhead logic
I have said this my whole life to ppl lol I mean c’mon ppl! Get your heads straight lol
Carrot Top is a redheaded comedian though
Haha… I use to say that back to the kids who would call me that! And it had a very good reverse effect too…
Saying “carrot tops are green stupid” and the began a contagious laugh that spread to the other kids and soon the bully was humbled…
What about Conan O’Brien? He’s my favorite redhead c:
I’m a special type of redhead, I have bright red hair in the summer but when fall comes the redness tended to fade a bit to where it looks more brown then red I get teased and bullied for it but I don’t really care because I like who I am and no one can take that away from me.
Keep your head up girl. Us redheads have a hard time, I get made fun of for my red hair all the time too. Just embrace your uniqueness, you are amazing!!!!!
Bonzo maybe from combo of red from bonfire and from bozo clown red wig