Why do we call it redhead even though that hair color looks more like orange than red?

[Bethany22]

[AviatorTom]

It goes back to Olde English, which didn't differentiate between the colours orange and red, hence redhead was coined, even though the hair is actually an orange colour.

[clampfan101]

Valid question, though I do think “redhead” has a much nicer ring than “orangehead”. lol

[MCheetah]

It's just a generic name. Same way African people aren't literally "black" and Caucasian people aren't literally "white." Black hair isn't even black hair; "brunette" refers to both black and dark brown hair. And as others said on here, orange is a newer color used by people than red.

I do love me some redheads, though! The one above the girl in the center has the best color.

[Wraith_Cemetery]

Because "orange" wasn't a term to describe a color in earlier Old English history where redheads were located. "Orange" was only a term that came into the vocabulary of Europe in 1510s. They still kept the term "readhead.

[Lliam]

I love that hair color! It's sometimes called ginger. But there are lots of shades of red, from strawberry-blond to auburn. The word "red" covers it all, but there are names for specific shades.

Kids with orange hair get teased and called carrot top. But when they, especially the girls, grow up, that hair is prized. It's striking. And it's the rarest of hair colors.

[Flower7]

Probably the same reason we call people “white” or “black” when those skin colors are really beige and brown.

[NathanDavis]

there's many shades of color, and not just one...

just like so many people are seen as white, but none of them are

not even the most pale

[CloudMassacre]

Probably some holdover from the “Red Legs” slur that Irish people got when they were doing their migrations

[Jennz6]

I don’t think so

[dustybiker]

It’s a wide range of hair color shades. Red makes more sense in that spectrum as they aren’t all orange.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I agree with you, but my late uncle had fire truck red hair and my late mom was strawberry blonde like my late grandma.

[Pudsmucker]

I'm married a strawberry blonde. Beautiful smile great personality children have a lovely mother that has carrying concern, for each child.

[FunkyMonkee]

Got me! Most of those look like strawberry blondes.

[pizzalovershouse]

Cuz it's a less red color more watered down look

[Charliefretz329]

Cause in absence of uv light the color does turn red on some!

[nawtee_me]

because orange heads is racist... lol

[Jennz6]

Strawberry Blonde like me

[jjj101010]

They get called ginger here

[shortster]

Because it has a firey appearance.

[Shinzu]

Because it's easier with a single name lol

[TerryBooBerry]

It's easy