Eye color
The natural colour of the iris, ranging from brown and blue to green and hazel
Eye color is the visible shade of the iris, shaped by the amount and type of pigment and how light scatters in the eye. Human eyes can be brown, blue, green, hazel, gray, or black, with brown being the most common worldwide. The colour depends on genetics, with at least 16 genes involved.
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- Brown is the most common human eye colour worldwide
- Eye colour is determined by at least 16 genes
- Blue and green eyes result from light scattering, not pigment
- Hazel eyes can appear golden, greenish, or brown
- Green eyes are the rarest, found in about 2% of people
What colour is Eye color?
Eye color is the shade seen in the iris, the coloured ring around the pupil. Its appearance comes from both the amount of pigment (mainly melanin) and how light scatters in the iris. Human eyes show a range of colours, from dark brown and black to blue, green, hazel, and gray. Brown is by far the most common, while green is the rarest. The colour can look different depending on lighting and the structure of the iris.
Where does Eye color come from?
The term 'eye color' refers to the visible colour of the iris. In humans, the range of eye colours comes from differences in pigment and light scattering, not from true blue or green pigments. The genes OCA2 and HERC2, among others, play a major role in determining eye colour. The history of eye colour in humans traces back to ancient migrations, with blue eyes likely originating in the Near East and spreading to Europe thousands of years ago.
How Eye color is defined
Eye colour is not made in the way a pigment or dye is, but is determined by genetics. The main factors are the amount of melanin in the iris and how the iris scatters light. More melanin leads to brown or black eyes, while less melanin and more light scattering result in blue, green, or gray eyes. The colour can change in early childhood as melanin increases.
Red around the world
What the red family means from country to country.
The flag uses the four Pan-Arab colours: a red bar at the hoist with green, white and black bands. It was designed by a young Emirati, Abdullah Al Maainah, in 1971.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of the United Arab EmiratesThe flag is a black double-headed eagle on red, the banner of the fifteenth-century hero Skanderbeg. Fans chant Kuq e Zi, red and black.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of AlbaniaArmenian scribes painted manuscripts with vordan karmir, a crimson dye made from an insect that lives on the roots of grasses in the Ararat plain.
Sacred and holySource: Armenian cochinealUnder Juan Manuel de Rosas in the 1830s and 1840s, everyone had to wear a scarlet ribbon to show loyalty to his Federalist party. His enemies, the Unitarians, were tied to sky blue.
Politics and protestFearSource: Juan Manuel de RosasThe flag is red, white and red. Legend says Duke Leopold V's white tunic was soaked in blood at the siege of Acre, all but the band under his belt.
Politics and protestCourageSource: Flag of AustriaRed ochre is used in Aboriginal rock art and ceremony, and is traded over long distances. In the Aboriginal flag the red half stands for the earth and for that ochre.
Sacred and holyNature and renewalAweSource: Australian Aboriginal flagShades and relatives of Eye color
Eye colour includes several main types: brown (the most common), blue, green, hazel, gray, and black. Hazel eyes can appear golden or mixed with green or brown. Blue and gray eyes result from light scattering, not blue pigment. Green eyes are rare and need both yellow pigment and blue scattering. Eye colour can also change with age, especially in childhood.
Colours that go with Eye color
Harmonies are worked out from the value #800000. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Eye color
What is eye color?
Eye color is the visible shade of the iris, caused by pigment levels and how light scatters in the eye. It can be brown, blue, green, hazel, gray, or black.
What determines a person's eye color?
Eye color is set by genetics, mainly the amount of melanin in the iris and the way light scatters there. At least 16 genes are involved.
Why do blue and green eyes look that way?
Blue and green eyes do not have blue or green pigment. Their colour comes from how light scatters in the iris, combined with small amounts of pigment.
Where does the name 'eye color' come from?
The term simply describes the colour seen in the iris, the coloured part of the eye.
Can eye color change over time?
Yes, especially in childhood. Some people’s eyes get lighter or darker as they grow, due to changes in melanin.
Good reading and sources
- Eye color on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Eye color", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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