# Why are red-haired people called "ginger"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 7, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906 "2008-10-07T21:34:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/1 "2008-10-07T21:34:16Z")
Title says it all.šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/2 "2008-10-07T21:44:22Z")
Interesting question, so Iā€™ll bump it. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/3 "2008-10-07T22:08:46Z")
Have you ever seen the color of ginger root (cooked)? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/4 "2008-10-07T22:11:15Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Have you ever seen the color of ginger root (cooked)? šŸ˜‰ Isnā€™t that more yellowishā€¦? ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/5 "2008-10-07T22:18:00Z")
> [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](#): > > Title says it all.šŸ™‚ Because we canā€™t all be called ā€œAmberā€ šŸ™‚ Dried, powdered ginger does, IMO, have a reddish tinge; as does the root itself. Doesnā€™t matter so much what you or I perceive the color to be ā€“ the word definitely derives from somebodyā€™s idea that the color of someoneā€™s hair was ā€œginger-yā€, and the name took, based in fact or not. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/6 "2008-10-07T22:24:40Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Because we canā€™t all be called ā€œAmberā€ šŸ™‚ > > Dried, powdered ginger does, IMO, have a reddish tinge; as does the root itself. Doesnā€™t matter so much what you or I perceive the color to be ā€“ the word definitely derives from somebodyā€™s idea that the color of someoneā€™s hair was ā€œginger-yā€, and the name took, based in fact or not. The ginger root Iā€™ve seen is medium brown, with a yellowish tint to the pulp. Powdered has a _little_ red in it. But red hair is usually orange, IMO. I think itā€™s like goldfish, which are orange; or red onions, which are purple; or white wine which is light yellowish-greenā€¦:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/7 "2008-10-07T22:28:31Z")
> [@me](#): > > Doesnā€™t matter so much what you or I perceive the color to be ā€“ **the word definitely derives from somebodyā€™s idea that the color of someoneā€™s hair was ā€œginger-yā€** , and the name took, based in fact or not. > [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > I think itā€™s like goldfish, which are orange; or red onions, which are purple; or white wine which is light yellowish-greenā€¦:smack: I rest my caseā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/8 "2008-10-07T22:49:40Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > The ginger root Iā€™ve seen is medium brown, with a yellowish tint to the pulp. Powdered has a _little_ red in it. But red hair is usually orange, IMO. > > I think itā€™s like goldfish, which are orange; or red onions, which are purple; or white wine which is light yellowish-greenā€¦:smack: Powdered ginger can be rather [orange](http://eatmoreherbs.com/herbjpgs/jpgs/B297_ginger_root_powder.jpg). And people who are called ā€œgingerā€ donā€™t necessarily have bright red/orange hair; often it is a light orange-brown color, like powdered ginger. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/9 "2008-10-07T23:46:16Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Interesting question, so Iā€™ll bump it. Hijack: What is the point of bumping a thread a mere _ten minutes_ after itā€™s been opened? What does it accomplish? ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/10 "2008-10-08T01:58:43Z")
I thought they were called ā€œBlueā€. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/11 "2008-10-08T15:43:59Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > I thought they were called ā€œBlueā€. šŸ˜ƒ They are (or were ā€“ itā€™s a bit old-fashioned) in Australia. I suspect thatā€™s being ironic, by choosing the opposite colour in the spectrum from that of red hair. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/12 "2008-10-08T17:10:36Z")
I never heard ā€œgingerā€ used in that context until I saw it on South Park. And Iā€™m one of 3 red-haired brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/13 "2008-10-08T17:18:20Z")
Orange cats are sometimes called ā€œgingerā€, something I hear in the UK quite a bit. Sadly, they taste neither like orange nor ginger. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/14 "2008-10-08T17:34:33Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > Orange cats are sometimes called ā€œgingerā€, something I hear in the UK quite a bit. Sadly, they taste neither like orange nor ginger. šŸ˜‰ Thatā€™s because your not putting the right stuff in their feed. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/15 "2008-10-08T17:37:05Z")
Because they donā€™t want to be called ā€œThe Professorā€ or ā€œMary Annā€ (Or ā€“ worse yet ā€“ ā€œThe Restā€) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/16 "2008-10-08T20:01:10Z")
More to the pointā€¦ why is having red hair considered a bad thing in the UK? The term ā€œGingerā€ seems to be considered a slur. The use of the term in any context is rare in the US, and never as an insult. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Astronaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bad\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/17 "2008-10-08T20:36:02Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > The use of the term in any context is rare in the US, and never as an insult. Obviously you havenā€™t seen the above mentioned episode of South Park! As an aside, I too had never heard the term until I saw that episode. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/18 "2008-10-08T20:40:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Hijack: What is the point of bumping a thread a mere _ten minutes_ after itā€™s been opened? What does it accomplish? Itā€™s the Doper way of complimenting the OP on a good question. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/19 "2008-10-08T20:50:33Z")
I think Scarlett sneeringly refers to her second husband, Frank, as ā€œginger whiskersā€ in _Gone With the Wind_ (the book; donā€™t recall her saying it in the movie). I think thatā€™s the only reference Iā€™ve ever seen. It must be passing out of use? ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906/20 "2008-10-08T21:27:55Z")
The first time I noticed it was in the last Harry Potter book, ā€œDitch Ginger, and come have a drink with usā€¦ā€ Why is this considered an insult, though? Sort of just refering to someone in the generic sense? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-red-haired-people-called-ginger/466906.md?page=2)