{"id":1314,"date":"2023-01-19T09:36:37","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T14:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.warbyparker.com\/learn\/?p=1314"},"modified":"2026-04-02T03:12:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T07:12:31","slug":"blue-eyes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stage.warby.io\/learn\/blue-eyes","title":{"rendered":"Blue Eyes: How Rare Are They, and What Do They Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s very likely you know someone with blue eyes\u2014even you might possess those \u201cbaby blues.\u201d Indeed, blue eyes are the second most common eye color in the United States (behind brown ones). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But do you know why<\/em> they\u2019re called \u201cbaby blues?\u201d And did you know there\u2019s some meaning behind having blue eyes tied to ancestry? We\u2019ll share these and other facts about blue eyes with you, but first, let\u2019s learn more about their rarity and what causes them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Rare Are Blue Eyes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

About 27% of the United States population has blue eyes, according to a 2014 poll by the American Academy of Ophthalmology<\/a>. Blue eyes may not be the rarest eye color<\/a>, but they aren\u2019t the most common one, either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The percentage of a country\u2019s population with blue eyes varies widely, depending on where you\u2019re looking. In some countries having blue eyes wouldn\u2019t be considered rare at all. For example, in Scandinavian countries and Iceland, it\u2019s quite common to find individuals with blue eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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What Causes Blue Eyes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blue eyes are blue due to a lack of pigment. As weird as it sounds, blue eyes aren\u2019t really<\/em> the color blue\u2014they don\u2019t contain any blue pigmentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All eye colors are determined by melanin, which is the same pigment that gives skin its color. The more melanin, the darker the skin. The same goes for eyes; an iris rich with melanin would appear brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does it mean if you have blue eyes? Nothing more than that you lack melanin in the first layer of the iris. When light hits that area, it scatters and lets more blue light reflect back out. Fun fact\u2014this scattering effect makes eyes appear blue in the same way that it makes the sky appear blue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Do Blue Eyes Come From?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blue eyes come from your genetics and, more specifically, one ancestor\u2014one that both of your parents share. Contrary to popular belief, eye color doesn\u2019t come down to just<\/em> your parents (although their eye color can be a factor). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Blue Eyes a Mutation? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally, yes. Blue eyes were probably a mutation of brown eyes<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For thousands of years, brown was the only eye color out there. Genetic research indicates<\/a> that the mutation that caused blue eyes probably occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago with an individual in northern Europe. The mutation essentially \u201cturns off\u201d the iris\u2019s ability to produce melanin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generations and millennia later, the world has millions of people with blue eyes. So, although your parents sharing a common ancestor might sound strange (and potentially icky), rest assured the ancestor is far removed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a child is born with blue eyes today, it\u2019s the result of that mutation being passed down genetically. But the exact mechanism behind this inheritance is hard to parse and involves several genes<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If two parents have blue eyes, that doesn\u2019t guarantee their child will have blue eyes. Similarly, many parents with brown eyes have children with blue eyes. Genetics are just complicated! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side Effects of Having Blue Eyes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Does having blue eyes entail any lasting effects on people (other than impacting wardrobe choices, perhaps)? Turns out there are, in fact, some interesting claims about blue eyes, and many of them are health-related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Having Blue Eyes <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you were born with blue eyes, there are a few benefits you might not be aware of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n