The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (2024)

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (1)

Anybody with even a passing knowledge of Italy knows that most Italians with blue eyes are from the North.

The reason why Italians vary somewhat in looks is that Italy has been invaded and colonized by various groups over the millennia.

Prior to Italy’s invasion by the Moors, Italians were more often than not fair.

The Moors were mostly dark-haired and dark-eyed (they were an ethnic mix of Middle Eastern Arabs and North African tribes), who settled largely in Sicily and the far south.

The ancestral lineage of most southern Italians goes back to the Moors and the Greeks, and other people from all corners of the Mediterranean area, whereas the northerners go back to the Gauls, the Celts, and the vast assortment of Germanic tribes which came, and went for centuries.

This is why Italians from the north are generally lighter than those from the south.

While it’s more common for Italians to have hazel/brown eyes, around 14% are blue-eyed according to a recent French magazine article.

So next time someone tells you Italians only have dark eyes, tell them to take a step back from the usual stereotype and, maybe, take a trip to Italy in order to see how diverse it is.

Five famous Italians with blue eyes

Carla Bruni

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (2)

Carla Bruni is a former Italian singer-songwriter and fashion model. In 2008, she married Nicolas Sarkozy, then president of France.

Born: Turin, Piedmont (Northern Italy).

Chiara Ferragni

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (3)

Chiara Ferragni is an Italian entrepreneur, and designer. In September 2017, Ferragni was ranked first on the Forbes “Top Fashion Influencers” list.

Born: Cremona, Lombardy (Northern Italy).

Marco Verratti

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (4)

Marco Verratti is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Italy national team.

Born: Pescara, Abruzzo (central Italy).

Bianca Balti

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (5)

Bianca Balti is an Italian actress and top model.

Born: Lodi, Lombardy (Northern Italy).

Frank Sinatra

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (6)

Despite being born in the U.S., Frank Sinatra was 100 percent Italian. His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname “Ol’ Blue Eyes”.

Born: Hoboken, New Jersey. His father was from Palermo, Sicily (southern Italy), and his mom was from Genoa, Liguria (northern Italy).

The Origin of Italians With Blue Eyes (2024)

FAQs

Which Italians have blue eyes? ›

55% of italians have brown eyes. 12% has blue eyes, mainly those belonging to aplogroup Y-DNA R1b-M269. Blue eyes are common in northern regions especially in Fiuli and Veneto due to germanic invasions of the ancient times.

What eye Colour is most common in Italy? ›

Most Italians have dark eyes (brown, or more rarely black), almost 70%. That's why you see more commonly brown-eyed Italians. Actual green eyes aren't very common (1–2%), however an estimated 18% of Italians have hazel eyes, which you may see as green. Around one out of 8 or 9 Italians (around 12%) have blue eyes.

What makes up Italian DNA? ›

Southern Italians are closest to the modern Greeks, while the Northern Italians are closest to the Spaniards and Southern French. There is also Bronze/Iron Age West Asian admixture in Italy, with a much lower incidence in Northern Italy compared with Central Italy and Southern Italy.

Are blue eyes native to Europe? ›

The original mutation in OCA2 arose between 6 and 10 thousand years ago in the Black Sea region of Europe. Shortly after this time, a large-scale migration occurred from the Black Sea to Northern Europe. Today, most blue-eyed individuals have ancestry from there.

How rare are blue eyes in Italy? ›

Yes, Italians, as all other Europeans (and beyond), have sometimes blue eyes. Most Italians have dark eyes (brown, or more rarely black), almost 70%. That's why you see more commonly brown-eyed Italians.

What part of Italy has the most blue eyes? ›

Blue eyes are relatively common in some regions of Italy, particularly in the north and central regions. The highest percentage of blue-eyed individuals can be found in the region of Liguria, which is located in northwestern Italy on the Mediterranean coast.

What ethnicity has the most blue eyes? ›

Scientists believe that it is possible to trace all blue-eyed people back to a common ancestor, who likely had a genetic mutation that reduced the amount of melanin in the iris. Most people with blue eyes are of European descent.

What is the rarest eye color in the world? ›

The rarest eye color is green, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Only two percent of the global population has green eyes.

What is the rarest eye Colour in Europe? ›

The rarest eye color is likely red and violet (in people with albinism) or green (in the general population). Studies on eye color are limited and most of them have been conducted in the United States and Europe where light eye colors, like blue and green, are more common than they are globally.

What nationality is most likely to have blue eyes? ›

Blue eyes are a fascinating and unique trait that can be found in many different parts of the world. Approximately 8% of the global population has blue eyes, with higher concentrations in certain countries such as Lithuania (95%), Finland and Estonia (89%) or the United States (16.6%).

How many Italians have blue or green eyes? ›

Anyway in Italy there is a good variety of eye and hair colors. 70/80% of people worldwide have brown eyes (45% in Italy) 8/10% have blue eyes (15% in Italy), 5% have hazel eyes (25% in Italy), 2% have green eyes (10% in Italy).

What nationality is known for blue eyes? ›

Estonia – 89% An estimated 89 percent of Estonians have blue eyes. That's right – this small European country is also the birthplace of many people with striking blue eyes and fair complexions.

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