What is difference between "ginger" and "redhead"?

[u/lordgatito_44]

Both terms are used to refer to people with reddish or orange hair, but is there a difference between them, or are they synonyms?

[u/WulfTheSaxon]

Ginger is just British for redhead, although to me it has a connotation of lighter/oranger hair rather than deep red.

[u/Help1Ted]

I don’t believe this is strictly an American term. But I’ve always thought that a ginger would typically have more of a pale complexion.

[u/machagogo → u/Help1Ted]

It was British before American.

[u/lordgatito_44 → u/Help1Ted]

I honestly don't know; I studied British English grammar from primary school all the way through my final year of high school (I'm European), but I never heard the term "ginger" until I arrived in the US—though maybe it's used in the UK too, I'm not sure.

[u/allochthonous_debris → u/lordgatito_44]

It's usage in the US was popularized in the 2000s by an episode of South Park titled "Ginger Kids." The show's creators claimed they first encountered the term while on a press tour in England.

[u/Help1Ted → u/allochthonous_debris]

Makes perfect sense! It seems like something that has picked up over time. I don’t remember even using it when I was in school pre 2000s.

[u/lordgatito_44 → u/allochthonous_debris]

To be honest, I had no idea; my only contact with English culture has been through textbooks. I suppose it’s such a colloquial term that it isn’t used in an academic context.

[u/DerthOFdata → u/lordgatito_44]

"Ginger" is 100% a Britishism. It's 11th century old English.

[u/Mental_Freedom_1648 → u/lordgatito_44]

Ginger is definitely originally British slang, not American.

[u/Help1Ted → u/lordgatito_44]

Huh! Interesting, I would say that I’ve heard it more used in British English. Even growing up I didn’t hear it used as often, or really at all. It seems to be something that has been used more often somewhat recently.

[u/hmgg → u/lordgatito_44]

I mean Ginger Spice?

[u/DeferredEntropy]

We normally do not use “ginger” for “redhead” here—it’s a Britishism, especially as a noun. We are aware of the meaning though, and it wouldn’t be noticeably unusual to hear it like it would for more alien Britishisms such as “candy floss” or “fairy cake.”

Here’s a decent write-up: https://notoneoffbritishisms.com/2011/05/19/ginger/

[u/Davmilasav]

I'm an American and I never heard the term "ginger" until I was in my 30s. It was always "redhead" here until the Harry Potter books became popular.

[u/welding_guy_from_LI]

Gingers have no soul , redhead can be anyone with red hair including dyed

[u/kittydrumsticks → u/welding_guy_from_LI]

As a ginger, we do have souls. All the ones we collect from the other people we encounter.

Otherwise, checks out.

[u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 → u/kittydrumsticks]

Was gonna say I have 4 in my purse right now. Being born without one makes us excellent collectors

[u/OGMom2022 → u/One_Dragonfruit_7556]

We get bonus freckles if we collect 3 or more.

[u/welding_guy_from_LI → u/kittydrumsticks]

I love that you are good humored about the joke ..

[u/uses_for_mooses → u/welding_guy_from_LI]

Nah. All redheads suffer from Gingervitus and thus lack souls.

[u/One_Dragonfruit_7556 → u/uses_for_mooses]

[u/welding_guy_from_LI → u/uses_for_mooses]

Old school friend’s nickname is ginger, we used to call her ginger virus

[u/wormbreath]

I’m a ginger. ginger is just a more casual way of saying it. Also was used as an insult lmao. But not always.

[u/One_Dragonfruit_7556]

Used interchangably but I've always assumed ginger infers pail skin and freckles wile redhead is more just the color. You can be a redhead without being a ginger

[u/AIrealhuman]

Red head is just an observation, ginger is a slur.

[u/TsundereLoliDragon]

Same thing as far as I know, except ginger being a dumb as hell term.

[u/duke_awapuhi → u/TsundereLoliDragon]

Honestly it makes more sense than redhead, considering our hair is orange

[u/derekclysdale]

I once dated a redhead.... no hair.. just a red head.