Redheads in Poland - How many?

I would say 1in100 redheads in Poland but don't quote me.

1%, that's about right. No higher.

Red hair must be fairly prevalent in Poland - lots of people have thought that I am Polish becuse I have red hair. But I'm actually a Scot :)

Red hair is popular amongst some older women. It's dyed and not natural most of the time. I'm true red and proud, never any dye involved.

LondonChick maybe you look Polish, but not because of your hair, just your facial features.
Unless they tell you because of your hair they think that.

Total count on this thread: 16.

Statistically, I don't think this figure should be rounded down - I don't think the same person has been counted twice. But I think there probably are a few more out there who haven't been counted. Yet.

I did have a couple of classmates in Poland with natural red hair. Not a popular color to have when you're a kid. It changes later, and many women, young and old, color their hair red or add a hint of it (including me). :)

I had a kid live next door with red hair. So you can add 1 one more.

Did the other kids called him/her "rudy rydz" or "wiewióra"? :)

(Lactarius deliciosus, known as the Saffron milk cap, Red pine mushroom)

You certainly can, but due to the possibility this 'kid next door' may have already been counted, we're still on 16.

Oh! Alright, twist my arm. 17 it is.


Nothing to do with squirrels? There was a German bloke at work with real proper ginger hair. As many people there were referred to by animal names, he was wiewiórka.

I like your usage of the Latin name. Marvellous stuff. This Latin thing may catch on yet!

Its funny you mention it. They called him Rudy. To think of it everybody had some sort of nickname.

Not content with the multitude of forms of Polish names, additional ones seemed to be required (along with their various diminutive forms). I have heard (and even used) the nickname Rudy for someone.

Yes, wiewióra, wiewiórka would be a squirrel. Nothing changed then.

Wiewiorka name would not work here well, the city/suburban squirrels are grey - not lovely red like in Poland.

Had anybody eaten rydze? Sauteed, pickled... They are the tastiest!

It is possible, but I'm not the mushroom expert I'd like to be.
I had to look them up, and now I want to eat some.


Same with the squirrels here. They are now taking over Italy and it's only a matter of time before they get past the Alps and the cute little red squirrel will be doomed.

Then the beautiful, pure, polish, red squirrels should not fool around with all the grey ones who want to marry them and have baby squirrels :)

Maybe the grey squirrels have bigger nuts.

I hate to be technical about it, but the greys and reds don't interbreed - the greys just outcompete the reds until the reds die out. Greys are better at finding other squirrels' nuts (stop giggling at the back please). Greys can digest acorns, reds either can't or just can't as easily. There is also a disease that greys carry that doesn't do them much harm but kills the reds. They don't actually fight eachother - if they did, I reckon the plucky little reds would kick those grey arses right off the continent.

Poland's coniferous forest may help save it's red squirrel population as the greys don't really take to conifers whereas the reds can adapt to it, although it is not their preference.

But there may come a time (returning to topic), when the name wiewiórka will have to be reserved for old people instead.

I must admit, I did giggle.

Good Post, surprisingly it was interesting. Just got to ask you, how the hell do you know all that?

I like wildlife and I mourn the loss of the red squirrel in this part of the world.
There was a very interesting radio program I heard a couple of years ago and it stuck in my mind.

WARNING: THE GREYS ARE OUT THERE

Its great that someone actually cares. I admire that.

we saved a family of babie squirrels this summer.. one was screamin from the neighbors
dog.. momma must have been hit by a car or died somewhere, these babies didnt even
have their eyes open.. they were so cute too.. we named them and everything.

no.
i know 3 ppl

I know 2

when i was little in just the right light my hair look as red as a apple but then i got high lights & it never looks red anymore but i dont think looking red in certian light counts :)

so 17(or 18,20,21,23) outa 38 million poles are red heads so far.......

I saw a redhead at the gym. I am a natural redhead, but not "ginger" red, it's dark auburn

I remember meeting a very redheaded lady in Warsaw (natural redhead) and a guy whose hair was read until it went white. Redheads do exist here, just not so many as in, say, Edinburgh.

Some Poles associate red hair with Jewish people (until recently contacts with Celtic types have been rare). Maybe someone has heard the term "ryża Żydówka". Is the incidence of red hair amongst Jews higher than amongst ethnic Poles?

There are plenty. I would say 4-10% of the population. It is a rare color in general, anywhere you go.

No way. 4% would be one in every 25 people you meet is a redhead. Not a chance (unless you include the old ladies with red "farbowany" hair).

I can't think of a single Polish genuine ginger that I've met. I think it must be much nearer 1% or 1 in 100. Maybe it varies in different regions, but in the Zgierz area there simply aren't (m)any.

Old and middle aged Polish women like to dye their hair red. But it's not natural of course.