---
title: "What Causes Green Eyes: Rareness, Beauty, and More"
url: "https://www.visioncenter.org/conditions/green-eyes/"
description: "Ever wondered why some people have green eyes? It's not as simple as you might think. Eye color is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes, and green"
---

Ever wondered why some people have green eyes? It's not as simple as you might think.

Eye color is a complex trait influenced by multiple genes, and green eyes sit in a fascinating middle ground between blue and brown. Here’s more about this rare eye color.

## Why Do Some People Have Green Eyes?

**Eye color is typically caused by the level of melanin pigmentation in the iris, but it can be somewhat complicated.** As many as 16 genes influence the amount of melanin the iris produces.

These genes interact in complex ways, making it impossible to predict the color of a baby’s eyes. Melanin absorbs light, so irises with high amounts of melanin appear darker.

**Green eyes appear green because reflected light mixes with low levels of melanin in the iris, not because they contain green pigment.**

### What Do Green Eyes Look Like?

![Cute adorable one year old baby with green eyes eating from a bowl](/content-images/visioncenter-replacements-2026-08/vcimg-3f959a2a0d66-replacement.webp)

![29291348 man with green eyes](/content-images/visioncenter-replacements-2026-08/vcimg-75856515ad89-replacement.webp)

## How Rare Are Green Eyes?

**Unlike brown eyes, green eyes are quite rare.** **Only 2% of the population has naturally green eyes.**

**This trait is typically found among people from northern and central Europe.** European Americans with Germanic and Celtic ancestry comprise 16% of all green-eyed people.

However, that doesn’t mean they can’t appear in other parts of the world. Liqian, a remote village in Western China, is known for its high percentage of people with green eyes.

## What Makes Green Eyes Fascinating?

**Green eyes are particularly interesting because they sit in the middle of the spectrum between blue and brown.** They have less melanin than brown eyes but more than blue eyes.

**Unlike other eye colors, green eyes don’t appear in children right away.** They develop over six months to three years.

**Additionally, because green eyes have less melanin, they’re more vulnerable to UV damage from the sun.** If you have green eyes, consider wearing sunglasses when going out.

## How to Get Green Eyes?

Unfortunately, we’re stuck with our natural eye color. If you want green eyes, try getting non-prescription colored contact lenses.

These lenses are also called cosmetic, decorative, or costume lenses. You’ll have to talk to a doctor about getting colored contacts first because they’re illegal without a prescription.