Eye color chart: every color, shade, and percentage
Quick answer: human eye colors fall into six families: brown (most common worldwide), blue (~8–10%), hazel (~5%), amber (~5%), green (~2%), and gray (under 1%). Each family spans many shades, from ice blue to steel blue or from chestnut to near-black brown, because eye color is a spectrum, not a set of boxes. Percentages are rounded estimates; figures vary by study and region.
Every iris gets its color from three ingredients: brown melanin pigment, golden lipochrome pigment, and blue tones from light scattering in the iris structure. More melanin means darker eyes; less melanin lets gold and blue effects show through. The chart below maps the resulting families and their most recognizable shades.
The chart
| Color | Estimated global share | Common shades | What creates it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | Most common; roughly 7–8 in 10 people | Light brown, chestnut, chocolate, dark brown ("black") | Plentiful melanin in the iris's front layer |
| Blue | ~8–10% | Ice blue, light blue, steel blue, deep blue | Very little melanin; blue comes from scattered light |
| Hazel | ~5% | Hazel green, hazel brown, golden hazel | Uneven melanin: dense near the pupil, sparse at the rim |
| Amber | ~5% | Golden, honey, copper | Dominant golden lipochrome pigment |
| Green | ~2% | Emerald, sage, deep green | Low melanin plus lipochrome plus scattered light |
| Gray | Under 1% | Silver gray, steel gray, blue-gray | Minimal pigment with a denser, evenly scattering iris |
Rarer appearances sit outside these families: the red or violet look associated with albinism, and heterochromia, where one person has two different colors at once. Both are covered in rare eye colors, ranked.
Shades within each family
Shades of brown eyes
Brown spans the widest range of any family. Light brown and chestnut eyes show golden warmth in daylight; chocolate brown reads rich and even; very dark brown looks black outside bright light. Truly black irises don't exist; they're dense-melanin brown.
Shades of blue eyes
Ice blue eyes are so light they border on gray; steel blue carries a gray-blue coolness; deep blue holds its saturation even in dim light. Because blue comes from scattered light rather than blue pigment, all blue eyes shift noticeably with lighting.
Shades of hazel eyes
Hazel is defined by zoning rather than one hue. Hazel green rims a golden center with green; hazel brown keeps brown dominant with green edges; golden hazel sits close to amber but still shows multiple zones. The hazel vs green guide explains the boundary case.
Shades of green eyes
Emerald green is vivid and even; sage green is softer and grayer; deep green borders on hazel when gold flecks appear near the pupil.
Shades of gray and amber eyes
Gray runs from bright silver to dark steel, sometimes with a blue or green cast. Amber runs from pale honey to copper; unlike hazel, the color is uniform across the iris.
Where on the chart are your eyes?
Reading a chart is one thing; placing your own iris on it is another, especially for in-between shades like steel blue versus gray, or hazel green versus green. Daylight and a close-up photo help; a scan settles it. If you're starting from zero, begin with what color are my eyes?
Find your exact shade on the chart
The free Eye Color Identifier app names your shade precisely, like Steel Blue or Emerald Green, from a single photo, with pigment percentages, a rarity score, and a copyable hex palette of your iris.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common eye color?
Brown, by a wide margin: roughly 7 to 8 in 10 people worldwide.
How many eye colors are there?
Six main families (brown, blue, hazel, amber, green, gray), each spanning many shades on a continuous spectrum.
What percentage of people have blue eyes?
Roughly 8 to 10 percent globally, with much higher shares in northern Europe.
Can eyes be black?
No. Eyes that look black are very dark brown irises with dense melanin.
Sources
- American Academy of Ophthalmology, Your blue eyes aren't really blue
- MedlinePlus Genetics, Is eye color determined by genetics?