Why do English people look German?

[sarahlayton06]

Why do some white English people (especially women not so much men) look so extremely German? Not French or Italian or Spanish but German.

This is not so much the case with Welsh or Irish or Scottish people.

For example, don’t you think Samantha Womack (who plays Ronnie Mitchell in Eastenders) looks extremely German?

If you spent much time in Germany you would realise that we don't

You've never heard of Anglo- Saxons then...

I have spent a lot of time in Germany and can honestly say I've not really noticed any more English people looking German than say Spanish or Italian.

Can you define 'looking German' OP?

Well... because the English are descended from Germanic tribes - e.g. the Angles and the Saxons. So some modern English people who are pretty directly descended from those lines will still look similar to German people with a similar descent. Lots of English and German people don't look like that though, because they have more mixed descent.

It's a strange observation. Essentially we are all Northern European celts. The celts originated broadly in Germany. Look up the Celtic Princess found in Southern Germany about 15 years ago for more context.

Spanish and Italian etc are southern european and are far more influenced by the North African/Middle Eastern proximity.

I

Samantha Womak and my German friend have the same colour hair.

That doesn't really mean anything though. I don't know that id look at either of them and think "oh, they're German"

Look at a map of Europe. It makes sense! Anglo-Saxons & Celts through Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Islands, Cornwall similar to Brittany in France.

I don’t think most English people look remotely German.

Maybe it's a northern European "Viking" thing as many English people have Viking DNA.

Perhaps the Celts put up more of a fight?

Obviously I have no idea.

Oh and I think Samantha Womack looks more Scandinavian (if we're going for sweeping generalisations!).

Facially maybe but German women are taller.

I think some of the Irish can look quite Scandinavian though.

Yes this.

Its not that English people look German, its that both regions have large populations descended from the same groups/tribes.

We really don’t! I could pick out an Irish person out of a crowd of English, German and Scandinavian people at the drop of a hat. Without hearing them.

I think that Womack is probably a Polish or Eastern European name.

Not German.

Very strong Norman lineage on one side of my family and whenever I meet someone with same surname you can see it straightaway. On numerous trips to Germany I've not felt that there was a particular German look. Probably the perception is more blonde haired people in Germany but only one of my German friends is blonde.

Anyway, what's an English/German/French look? We are all a mix of all sorts

She also hasn't been in eastenders for 7 years!

@Fistle As an Irish person I disagree & have people talk Dutch & Swedish to me in those countries. But I am tall.

Look up 'Germanic people' OP and all will be revealed.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Germany and English people definitely do not look German.

Don’t think it’s a Scandi country but in Estonia lots of people assumed I was Estonian too.

Nobody is really from one country these days. Most people are mixed

There is an Irish youtuber that I watch. Her name is Charlene Murphy.

She has a really strong Irish accent.

Charlene said recently that her mother is German, and that Charlene herself can speak German.

To look at her, she looks very irish. But a lot of irish people have mixed parents

Womack is her married name.

Everyone is a mixture these days.

We all move around. Our parents moved around