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?

Because many of us are Anglo-Saxon in heritage and guess where them came from? I also have a German great grandad in addition (though also an Italian great great grandad so perhaps that balances out).

If you are from nobility however your heritage is more likely to be Norman, and Scots /northern England Viking. Irish, Welsh, Cornish and some Scot's Celtic ... it's quite fascinating to me at least.

Northern Europeans (so Dutch, Danes, Germans and Nordic have lots of shared heritage whereas southern European is different due to different invaders, differences population movements it ultimately it's still jumbled as people even then moved about more than we used to realise and we are an amazing melting pot!

Samantha Womack reading this thread like 🤔

I used to always be mistaken for Dutch or German as a child on camp sites in Europe.

Sad but true. Fuck my English genes.

No.

I admit I get mistaken for German by Germans in Germany until they hear my incredibly poor German! I'm blonde, blue eyed as are dc, as someone said (about a different matter relating to racial tensions in rural USA) we fit right into the stereotype.

Because we descend from tribes in the now area of German before traipsing over Doggerland to get to England.

Those same tribes would have travelled in lots of directions, spreading their genes.

I always think when looking at Moscow/ Muscovites on tv, that they look very ‘British’ in facial type and expression. I once visited St Petersburg and thought otherwise. Much more ‘Slavic’ faces. Anyone else?

My American boss said I looked Danish, as did some random hopeful at Burbank airport one time. Based on how my boss imitated my accent I sounded Danish too.

I am 99% English and 1% Russian according to 23andme.

I had a very old Frenchwoman in my 20's refuse to give me directions in Paris.
She looked me up and down...''Alleyman''?
Me , ''Non, Anglais''

She was then all effusive hugs and said she hated the Germans because of the War.

Was Doggerland a place? {Obviously Dogger Bank is a sea area} - I'll have to google!

English people don’t look German.

Wow....Doggerland was a place...underneath the North Sea where Dogger Bank now is.

Could you clarify exactly what you mean by that please?

On a visit to Norway (Oslo), I was surprised by how similar people appeared to those at home. They were totally different from Sweden. I've not been to Germany.

I'm English and never been mistaken for German in my life!
My mum was often asked where she was from - pic of her as a child

I don't know why you've excluded the Scottish. The Scottish side of my family look like people the Nazis would have put on posters as examples of perfect German specimens. The are all very blond and bonny and Von Trapp-ish. (Yes, I know they were Austrian.) The Irish side of my family look like particularly swarthy Sicilians.

OP obviously English people look German because they are descended from Germans.

I’m not sure what your point is. Charleen Murphy doesn’t look at all Irish. She’s had so much work done, she looks, if anything, ‘generic TikTok influencer’. She could be any nationality.

When I lived in Italy people would ask me if I was German or Swiss. I was completely confused by this, until a helpful bloke told me that they thought all English women looked like horses and I didn't, which I I think I was supposed to take as a compliment 🤔

Same thing happened to me when I visited Lidice in Czech Republic, I got evils from the people who worked there, one woman practically spat at me “German?”, “No, English” I replied, then they were all smiles and welcoming. I don’t think I look German but my kids say I do 🤷‍♀️

@oakleaffy Doggerland was the land bridge between us and Europe, if you visit the Norfolk coast you can see the footprints of the first people believed to live here 850,000 years ago

Just looked her up and hard agree.
She just looks like she could be from anywhere with botox and fillers.

I always think when looking at Moscow/ Muscovites on tv, that they look very ‘British’ in facial type and expression. I once visited St Petersburg and thought otherwise. Much more ‘Slavic’ faces. Anyone else?

Same look of discontent & depression but they have much better cheekbones.

This link is interesting - it’s average faces of every nationality
https://www.artfido.com/this-is-what-the-average-person-looks-like-in-each-country/