21 Lesser Known Facts About Being Left-Handed Most People Don’t Know
As a left-handed person, I’ve spent my whole life smearing ink across notebook paper, struggling with terrible scissors, and accepting that most objects on Earth were apparently designed by and for right-handed people only. So I thought I already knew all the weird lefty trivia out there. Turns out I didn’t.
These lesser-known facts about being left-handed were genuinely fascinating, and honestly, most of them completely checked out based on my own experience. Being left-handed is one of those small things that subtly shapes your entire life in ways you don’t even realize until someone points them out.
1. Dyslexia is more common in left-handed people.
Research from a 1993 analysis identified a strong correlation between left-handedness and dyslexia, though more recent findings have shifted focus toward mixed-handed individuals as showing a stronger link than left-handers alone.
2. Left-handed people make up between 10% and 12% of the world’s population.
Left-handed people are relatively rare, comprising just 10 to 12 percent of the global population, roughly one in every ten people.
To put that in perspective, if you applied that figure to New York City’s 8.478 million residents from the 2024 census, only around 847,000 of them would be left-handed.
3. Most left-handed people are better at multitasking.
The enhanced multitasking ability often seen in left-handed people may come down to brain structure. Research published in Science.org found that lefties tend to have a larger corpus callosum, the region responsible for communication between the brain’s two hemispheres.
So if you know someone who juggles tasks with ease, their dominant hand might be worth a second look.
4. Creativity is more common in left-handed people.
While it doesn’t hold true for every left-handed person, many lefties do tend toward creative pursuits, a pattern that researchers at the National Library of Medicine attribute to their greater reliance on the right side of the brain, widely regarded as the more artistic hemisphere.
5. While rare, left-handed water polo player have a competitive advantage.
Left-handed water polo players are a rare but highly sought-after asset, as Swimming.org notes they can simultaneously face the goal while remaining responsive to teammates, a combination that right-handed players simply can’t replicate as naturally.
6. Mothers over 40 are more likely to produce left-handed children.
A journal article from Duke University found that children born to mothers over the age of 40 have a higher likelihood of being left-handed, suggesting maternal age may play a role in determining handedness.
7. Left-handed boxers win more often.
Left-handed boxers may carry a surprising competitive edge. A study in bioRxiv found that southpaw fighters win more bouts, likely because their stance throws off opponents who are far more accustomed to facing right-handed challengers.
8. August 13th is Left-Handers Day
Lefties have their own day to celebrate — August 13 is International Left-Handers Awareness Day, an occasion dedicated to raising awareness about the left-handed experience and bringing the global community of lefties together.
9. Some cultures consider it rude to use your left hand.
International travelers should be mindful of local customs around handedness. In India, for instance, using the left hand to eat or handle food is considered disrespectful, as it is traditionally associated with bathroom hygiene rather than dining.
10. Allergies are more common in left-handed people.
According to a 1982 study, left-handers have a higher chance of developing immune disorders and conditions such as allergies. This isn’t to say every left-handed person suffers from bad allergies, but if you’re a lefty and tend to get a runny nose or itchy eyes, then this may be why.
11. Left-handed people are more likely to drink often.
Though the research remains limited, studies published on PubMed have found a notable correlation between left-handedness and higher alcohol consumption. Not suggesting that lefties are destined for dependency, but indicating they tend to drink more on average than their right-handed counterparts.
12. Nails grow back faster on left-handed people’s left hand.
Nail growth actually favors whichever hand you use most — the American Academy of Dermatology notes that nails grow faster on the dominant hand, meaning lefties will see quicker growth on the left and righties on the right.
13. More often than not, left-handed people draw people facing the right.
When examining drawings, a subtle pattern emerges. Left-handed artists tend to depict people facing the opposite direction, likely due to the natural motion of how their hand moves across the page, though this doesn’t apply to every lefty.
14. Female tennis players who are left-handed have the advantage over male tennis players.
Female professional tennis players who are left-handed appear to enjoy a greater competitive advantage in the sport than their male equivalents, according to research published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine.
15. Left-handed people usually have more vivid dreams.
While research in this area is limited, a study from the American Psychological Association suggests that left-handed individuals are more likely to recall vivid dreams, though the tradeoff is that lefties are also more prone to insomnia, which may explain restless nights for many in this group.
16. Lefties perform better in baseball than righties.
Similar to boxing, tennis and water polo, left-handed individuals tend to have an advantage at baseball too, especially as a pitcher, because they can generally throw curveballs and sliders that make it harder for those at bat to hit successfully, according to the MLB.
17. Men are more often left-handed than women.
Gender appears to play a small but meaningful role in handedness. A large 2008 meta-analysis found that men are 1.23 times more likely to be left-handed than women.
In practical terms, if 10 percent of women are left-handed, that figure rises to around 12 percent for men — a modest gap that becomes statistically significant when applied across large populations.
18. Celebrities like Oprah, Lady Gaga, and Hugh Jackman are lefties.
Some of the world’s most recognizable names are left-handed, including Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Hugh Jackman, Cardi B, Bill Gates, Tina Fey, and Gordon Ramsay.
19. Twins are much more likely to be left-handed.
Twins are disproportionately likely to be left-handed compared to single-birth children, with the Washington State Twin Registry reporting that around 17 percent of twins favor their left hand, a pattern attributed to a combination of genetics, environmental influences, and positioning in the womb.
20. Left-handed parents are more likely to have left-handed children.
Left-handedness does have a hereditary component. MedlinePlus notes that children with one or two left-handed parents are more likely to be lefties themselves, though the odds still favor right-handedness, meaning most children of left-handed parents will dominant their right hand.
21. Left-handed people often hit puberty later than righties.
Though not widely corroborated, a 1991 study found that left-handed boys entered puberty four to five months later on average than their right-handed peers.