The common assumption about bald eagles seems to be that the species got its name from its head appearing bald of the brown feathers found elsewhere on its body. While the eagle's head is the reason for the species' name, the name has nothing to do with hair, or the lack thereof.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, when the bald eagle was named, the term 'bald' meant white, thus the name isn't pointing out a similarity to baldness, it's being literal. Other sources clarify that this can be taken a little farther, too, translating to 'white-headed,' specifically, and used in the case of other animals with a similar coloring pattern.
Chosen as the emblem of the United States of America in 1782 and first appearing on a Massachusetts copper cent coin in 1776, the bald eagle is known for representing freedom. More than 300,000 bald eagles can be found in the lower 48 states, with a population of up to 800 found in Colorado.
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