Who Invented the Umbrella? A Short History of the Umbrella
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Calm Eden Journal · Updated October 16, 2026
No single person invented the umbrella. Sunshades were used in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China thousands of years ago, and China is credited with early collapsible and oiled-paper umbrellas for rain. The modern rain umbrella spread in Europe in the 1700s, got its steel frame in the 1800s and became a folding pocket umbrella in the 1900s.
Who invented the umbrella?
The umbrella has no single inventor. Shades held over important people appear in the art of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, and parasols were symbols of rank in India and across Asia. These early umbrellas were for sun, not rain, which is why the word parasol (from Italian, roughly "against the sun") is older in many languages than a word for a rain umbrella.
China has the strongest claim to the umbrella as we know it. Chinese makers built umbrellas that could open and close, and treated paper and silk canopies with oil and lacquer so they would shed rain. That idea, a collapsible frame with a water-resistant canopy, is the basis of every umbrella sold today. Our parasol vs umbrella guide explains how the two words still differ.
Umbrellas in China, Japan and Korea
From China, umbrella making spread across East Asia. In Japan it became a craft of its own: the wagasa, made of bamboo ribs and oiled washi paper, is still made by hand today, and the higasa sun parasol is an everyday item in Japanese summers. Using an umbrella for sun is completely normal in Japan, Korea and much of Asia, a habit that is now spreading in the US and Europe as people learn how much UV a canopy can block.
Read more in our Japanese umbrella guide.
How the umbrella reached Europe
Ancient Greeks and Romans used parasols, mostly carried by or for women. After that the umbrella faded from everyday European life for centuries and came back through trade with Asia. By the 1600s and 1700s parasols were fashionable in France and Italy, and the word umbrella itself comes from the Latin umbra, meaning shade.
Rain umbrellas took longer to catch on, especially in Britain, where they were seen as foreign and a little effeminate. Carrying one also suggested you could not afford a carriage, so coach drivers were not keen on them.
Jonas Hanway and the London umbrella
The person most often credited with making the rain umbrella normal in Britain is Jonas Hanway, an English traveller and philanthropist who carried one around London from around the 1750s. He was mocked for it at first, but by the end of his life umbrellas were common on London streets. For a while, an umbrella in England was even nicknamed a "Hanway".
In America, the playful slang word "bumbershoot" appeared in the late 1800s, a jokey blend of umbrella and parachute.
From whalebone to steel to the pocket umbrella
| Era | Change | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient world | Fixed sunshades and parasols | Shade and status, not rain |
| Ancient and medieval China | Collapsible frames, oiled paper and silk | The first practical rain umbrellas |
| 1700s Europe | Wood and whalebone frames, oiled canvas | Heavy but waterproof enough for city streets |
| 1850s | Steel ribs (Samuel Fox's Paragon frame) | Lighter, stronger and cheaper to make |
| 1920s | Telescopic folding umbrella (Hans Haupt, Germany) | Umbrellas small enough for a bag or pocket |
| Late 1900s | Push-button automatic opening, nylon and polyester canopies | Quick, light, everyday umbrellas |
| Today | Fiberglass and carbon fiber ribs, UV-blocking coatings | Frames that flex in wind and canopies made for sun too |
The newest step is the all-weather umbrella. The Haven Umbrella combines a one-press automatic compact with 30 carbon fiber ribs and a black under-layer rated SPF 50+ that blocks 99.99% of UV, so the same umbrella works for rain and for sun. See carbon fiber umbrellas and umbrellas for sun and rain.
Umbrella superstitions and gift customs
Opening an umbrella indoors is widely said to bring bad luck. One practical explanation is simply that early spring-loaded umbrellas were large and stiff, and opening one in a small room could hurt someone or break something. In some cultures, including Chinese tradition, an umbrella is avoided as a gift because the word sounds like "separation"; elsewhere it is a popular, practical present. If you are giving one, our umbrella gift ideas may help.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the umbrella first?
No one person did. Sunshades were used in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China thousands of years ago. China is credited with the first collapsible umbrellas with oiled, water-resistant canopies, which is the basic design of rain umbrellas today.
Why was the umbrella invented?
The first umbrellas were for shade from the sun and as a sign of status, carried over rulers and nobles. Using them against rain came later, once makers learned to oil or lacquer paper and silk canopies so they would shed water.
Why is an umbrella called a bumbershoot?
Bumbershoot is a playful American slang word from the late 1800s. It blends a mangled "umbrella" with the "-shoot" of parachute, which an open umbrella looks a little like.
When did people start using umbrellas for rain in Europe?
Rain umbrellas became common in Europe in the 1700s. In Britain, Jonas Hanway is credited with making them acceptable in London from around the 1750s, after years of being mocked for carrying one.
Is it bad luck to give an umbrella as a gift?
In some cultures, including Chinese tradition, an umbrella is avoided as a gift because the word sounds like separation. In most of the world it is a practical and popular present, especially a compact umbrella the person can carry every day.
Why is it bad luck to open an umbrella indoors?
It is a long-standing superstition. A practical reason often given is that early spring-loaded umbrellas were big and stiff, so opening one inside could easily hurt someone or knock things over.
Keep reading
- Types of umbrellas, every kind explained
- Best umbrella brands in the UK
- Parasol vs umbrella: what is the difference?
- Japanese umbrella guide
- Parts of an umbrella, named and explained
- Carbon fiber umbrella guide
- Umbrella gift ideas
Calm Eden sells the Haven Umbrella mentioned here. Product details come from our own listing; we have not lab-tested other umbrellas. UPF describes fabric, not a health outcome: an umbrella shades direct sun but not light reflected from the ground, so treat this guide as general information, not medical advice.