[4] The genus name is from Ancient Greek karpos, "fruit" and dakno, "to bite", and the specific erythrinus is from Latin erythros, "red".

The mature male has brilliant rosy-carmine head, breast and rump; heavy bill; dark brown wings with two indistinct bars, and a white belly.

Females and young males are dull-colored with yellowish-brown above, brighter on the rump and greyer on head; buff below.

Common rosefinches breed from the Danube valley, Sweden, and Siberia to the Bering Sea; the Caucasus, northern Iran and Afghanistan, the western Himalayas, Tibet and China; to Japan between latitudes 25° and 68°.

They are found in summer in thickets, woodland and forest edges near rivers and in winter in gardens and orchards, wetlands and locally in dry oak woods.