Why are pagans and heathens labeled as the same thing?

for some reason i don't see pagans and heathens as the same pagans tend to be well how to put it? very light fluffy almost christan kinda people where as heathens seem to be more like "you f**k with me and my kin you'll beg me to kill you" kinda people. its almost like anyone can run around saying they are a witch or a druid without knowing anything where as you have to have some form of knowledge to be heathen otherwise other heathens will put you in your place. for some reason i just don't see heathen paths and pagan paths to be at all the same nor see why people would label them together. so i guess my question is are heathens considered pagans?