Need color names that inspire?
Wish you had a color thesaurus?
If you’re in search of more creative and unique color names than the basic “red” or “blue,” you’re in luck! Here’s a cool color names infographic by Ingrid Sundberg.
I know youlove color, so Iwanted to share it with you!
She’s come up with 20 different shades of white… as well as:
- 20 shades of tan with names
- 20 color names for yellow
- 20 other names for orange color
- 20 deep, bright, and light red color names
- 20 shades of pink color names
- 20 other names for purple color tones
- 20 blue color shades with names
- 20 green color names and swatches
- 20 different brown color names
- 20 color names for gray shades and tints
- and 20 blacks – or names for black, anyway! Most appear to be the same inky hue.
Plus I’ve added more, with links to their hex codes and RGB values. Now there are 349 color names.
And not the eye-popping, fluorescent, old-school web 1.0 shades of color you’ll find on many sites. These are pretty and inspiring for creatives, like writers, artists, and fashion designers.
So enjoy!
Ingrid has purple hair – or perhaps I should say amethyst! She’sa YA writer and children’s book illustrator who says:
One of my ongoing word collections is of colors. I love to stop in the paint section of a hardware store and find new names for red or white or yellow.
Having a variety of color names at my fingertips helps me to create specificity in my writing. I can paint a more evocative image in my reader’s mind if I describe a character’s hair as the color of rust or carrot-squash, rather than red.
From The Color Thesaurus byIngrid Sundberg.
So let’s get evocative with these creative color names!
20 Best Color Names for White
- White
- Pearl
- Alabaster
- Snow
- Ivory
- Cream
- Eggshell
- Cotton
- Chiffon
- Salt
- Lace
- Coconut
- Linen
- Bone
- Daisy
- Powder
- Frost
- Porcelain
- Parchment
- Rice
50 more white names on this page of 70 color codes for white.
20 Color Name Ideas for Tan
- Tan
- Beige
- Macaroon
- Hazelwood
- Granola
- Oat
- Eggnog
- Fawn
- Sugar Cookie
- Sand
- Sepia
- Ltte
- Oyster
- Biscotti
- Parmesan
- Hazelnut
- Sandcastle
- Buttermilk
- Sand Dollar
- Shortbread
Brighter colors below! Or find similar colors on this page of gold color codes.
33 Fun Color Names for Yellow
- Yellow
- Canary
- Gold
- Daffodil
- Flaxen
- Butter
- Lemon
- Mustard
- Corn
- Medallion
- Dandelion
- Fire
- Bumblebee
- Banana
- Butterscotch
- Dijon
- Honey
- Blonde
- Pineapple
- Tuscan Sun
Here are 13 more unique yellow names. Click to find all 20yellow color codes for the ones listed below.
- Bright yellow
- Mellow yellow
- Cyber yellow
- Royal yellow
- Banana
- Tuscany yellow
- Lemon yellow
- Bumblebee
- Cream yellow
- Peach
- Laguna yellow
- Mustard yellow
- Corn yellow
- Pineapple yellow
- Flaxen yellow
- Eggnog yellow
- Trombone yellow
- Flax yellow
- Ecru yellow
- Sepia yellow
More fun! Learn more about theyellow color meaning.
29 Awesome Color Names for Orange
- Orange
- Tangerine
- Marigold
- Cider
- Rust
- Ginger
- Tiger
- Fire
- Bronze
- Cantaloupe
- Apricot
- Clay
- Honey
- Carrot
- Squash
- Spice
- Marmalade
- Amber
- Sandstone
- Yam
More oranges? Of course!
Here are 9 different names, plus you can click to see all 20 orange color codes for the names below, with swatches.
- Bright orange
- Gold orange
- Goldenrod orange
- Pumpkin
- Fire orange
- Ochre orange
- Burnt orange
- Dijon orange
- Tangerine
- Tiger orange
- Honey orange
- Carrot orange
- Amber
- Apricot
- Bronze
- Cider
- Clay
- Rust
- Amber 2
- Spice
Opt for the optimal orange by learning the color meaning of orange.
36 Great Color Names for Red
- Red
- Cherry
- Rose
- Jam
- Merlot
- Garnet
- Crimson
- Ruby
- Scarlet
- Wine
- Brick
- Apple
- Mahogany
- Blood
- Sangria
- Berry
- Currant
- Blush
- Candy
- Lipstick
Really need reds? There are 16 more ravishing red names below!
Click to find all 20red hex codes and RGB values.
- Salmon red
- Scarlet
- Barn red
- Imperial red
- Indian red
- Chili red
- Fire Brick red
- Maroon
- Redwood
- Raspberry
- Candy apple red
- Ferrari red
- Persian red
- US Flag red
- Carmine red
- Burgundy
- Crimson red
- Sangria red
- Mahogany
And then learn about the red color meaning.
31 Prettiest Color Names for Pink
- Pink
- Rose
- Fuchsia
- Punch
- Blush
- Watermelon
- Flamingo
- Rouge
- Salmon
- Coral
- Peach
- Strawberry
- Rosewood
- Lemonade
- Taffy
- Bubblegum
- Ballet Slipper
- Crepe
- Magenta
- Hot Pink
Not the perfect pink? Below are 11 different pink names.
Click to findpink hex codesfor these 20.
- Bright pink
- Ruby
- Ultra Pink
- Thulian pink
- Magenta
- Rose pink
- Lavender pink
- Creamy pink
- Fuchsia
- French Rose
- Cerise
- Carnation pink
- Brick pink
- Amaranth
- Taffy pink
- Bubble Gum pink
- Hot Pink
- Punch pink
- Pink Lemonade
- Flamingo pink
Now peruse the pink color meanings.
31 Sophisticated Color Names for Purple
This is my favorite color panel! What’s yours?
You might want to learnwhat your Favorite Color says about you.
- Purple
- Mauve
- Violet
- Boysenberry
- Lavender
- Plum
- Magenta
- Lilac
- Grape
- Periwinkle
- Sangria
- Eggplant
- Jam
- Iris
- Heather
- Amethyst
- Raisin
- Orchid
- Mulberry
- Wine
Lots of baby names in this one! Mauve, Violet, Iris and Heather.
If you need vastly more violets, below are 11 additional names.
You can also check out all 20 purple hex codes for the list below.
- Violet
- Hibiscus
- Mauve purple
- Mulberry purple
- Lavender
- Orchid violet
- Lilac purple
- Electric violet
- African violet
- Grape
- Amethyst
- Byzantine purple
- Fandango purple
- Helio purple
- Floral purple
- Thistle
- Royal purple
- Lollipop purple
- Plum purple
- Eggplant
Designing with this hue? Learn the meaning of purple.
35 Cool Color Names for Blue
- Blue
- Slate
- Sky
- Navy
- Indigo
- Cobalt
- Teal
- Ocean
- Peaco*ck
- Azure
- Cerulean
- Lapis
- Spruce
- Stone
- Aegean
- Berry
- Denim
- Admiral
- Sapphire
- Arctic
15 more! Find 20blue hex codes to copy and paste for your designs.
- Bright blue
- Yale blue
- Pigeon blue
- Sky blue
- Independence blue
- Air Force blue
- Baby blue
- Navy blue
- Steel blue
- Carolina blue
- Turkish blue
- Maya blue
- Cornflower blue
- Olympic blue
- Sapphire
- Azure blue
- Egyptian blue
- Denim
- Prussian blue
- Space blue
Then check out the many meanings of blue.
32 Funky Color Names for Green
Some good baby names in here too! My granddaughter is named Fern 🙂
Other good names are Sage, Basil, and Olive.
But don’t choose a name without knowing the green color meanings.
- Green
- Chartreuse
- Juniper
- Sage
- Lime
- Fern
- Olive
- Emerald
- Pear
- Moss
- Shamrock
- Seafoam
- Pine
- Parakeet
- Mint
- Seaweed
- Pickle
- Pistachio
- Basil
- Crocodile
I think you’re getting the picture. 12 more green names below!
Click to see all 20 green hex codes and RGB values with color chart.
- Bright green
- Forest green
- Sage green
- Olive green
- Lime green
- Hunter green
- Jade green
- Artichoke green
- Fern green
- Jungle green
- Laurel green
- Moss green
- Mint green
- Pine green
- Tea green
- Army green
- Emerald green
- Kelly green
- Sacramento green
- Sea green
22 Unique Color Names for Brown
- Brown
- Coffee
- Mocha
- Peanut
- Carob
- Hickory
- Wood
- Pecan
- Walnut
- Caramel
- Gingerbread
- Syrup
- Chocolate
- Tortilla
- Umber
- Tawny
- Brunette
- Cinnamon
- Penny
- Cedar
Click to find 22 brown hex codes and color chart.
In this case it’s most of the ones listed above, with just these additional:
- Traditional brown
- Web safe brown
- Mid dark brown
- Espresso
- Russet brown
30 Elegant Color Names for Gray
Or grey color names, if you use British English!
- Grey
- Shadow
- Graphite
- Iron
- Pewter
- Cloud
- Silver
- Smoke
- Slate
- Anchor
- Ash
- Porpoise
- Dove
- Fog
- Flint
- Charcoal
- Pebble
- Lead
- Coin
- Fossil
10 more great gray names below.
Find 22 gray hex codes for the greys listed below.
- Gray
- Fossil gray
- Mink
- Pearl River
- Abalone
- Harbor gray
- Smoke
- Thunder gray
- Pewter
- Steel gray
- Stone
- Iron
- Rhino gray
- Trout gray
- Seal gray
- Lava gray
- Shadow
- Ash
- Anchor gray
- Charcoal gray
20 Amazing Color Names for Black
How’s your eye for color? These are definitely hard to differentiate!
You can even find 20 black hex codes.
- Black
- Ebony
- Crow
- Charcoal
- Midnight
- Ink
- Raven
- Oil
- Grease
- Onyx
- Pitch
- Soot
- Sable
- Jet Black
- Coal
- Metal
- Obsidian
- Jade
- Spider
- Leather
Communicate your message with black by learning the black color meanings.
Colors Conclusion and Resources
Did you enjoy the color thesaurus?
Check out more popular posts and infographics about color!
Learn color symbolism with 14 Top Color Meanings.
Color infographic for personal insights:
Color Personality: Test Yours With This Infographic!
Top ten color infographics for business branding:
Business Colors: Here’s How To Choose The Best for YOU
Creative fun for color lovers:
149 FREE Coloring Pages for Kids and Adults
Pin the colorful infographic below and never be at a loss for color names again!
This color thesaurus was originally published September 2015 and has been updated several times.