Color Name Finder

Find the closest name for any color, with its copy-ready HEX match.

Closest named color

Why use a color name finder?

Enter a HEX code or pick a color and it returns the closest recognised color name, from common ones like Royal Blue to more specific shades. It is the quick way to put a word to a color you only have as a number.

How to find a color name from a HEX code

Pick a color with the sliders or type a HEX code.
Read the closest named match and how exact it is.
Copy the name or the matched HEX.

Why use color names instead of HEX codes?

Naming a color is useful for documenting a brand palette, briefing a client, or labelling swatches in a design file. For a print-oriented, Pantone-style match instead, use the Pantone-Style Picker.

How close is the match?

The tool finds the nearest name by color distance and tells you whether it is an exact or approximate match.

Can I search by name?

Enter a known color name and it will resolve to its HEX, then show the nearest catalogued match.

The 100 most popular color names and where they come from

Most color names are borrowed from something real, a fruit, a flower, a gemstone, a metal, a dye or even a battle. Here are a hundred of the most searched-for color names with their HEX code and the story behind the name. Type any of them into the finder above to see its closest match.

Color name	HEX code	Where the name comes from
Red	#FF0000	Old English “rēad”, from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning red or ruddy.
Crimson	#DC143C	From Arabic “qirmizī”, the dye made from the kermes insect.
Scarlet	#FF2400	From Old French “escarlate”, once a fine cloth, later its bright red colour.
Vermilion	#E34234	From Latin “vermiculus” (little worm), the kermes insect used for the dye.
Maroon	#800000	From French “marron”, meaning chestnut.
Burgundy	#800020	Named after the red wine of the Burgundy region of France.
Ruby	#E0115F	After the ruby gemstone, from Latin “rubeus” (red).
Cherry	#D2042D	Named after the colour of ripe cherries.
Cardinal	#C41E3A	After the scarlet robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals.
Brick	#CB4154	Named after the colour of fired clay bricks.
Rose	#FF007F	Named after the rose flower.
Pink	#FFC0CB	After the flower “pink” (Dianthus), whose petals look pinked, or notched.
Hot Pink	#FF69B4	A vivid pink popularised in 20th-century fashion and print.
Salmon	#FA8072	After the pink-orange flesh of the salmon fish.
Coral	#FF7F50	Named after the colour of marine coral.
Magenta	#FF00FF	Named after the 1859 Battle of Magenta in Italy.
Fuchsia	#FF77FF	After the fuchsia flower, named for botanist Leonhart Fuchs.
Orange	#FFA500	After the orange fruit, via Sanskrit “nāraṅga”.
Tangerine	#F28500	After the tangerine, a citrus once shipped from Tangier.
Apricot	#FBCEB1	Named after the soft colour of the apricot fruit.
Peach	#FFE5B4	Named after the peach fruit.
Amber	#FFBF00	After fossilised tree resin, amber.
Gold	#FFD700	Named after the precious metal gold.
Yellow	#FFFF00	From Old English “geolu”.
Lemon	#FFF700	Named after the lemon fruit.
Mustard	#FFDB58	After the dull yellow of mustard paste.
Saffron	#F4C430	After the saffron spice, from Arabic “za‘farān”.
Honey	#EBA937	Named after the colour of honey.
Khaki	#C3B091	From Urdu and Persian “khāk”, meaning dust or earth.
Beige	#F5F5DC	French, originally describing natural undyed wool.
Tan	#D2B48C	From tanning leather with tannin from oak bark.
Cream	#FFFDD0	Named after the colour of dairy cream.
Ivory	#FFFFF0	After the creamy white of elephant tusk ivory.
Wheat	#F5DEB3	Named after the colour of ripe wheat.
Olive	#808000	Named after the unripe olive fruit.
Lime	#BFFF00	Named after the lime fruit.
Chartreuse	#7FFF00	After the French Chartreuse liqueur made by Carthusian monks.
Green	#008000	From Old English “grēne”, related to “grow”.
Emerald	#50C878	After the emerald gemstone.
Jade	#00A86B	After the jade stone, from Spanish “piedra de ijada”.
Forest Green	#228B22	Named after the deep green of woodland.
Mint	#3EB489	Named after the mint plant.
Sage	#9CAF88	Named after the grey-green sage herb.
Teal	#008080	After the eye stripe of the Eurasian teal duck.
Turquoise	#40E0D0	After the turquoise stone, French “pierre turquoise” (Turkish stone).
Cyan	#00FFFF	From Greek “kyanos”, meaning dark blue.
Aqua	#00FFFF	From Latin “aqua”, meaning water.
Aquamarine	#7FFFD4	From Latin “aqua marina” (sea water); also the gemstone.
Sky Blue	#87CEEB	Named after the colour of the daytime sky.
Azure	#007FFF	From Persian and Arabic “lāzaward”, the stone lapis lazuli.
Cerulean	#2A52BE	From Latin “caeruleus”, meaning sky or heaven.
Cobalt	#0047AB	After cobalt pigment, from German “Kobold” (goblin).
Blue	#0000FF	From Old French “bleu”, of Germanic origin.
Royal Blue	#4169E1	A deep blue said to have been created for a British queen’s gown.
Navy	#000080	After the dark blue of British Royal Navy uniforms.
Indigo	#4B0082	After indigo dye, from Greek “indikon” (from India).
Ultramarine	#4166F5	From Latin “ultramarinus” (beyond the sea); lapis lazuli shipped overseas.
Sapphire	#0F52BA	After the sapphire gemstone.
Steel Blue	#4682B4	Named after the blue-grey sheen of polished steel.
Periwinkle	#CCCCFF	Named after the periwinkle flower.
Lavender	#E6E6FA	Named after the lavender flower.
Lilac	#C8A2C8	Named after the lilac blossom.
Violet	#8F00FF	Named after the violet flower.
Purple	#800080	From Tyrian purple dye, Greek “porphyra”, a Mediterranean sea snail.
Mauve	#E0B0FF	French for the mallow flower; the first synthetic aniline dye, 1856.
Plum	#8E4585	Named after the plum fruit.
Orchid	#DA70D6	Named after the orchid flower.
Amethyst	#9966CC	After the gemstone, Greek “amethystos” (not drunk).
Wisteria	#C9A0DC	Named after the wisteria flower.
Eggplant	#614051	Named after the deep purple skin of the aubergine.
Brown	#964B00	From Old English “brūn”.
Chocolate	#7B3F00	Named after chocolate, from Nahuatl “xocolātl”.
Coffee	#6F4E37	Named after the colour of brewed coffee.
Mocha	#967969	After Mocha, the Yemeni port famed for its coffee.
Caramel	#C68E17	Named after caramelised sugar.
Chestnut	#954535	Named after the chestnut nut.
Mahogany	#C04000	Named after the reddish-brown mahogany wood.
Sienna	#882D17	After the earth pigment from Siena, Italy.
Umber	#635147	Earth pigment, linked to Umbria, Italy or Latin “umbra” (shadow).
Ochre	#CC7722	From Greek “ōkhros” (pale yellow); a natural clay pigment.
Sepia	#704214	From Greek “sēpia” (cuttlefish), whose ink made the pigment.
Rust	#B7410E	Named after the colour of oxidised iron, rust.
Terracotta	#E2725B	From Italian “terra cotta”, meaning baked earth.
Copper	#B87333	After the metal, from Latin “cuprum” (from Cyprus).
Bronze	#CD7F32	Named after the copper-tin alloy bronze.
Brass	#B5A642	Named after the copper-zinc alloy brass.
Sand	#C2B280	Named after the colour of beach sand.
Camel	#C19A6B	Named after the tan colour of camel hair.
Taupe	#483C32	From French “taupe”, meaning mole, after the animal’s fur.
Silver	#C0C0C0	Named after the precious metal silver.
Gray	#808080	From Old English “græg”.
Charcoal	#36454F	Named after charred wood, charcoal.
Slate	#708090	Named after the blue-grey colour of slate rock.
Ash	#B2BEB5	Named after the pale grey of wood ash.
Pewter	#899499	Named after the dull grey tin alloy pewter.
Gunmetal	#2A3439	Named after the dark alloy once used for guns.
Black	#000000	From Old English “blæc”.
Ebony	#555D50	Named after the dense black ebony wood.
Onyx	#353839	Named after the black onyx stone.
Jet	#343434	After jet, a black lignite gem, from Gagae in ancient Lycia.
White	#FFFFFF	From Old English “hwīt”.
Snow	#FFFAFA	Named after the colour of fresh snow.
Pearl	#EAE0C8	Named after the soft sheen of pearls.
Eggshell	#F0EAD6	Named after the off-white of an eggshell.
Linen	#FAF0E6	Named after the natural colour of linen fabric.