As a child, you colored with Crayola’s wonderful array of well-named crayons, such as timberwolf, periwinkle, bittersweet, and carnation pink. Now, as an adult, you encounter creative, colorful words every time you buy lipstick (rose tea, marvelous mauve), hair color (sable, chestnut), or even house paint (wisteria snow, sapphire glow). Why not be inspired by these wonderful shades by checking out our list of colorful baby names for your baby boy or baby girl.

Because color words evoke certain images, the names given to products of color are vitally important to their success. With this in mind, you can develop a visually inspired “color” name for your child. Get creative – think about your favorites and go from there!

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The colors of the rainbow provide an easy starting point. Is one of them a particular favorite? If so, use the basic color word or one of the many other words from the same palette.

Red – One of the primary colors, red is often associated with fire, blood, and love, as well as guilt, sin and danger. Studies show that red is the most attention-getting color. But that doesn’t mean you should name your child after Red Skelton. Try one of these related colors:

Alizarin (try Aliza, Zarin)
Amaranth (Amar, Martha)
Apple
Auburn (Aubrey)
Burgundy 
Cardinal
Carmine
Carnelian (Leon)
Cerise
Cherry
Copper (Copelia)
Crimson 
Gules (Giles, Gill, Julia)
Magenta (Maggie)
Persimmon (Percy, Simon)
Poppy
Rouge
Rose
Ruby
Sangria (Angie)
Scarlet

Orange – This eye-catching hue is close to the red family but evokes a completely different reaction. Since it’s highly visible against the blue of the sky, orange is often used in safety gear and apparel, such as hunting and construction. Found halfway between red and yellow, orange is the sort of color that is more popular at some times than at others. These variations of orange are great for names:

Apricot (April)
Blaze (Blaise)
Champagne (Charmaine)
Coral
Peach
Pumpkin
Rust (Russell, Rusty)
Salmon (Sal, Mona)
Tangerine (Angie, Gerard)
Tawny
Tenne
Vermilion (Velma, Leon)

Yellow – Despite its bright, cheery appearance, this primary color is often associated with the aging, jealousy and cowardliness. Etymology aside, yellow – for many – is a favorite, happy hue which comes in many variations, such as these:

Amber
Blonde (Blondie)
Cream
Ecru
Flax

Giallo (Gianna, Gallo)
Gold (Goldie
Honey

Khaki

Linen

Maize (Maisy)
Ochre
Saffron (Ron)
Sol (Saul)
Sunflower (Sunny, Sonny)
 
Brown – Mix together reds, oranges and yellows, and you’ll like end up with some shade of brown. Sometimes referred to as “the new black,” brown can range from light and ashy to deep and rich:

Auburn
Ash
Beige
Bronze
Brown
Chocolate
Cocoa
Coffee
Sandy
Sepia
Sienna
Taupe
Umber

Green – Created by a mixture of yellow and blue, green positively represents growth and prosperity but can also be associated with jealousy or sickness. Whether you’re an earth-loving greenie or just fond of the color, consider bestowing a natural name on your offspring.

Basil
Bud
Celadon (Celina, Don)
Chartreuse 
Chlorophyll (Chloris, Phil or Phyllis)
Emerald (Emma, Emily)
Fern
Forrest
Harlequin (Harley, Quinn)
Hazel
Holly
Hunter
Ivy
Jade
Kelly
Myrtle
Olive (Olivia)
Pear
Pine
Tea
Viridian (Deanne, Dion)

Blue and Indigo – For some, these colors represent sadness, such as the blues of the music world. But for others blue is calming and serene, like the ocean. From cyan to navy, primary blue has a tremendous range… and many wonderful blue names:

Aqua
Azure 
Carolina 
Cerulean (Carol)
Cobalt (Coby)
Cyan (Cheyenne)
Denim
Dodger
Duke 
Indigo
Jean (Gen)
Marine (Marie, Marnie)
Maya
Midnight
Navy
Ocean
Powder
River
Sapphire
Sky (Skye)
Steel
Turquoise

Violet – The last color of the rainbow – falling between red and blue – is violet, or purple. This color often signifies royalty or regality.

Amethyst
Heliotrope
Fuchsia
Imperial
Lavender
Lilac
Laurel (Laura)
Mauve (Maude)
Orchid
Pansy
Pleiades
Prince
Royal
Thistle
Tokyo
Tyrian
Violet
Wisteria

Black & White

Black (the absence of color), white (the presence of color) and gray (the achromatic colors in between) offer their own unique set of name options:

Bistre
Charcoal
Lily
Quartz
Silver
Slate
Stone
Storm
Xanadu

There are countless ways to incorporate color into your baby’s name. Pick your college sports team (Carolina blue), a beloved song (Hendrix purple Haze), or a favorite flower (Lily white).

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