Unique colour list

This is a curated list of single-word named colours with fixed hex values and approximate dates of first recorded use.

The list is intentionally limited, historically grounded, and opinionated. It does not adhere to, derive from, or attempt to mirror any web colour standard or browser-defined colour set. Each colour has a single canonical hex value to avoid ambiguity.

It exists as a practical reference for design, development, mapping, and any system that benefits from stable, named colours.

List of colours

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Ruby

#C40234 from 1572

Scarlet

#FF2400 from 1250

Crimson

#DC143C from c. 1400

Carmine

#960018 from 1523

Red

#E42313 ancient

Burgundy

#660033 from 1523

Maroon

#800000 from 1789

Claret

#7F1734 from 1547

Wine

#722F37 from 1547

Bloodred

#880808 ancient

Cardinal

#C41E3A from 1698

Murrey

#AD4379 from 1537

Oxblood

#4A0000 from 1695

Vermilion

#E34234 from 1570

Ochre

#C75B12 from 1780

Tangerine

#F28500 from 1899

Orange

#FF5800 from 1502

Burntorange

#CC5500 from 1915

Amber

#FFC000 from 1500

Coral

#FF7F50 from 1513

Peach

#FEBAAD from 1588

Apricot

#FBCEB1 from 1851

Terracotta

#E2725B from 1782

Saffron

#F4C430 from 1200

Goldenrod

#DAA520 from 1915

Yellow

#FFFF00 from c. 700

Gold

#FFD700 from 1423

Lemon

#FDFD96 from 1598

Mustard

#FFDB58 from 1886

Gamboge

#EF9B0F from 1604

Citrine

#E4D00A from 1386

Chartreuse

#DFFF00 from 1892

Forest

#228B22 from 1810

Green

#00A550 from c. 700

Bottle

#006A4E from 1816

Spring

#A7FC00 from 1598

Emerald

#32CD32 from 1598

Viridian

#40826D from c. 1860

Aquamarine

#7FFFD4 from 1598

Turquoise

#40E0D0 from 1573

Cyan

#00FFFF from 1879

Aqua

#08F0DA from 1598

Celeste

#B2FFFF from 1750

Teal

#008080 from 1917

Seagreen

#2E8B57 from 1598

Pine

#015F56 from 1923

Jade

#00BB77 from 1892

Celadon

#ACE1AF from 1627

Sage

#BCB88A from c. 1600

Olive

#808000 from c. 1400

Eucalyptus

#66745B from 1946

Mint

#ADEBB3 from 1920

Periwinkle

#CCCCFF from 1922

Sky

#87CEEB from 1681

Slate

#708090 from 1705

Cerulean

#007BA7 from 1590

Capri

#00BFFF from 1920

Azure

#0080FF from 1374

Blue

#0321D3 ancient

Ultramarine

#180CB0 from 1598

Navy

#000070 from 1813

Cobalt

#0047AB from 1777

Midnight

#0F0343 from 1915

Iceblue

#99FFFF from 1915

Powderblue

#B0E0E6 from 1894

Electric

#3137FD from 1845

Plum

#8E4585 from 1805

Lilac

#C8A2C8 from 1775

Violet

#8000FF from 1370

Lavender

#B57EDC from 1705

Purple

#7D26CC from c. 900

Mauve

#E0B0FF from 1796

Mulberry

#C54B8C from 1776

Byzantium

#702963 from 1926

Amaranth

#E52B50 from 1690

Tyrian

#66023C from 1570

Hotpink

#FF69B4 from 1937

Bubblegum

#FFC1CC from 1927

Salmon

#FA8072 from 1776

Carnation

#FFA6C9 from 1535

Cerise

#DE3163 from 1858

Magenta

#FF0090 from 1859

Rose

#FF5CCD from 1382

Pink

#FFB6C1 from c. 1700

Fuchsia

#C154C1 from 1892

Babypink

#F4C2C2 from 1928

Brown

#964B00 from c. 1000

Coffee

#6F4E37 from 1695

Chestnut

#954535 from 1555

Russet

#80461B from 1562

Sepia

#704214 from c. 1800

Chocolate

#7B3F00 from 1737

Rust

#B7410E from 1692

Bronze

#CD7F32 from 1753

Umber

#635147 from c. 1600

Sienna

#882D17 from 1760

Copper

#B87333 from 1594

Bistre

#3D2B1F from 1727

Mahogany

#4C2B20 from 1737

Graphite

#41424C from 1789

Grey

#A9A9A9 from c. 700

Gunmetal

#2A3439 from 1905

Ash

#B2BEB5 from 1374

Silver

#C0C0C0 from 1481

Charcoal

#36454F from 1606

Ebony

#555D50 from 1590

Black

#000000 ancient

Jet

#343434 from 1450

Onyx

#353839 from 1848

Pewter

#899594 from 1811

Champagne

#F7E7CE from 1915

Bone

#E3DAC9 from c. 1800

Snow

#FFFAFA from c. 1000

Ivory

#FFFFF0 from 1385

Cream

#FFFDD0 from 1590

White

#FFFFFF ancient

Alabaster

#EDEAE0 from 1594

Khaki

#C3B091 from 1848

Greige

#CCC2BA from 1975

Taupe

#483C32 from 1846

Beige

#F5F5DC from 1855

Buff

#DAA06D from 1686

Fawn

#E5AA70 from 1789

Tan

#D2B48C from 1590

Sand

#EDC9AF from 1627

Platinum

#E5E4E2 from 1850

Eggshell

#F0EAD6 from 1896

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Rules and constraints

This colour list follows a fixed set of constraints intended to prioritise clarity, distinctiveness, and historical grounding over compatibility with existing digital colour systems.

One name, one colour: Each colour name maps to a single, fixed hex value. Names are not reused, aliased, or shared across multiple colours.
One colour, one name: No two entries represent the same or perceptually identical colour. Near-duplicates are intentionally excluded, even if historically attested.
Distinct by perception, not maths: Colours must be visually distinguishable to a typical viewer under normal conditions. Numeric separation alone is insufficient justification for inclusion.
Names must be established or defensible: Colour names are drawn from historical usage, material pigments, cultural convention, or long-standing descriptive practice. Coined names are avoided unless necessary to preserve clarity or distinctness.
Historical metadata is descriptive, not authoritative: Recorded years indicate earliest known usage as a colour term. They do not imply invention, exclusivity, or universal adoption.
No dependency on web colour standards: The list does not conform to, derive from, or attempt compatibility with CSS colour keywords, system palettes, or accessibility-driven contrast schemes.
Digital representation is a compromise: Hex values are practical approximations. They represent intent, not a claim of absolute accuracy across devices, colour spaces, or lighting conditions.
Categories are organisational, not normative: Family groupings and sort orders exist to aid navigation. They do not imply hierarchy, primacy, or correctness.
Stability over completeness: Once included, colours are not removed lightly. Gaps and exclusions are accepted in preference to constant expansion or revision.
The list is finite by design: This is a curated reference, not an exhaustive catalogue. Absence is intentional and should not be read as oversight.

Out of scope

This project explicitly does not aim to do the following:

Be a complete colour dictionary: The list does not attempt to include every named colour in history, art, or industry. Omission is intentional.
Resolve linguistic disputes: The project does not adjudicate “correct” meanings across languages, regions, or eras. Names are selected for usefulness and distinctness, not consensus.
Match physical pigments exactly: Hex values are not intended to be spectrally accurate reproductions of historical dyes, paints, or minerals. They are digital representations chosen for stability and recognisability.
Serve as an accessibility standard: The list does not guarantee contrast ratios, colour-blind safety, or WCAG compliance. Those concerns are context-dependent and out of scope.
Track semantic drift: If a colour name’s popular meaning changes over time, the list does not follow it. Historical grounding takes precedence over modern usage.
Optimise for branding or UI trends: Colours are not selected to align with contemporary design fashion, platform palettes, or marketing needs.
Accept user-defined additions by default: External suggestions are welcome but not automatically incorporated. Curation remains centralised to preserve coherence.
Provide emotional or symbolic interpretation: The list does not assign moods, meanings, cultural symbolism, or psychological traits to colours.
Guarantee display consistency: The project does not account for variation across monitors, colour profiles, printers, or lighting conditions.