Color Names: Thinking outside the Crayola box
We’re all familiar with color names like Scarlett, Ebony, Gray (recently popular), and Cole (as in black) but what if you want a color name no one’s used before, or at least you’ve never heard. What if you want Blue but Beyonce ruined it for you? Maybe you could try Cerulean or Cyan? In this post, I hope to bring to your attention some stunning colors that I think would make fabulous names.
Boys:
Aero — It’s a pale blue, and sounds like Arrow. I’ve seen Arrow around, so there’s no reason this one couldn’t work. It’s soft but stream lined.
Cordovan — It’s a purply-red wine color . It’s got the nickname Van or Cord and it’s reminiscent of Sullivan and other Irish sounding names.
Malachite — This is a gem and a bright, minty green color. It has the same sounds as Malachi with the cool KITE sound at the end. Kite, incidentally, would make a cool nickname.
Russet — It’s a deep brown. It’s very similar to Russell and other names of the sort, and has the same nickname of Russ, but it’s a color name I’ve never seen used.Tyrian — Tyrian sounds like any number of the old Greek and Roman names that are getting popular right now (names like Julian and the like). It’s a deep, dark purple, like the purple royalty wore in history. It’s got Ty, Tyr, and Rian (Ryan) if you want to stretch.
Girls:
Carmine — A very pretty rosy pink, this name has a decidedly Latin feel to it. It has the nickname potential of Cara, Carry, and Mimi. It resembles Carmen and Cameron so it could easily be used. (But do bear in mine that is also a traditional Italian male name.)
Citrine — A bright lemony yellow color, this has the feel of citrus and that feels like sunny summer days to me. It makes me think of lemons and sitting at the end of the driveway with a lemonade stand.
Isabelline — With the abundance of little Isabella‘s this one is nice and refreshing. It’s a gray-white color, and decidedly frilly, but if you like that sort of name, it’s lovely.
Olivine — It’s a pretty pale green color similar to Jade. Like Isabelline, Olivine feels like a newer, fresher version of the super popular Olivia and the gaining in popularity Olive.
Xanthene — This is definitely one cool name! A yellowish chemical compound that produces fluorescent dyes ranging from bright yellow to hot pink to flaming red. It sounds like Xanthe but cooler. It does have a slight sci-fi feel, but I love it!
Unisex:
Azure — Blue, of course. I’ve seen this one used a few times on both girls and boys and I think it works. It’s got a cool sound and a zippy Z.
Cerulean — It has a soft sound and it’s a striking blue. It’s got Lee for a boy and Roo for a girl if you want a nickname. I think Cerulean would make a very cool name on either gender, stunning for a little blue eyed baby.
Peridot — It’s a lovely green-yellow. You see a lot of jewelery made of this stone. It think it works for either because it’s got the nice Perry right there for a boy if he wants a nickname, but it’s got a lovely French sound that works for either.
Silver — With the popularity of Sterling, why not Silver? I’ve known one, so it has been used for at least one of each sex. Like the well-used Sterling, Silver is shiny, bright, and embodies all the positive qualities of Sterling in a much rarer name.
Angel Thomas, better known on Nameberry as Dantea, is a stay-at-home mom with a passion for onomastics who writes fantasy novels in her spare time. Her knowledge of Greek names stems from her ancestry and her religion.