Cool Colours

  1. Beryl
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "sea-green jewel"
    • Description:

      Dated British favorite that never caught on in this country, where Jade remains the green gem of choice. Interesting namesakes: British writer Beryl Bainbridge and British aviatrix Beryl Markham.
  2. Bruna
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "brown"
    • Description:

      Possibility for a dark-haired babe.
  3. Mauve
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "violet-colored"
    • Description:

      Mauve is an offbeat color name whose soft and sentimental Victorian spirit is conveyed by the name. One of the newer color names like Blue, Gray and Plum that are increasingly being used as novel middle names, Mauve has the added benefit of being similar to stylish Maeve and classic Maude.
  4. Mora
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "blackberry"
    • Description:

      Intriguing derivation, though people will assume it's a simplified form of Maura.
  5. Crimson
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Meaning:

      "rich deep red"
    • Description:

      Crimson could be a possible competitor for Scarlett's success, though it's lacking that Johansson charm.
  6. Cyan
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "greenish blue color"
    • Description:

      Cyan is a highly unusual blue-green color name, a classmate of Celadon and Cerulean. It does come with the homey nickname Cy.
  7. Cobalt
    • Origin:

      Color and nature name
    • Description:

      Even among the range of blue names on the current baby naming palette -- Blue itself, Azure, Cerulean, Teal, Aqua, Cyan, Indigo -- Cobalt remains the most unusual, not to mention the most masculine.
  8. Arjun
    • Origin:

      Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "bright, shining, white"
    • Description:

      Popular in India and among Indo-Americans, this name of the hero of a famous Hindu epic has an extremely pleasing sound.
  9. Oriel
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "golden"
    • Description:

      Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.
  10. Bleu
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "blue"
    • Description:

      The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella is used twice as often -- 36 to 18 babies in the US last year -- for boys as for girls, leaning even more to the male side than the traditional Blue.
  11. Caliban
    • Origin:

      Romanian
    • Meaning:

      "black"
    • Description:

      In Shakespeare's The Tempest, Caliban is the name of the deformed son of a witch: not the greatest literary reference for a child. But Caliban does have an appealing international-yet-accessible feel and a rhythmic sound. As long as nobody knows its origin, it might make a great name for a boy or even a girl.
  12. Celadon
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Meaning:

      "grayish green"
    • Description:

      Like Cerulean, one of the new and unusual color names -- it's a soft grayish green -- suitable for a boy.
  13. Nila
    • Origin:

      Indian, Tamil, Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "dark blue; moon"
    • Description:

      A sweet, simple Sanskrit name which would work in many languages and has an sparkling, colorful meaning.
  14. Iola
    • Origin:

      Greek or Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "violet; beautiful lady"
    • Description:

      Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that should be ripe for rediscovery.
  15. Midori
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "green; beautiful bird"
    • Description:

      In Japan, color names are used to symbolize human qualities, and the green hues of Midori name are said to represent fame. While it is a unisex choice in its native Japan, Midori is predominantly used on girls.
  16. Cerulean
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Meaning:

      "deep sky-blue"
    • Description:

      Cerulean is just beginning to be heard as a name thanks to its distinctive sounds and the appealing electric-sky-blue it evokes. Reminiscent of Ocean, Aurelian, Cyrus, and Caspian, it was given to just 5 babies in 2024, but that could change in coming years.
  17. Sorrel
    • Origin:

      Botanical name and French
    • Meaning:

      "reddish brown"
    • Description:

      A fragrant herbal and color name that could make a sensitive, distinctive choice.
  18. Kiona
    • Origin:

      Native American
    • Meaning:

      "brown hills"
    • Description:

      Striking and accessible choice.
  19. Viridiana
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "green"
    • Description:

      Viridiana is a frillier version of the medieval name Viridis, meaning green. Viridiana briefly made it into the top 1000 in the US in the 1990s.
  20. Aneirin
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "very golden or noble"
    • Description:

      Aneirin is the original form of the more common Aneurin (which was a mistaken spelling used after the 17th Century). Aneirin was one of the first great Welsh poets who flourished in the 6th Century. He was said to be the Prince of Bards.

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