Naming the rainbow

Third place on the sports field, but potentially more wearable than either Silver or Gold, Bronze feels modern and edgy.

Neutral color, but as a name, too much of an oddity.

This name of both a grayish-greenish-blue color and a kind of wild duck can be used for both boys and girls.

One of the new color names that is catching on, invoking a calm, blue-green-sea feeling.

It's a place. It's a wine. It's a color. -- no wonder trend-heavy Burgundy's been discovered as a name.

With the popularity of Isabella, you might think of Isabelline as a further elaboration -- though it would be the definition of gilding the lily. But Isabelline is also a color, an amorphous pale yellow-gray-cream most often seen in horses' coats or birds' plumage.

Ochre is an exceedingly rare name, found only a few times since the nineteenth century, and not showing up in any current data. Yet it means much the same thing as popular Sienna (another clay coloured with iron oxide) and sounds similar to fashionable Oakley. A strong earthy nature name that is both unusual and evocative.

A daring word name with a touch of mystique, Shadow is an edgy choice for a baby that some may say is best reserved for pets. Nevertheless, it has been appearing in the US stats for girls since 1974 and for boys since 1987.