Where strange color names come from

After the wine region in eastern France. The deep red of Pinot Noir gave its name to the color in the late 19th century.

From mercury sulfide ore (HgS), historically mined at Almadén, Spain, and used as a vermilion pigment from antiquity.

After Córdoba in Spain, famed for fine leather (cordwain) dyed in deep brownish-red shades.

Named for the copper mine at Falun, Sweden. The traditional iron-oxide-based paint used on Swedish wooden houses for centuries.

Named after the Battle of Magenta (1859), in which French and Sardinian forces defeated the Austrian army. The dye was discovered in the same year and named in commemoration.

From the French marron, meaning chestnut — itself from the Italian marrone. The color was named for the chestnut's deep brown-red.

From Siena, Italy, where the earth pigment containing iron and manganese oxides was originally produced.

After Tangier, Morocco — the port from which the small orange citrus fruit was first exported to Europe in the 1840s.

From the Latin ultramarinus, 'beyond the sea,' because the lapis lazuli pigment was imported by sea from Afghanistan to Europe in the Middle Ages.

After Leonhart Fuchs, a 16th-century German botanist. The Fuchsia plant was named in his honor; the vivid pink-purple of its flowers gave the color its name.

A pale yellow-grey, said to be named after Queen Isabella of Spain (1451–1504), who allegedly vowed not to change her undergarments until the siege of Granada was won. The historicity is dubious; the name persisted.

After Caspar Wistar, an early-19th-century American anatomist. The flowering plant was named in his honor; the soft purple of its blossoms became the color name.

From the Greek amarantos, 'unfading,' because the plant's flowers retain their color after drying. The deep magenta-red of the bloom became the color name.

French for the corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas). Named for the bird call coquelico that the flower was thought to resemble visually — bright, attention-grabbing red.

From the Greek hēliotrópion, 'sun-turning,' because the plant's flowers turn to follow the sun. The pinkish-purple of the petals became the color.

French for the mallow flower (Malva sylvestris). The first synthetic aniline dye, discovered by William Perkin in 1856, was given this name for its match to the flower's color.

After the small five-petaled flower (Vinca minor). The pale lavender-blue of the bloom is the color.

From the Greek phlóx, meaning 'flame,' because the plant's vivid magenta blossoms reminded ancient Greeks of fire.

From the Arabic za'farān, the dried stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower. The intense orange-yellow of the spice gave the color its name.

After the Philodendron Xanadu, a houseplant whose deep grey-green leaves match the color. The plant in turn was named after Coleridge's Xanadu in Kubla Khan.

French for 'flea.' The brownish-purple shade matches the color of a crushed flea — a comparison popular in 18th-century French fashion.

From the pinkish-orange flesh of cooked salmon (Salmo salar). The fish in turn takes its name from the Latin salmo, of unclear origin.

From the Greek sēpía, the cuttlefish. The dark brown ink of the cuttlefish was used as a drawing pigment from antiquity through the 19th century, and gave the color its name.

French for 'mole' (the burrowing mammal Talpa europaea). The grey-brown of the mole's fur gave the color its name in the early 20th century.

After the common teal duck (Anas crecca), which has a bright blue-green stripe across its head.

From the Latin vermiculus, 'little worm,' referring to the kermes scale insect (Kermes vermilio) used for centuries to produce a brilliant red dye.

From the German Kobold, a mischievous mine spirit. Cobalt-bearing ores were associated with bad luck (they often released toxic arsenic when smelted), and the deep blue produced by the metal carries the name.

From the Old Spanish cremesin, derived from Arabic qirmizī, referring to the kermes insect dye. Same insect family as vermilion, different shade.

From the Greek Indikón, meaning 'from India.' The blue dye from the Indigofera plant was traded west from India to Greece and Rome.

From the Greek ōchrós, 'pale yellow.' Yellow ochre is a clay tinted with iron oxide; one of the oldest pigments known to humans.

From the Greek ónux, meaning 'fingernail' or 'claw' — the banded gemstone was thought to resemble fingernails. The deep dark grey-black of black onyx is the color.

From the Old French rousset, 'reddish-brown,' itself from the Latin russus, 'red.' The coarse homespun cloth of medieval English peasants was traditionally dyed russet.

After the herb Salvia officinalis. The greyish-green of the leaves became the color name in the late 19th century.

From the Old French turquois, 'Turkish.' The blue-green stone was traded to Europe through Turkey from mines in Persia.

From the Italian terra d'ombra, 'earth of shadow' (Latin umbra). A dark brown earth pigment from Umbria, Italy.

From the Latin viridis, 'green.' A blue-green pigment of hydrated chromium oxide, developed in 1838 as a more stable replacement for the toxic Scheele's Green.

From the Latin caeruleus, 'sky-blue,' itself from caelum, 'sky.' Used by ancient Romans to describe the deep blue of the open sea and clear sky.

From the Greek kýanos, originally meaning 'dark blue enamel' or lapis lazuli. The modern technical sense (a primary in CMYK printing) dates to the early 20th century.

From the Greek glaukós, used by Homer to describe the sea — meaning grey-blue, gleaming, or shifting in light. In modern English, a dusty blue-green.

From the Old French vert-de-grice, 'green of Greece.' The bluish-green patina that forms on weathered copper, used as a pigment since antiquity.

French for 'raw' or 'unbleached.' Originally describing the natural color of unbleached linen or silk.

From the Hindi/Urdu khākī, 'dust-colored.' Adopted by the British Indian army in the mid-19th century as a camouflage uniform color, and entered English as a color name from there.

The original synthetic dye name given by William Perkin in 1856, derived from the French mauve. The discovery launched the synthetic dye industry.

From the Persian saqirlāt, originally describing a fine cloth — only later associated specifically with the brilliant red color the cloth was often dyed.