Color name
Also called a generic color name, a color name is a name given to a color that relates the color to a real-life object. For example, the picture shows the color name "Tomato Sauce Red" and allows someone looking for a color resembling red tomato sauce to quickly find the color code or values making up that color. Computer Hope has hundreds of these color names on its HTML color codes page to help visitors quickly find a color. For example, searching for colors like army green, ruby red, and bubble gum pink on the Computer Hope search opens a color code page assigned to those color names.
Who decides these names?
Many of the color names listed on Computer Hope were assigned by Computer Hope staff. When assigning these colors, we find the closest match with tools such as the eyedropper to find a color. For example, if we notice searches for "pig pink color," we find a pink pig picture, open it in an image editor, and use the eyedropper on the pig we feel best matches. Once done, we associate the matched color code with the name to get the pink pig color code.
There are also other websites and organizations that provide a similar service in creating color names based on their interpretation. For example, when searching for pink pig color codes on another search engine, several interpretations of this color name are found.
Generic color names vs. W3C color names
The W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) lists color names as an alternative for a color code. However, the generic color names cannot substitute a color code. For example, our earlier example of "Tomato Sauce Red" cannot be used in your HTML (hypertext markup language) or CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) code like the W3C color name "Tomato."
To use colors found on our website, copy and paste the color code. For example, to use "Tomato Sauce Red," copy and paste "#B21807" into your HTML or CSS.
When a color is a W3C color, it's mentioned on our color code table and each color code page. Further information about W3C color codes and examples is on our W3C color names page.
Why do so many colors have no names?
There are over 16 million possible color codes, which would be overwhelming if each were named. So, we've only named the most commonly searched colors. If you feel that a color name is missing, you're welcome to e-mail us with your suggestion.