Why use named colors?

Quick prototyping, readable code, and legacy compatibility. `color: tomato` is more memorable than `#FF6347` for exploration.

Are the names standardized?

Yes — CSS Color Module. 147 names, supported by all browsers. Named colors don't change their definition across browser versions.

Which is the most-used named color?

No hard data, but `white`, `black`, `red`, `blue`, `gray` dominate in production CSS. The exotic ones (mediumaquamarine, palegoldenrod) are rarely seen.

Can I add custom names?

In CSS, no — named colors are fixed. For project-specific names use CSS custom properties: `--brand-tomato: #ff6347;`.

CSS Named Colors | DevTools Surf

DevTools Surf

Example: CSS Named Colors

A worked example, rendered from real sample data. Sign in to run the tool on your own input.

Input

blue

Output

20 named colors

#F0F8FF  aliceblue
#0000FF  blue
#8A2BE2  blueviolet
#5F9EA0  cadetblue
#6495ED  cornflowerblue
#00008B  darkblue
#483D8B  darkslateblue
#00BFFF  deepskyblue
#1E90FF  dodgerblue
#ADD8E6  lightblue
#87CEFA  lightskyblue
#B0C4DE  lightsteelblue
#0000CD  mediumblue
#7B68EE  mediumslateblue
#191970  midnightblue
#B0E0E6  powderblue
#4169E1  royalblue
#87CEEB  skyblue
#6A5ACD  slateblue
#4682B4  steelblue

About CSS Named Colors

Browse all 147 CSS named colors with hex values — instantly searchable. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Color collection.

Use Cases

Frontend developers quickly looking up hex values for named CSS colors
Designers referencing the full named color list for rapid prototyping
Students learning CSS colors by browsing the complete named palette
Technical writers referencing official color names in style documentation

Tips

Search by name to instantly find any of the 147 CSS named colors
Each color shows its hex equivalent for quick copy-paste into stylesheets
Browse by hue family to discover named colors you might not know exist

Fun Facts

CSS named colors grew from 16 original HTML colors (defined in HTML 3.2, 1997) to 147 when CSS3 adopted the X11 color list from the Unix windowing system.
The color 'rebeccapurple' (#663399) was added to CSS in 2014 as a tribute to Rebecca Meyer, the six-year-old daughter of CSS expert Eric Meyer, who passed away from brain cancer.
Some CSS named colors are confusingly different from their real-world namesakes — 'darkgray' (#A9A9A9) is actually lighter than 'gray' (#808080) in the CSS specification.

FAQ

Why use named colors?: Quick prototyping, readable code, and legacy compatibility. `color: tomato` is more memorable than `#FF6347` for exploration.
Are the names standardized?: Yes — CSS Color Module. 147 names, supported by all browsers. Named colors don't change their definition across browser versions.
Which is the most-used named color?: No hard data, but `white`, `black`, `red`, `blue`, `gray` dominate in production CSS. The exotic ones (mediumaquamarine, palegoldenrod) are rarely seen.
Can I add custom names?: In CSS, no — named colors are fixed. For project-specific names use CSS custom properties: `--brand-tomato: #ff6347;`.

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