Have you ever wondered, “Why is it called that?” about something? Every object received a name at some point, and there’s likely a reason someone thought of that name. Most standard colors got their names from specific languages and meanings, but there are plenty of colors with names that seem too unusual to make sense.
Some colors have bizarre names just for fun, but others have fascinating stories behind their names. Let’s explore why 12 unusually strange colors are called what they are.
1. Dragon’s Blood
Dragon’s Blood
Hex: #6D0F06
RGB: 109, 15, 6
The dark red color of Dragon’s Blood certainly mimics real blood, but why did people settle on this name? In the 16th century, resin of this color came from the fruits of rattan palms. It quickly became a popular hue because sellers told a story along with the color, which is what led to the name Dragon’s Blood.
This color was said to be a mix of dragon’s and elephant’s blood. The famous story described how elephants and dragons were at war with each other. The dragons wanted the elephants’ blood, but both dragons and elephants ended up getting hurt in the process. Their blood mixed together, causing this unique deep red color.
Of course, this pigment wasn’t actually made of blood, but the name and the story helped make customers more excited about the hue. By the 19th century, people became less interested in the conflict between dragons and elephants, leading to the color losing its popularity but keeping this bold name.
2. Fool’s Gold
Fool’s Gold
Hex: #CEA65D
RGB: 206, 166, 93
Fool’s Gold is the color of minerals closely resembling real gold, known as pyrite or iron sulfide. Of course, since the color and appearance of these minerals look so much like gold, the two are easily confused by someone not experienced in finding gold. So, pyrite quickly earned the name “Fool’s Gold” because people would often mistake it for real gold.
The name “Fool’s Gold” makes it sound like this mineral is worthless, but that’s not the case. It may be worth less than gold, but it provides many purposes besides money. It can help people start fires more easily and its sulfur was used for medicine. It also forms in similar conditions to gold, so finding it is an indicator that gold could be nearby.
Today, you might see Fool’s Gold sold as a fun novelty item or for costume jewelry. Yet, if you look at the color and material of the mineral, you’ll see that it’s different from real gold.
3. Drunk-Tank Pink
Drunk-Tank Pink
Hex: #FF91AF
RGB: 255, 145, 175
Drunk tank might sound like a silly term, but it actually refers to a large jail cell for drunk individuals. The name makes sense because this pink was frequently used for prisons in the late 1970s. It’s also called Baker-Miller Pink after Gene Baker and Ron Miller, two researchers who helped study this light pink hue.
Research indicated that this pink could evoke calmness and peacefulness. So, it became common in prisons to reduce the risk of violent and aggressive behaviors. It appeared in other places too, such as psychiatric wards and youth clinics, but prisons were the most common.
This hue is no longer used to calm people because newer research suggested that the positive effects of Drunk-Tank Pink only lasted for about a half hour. So, it didn’t provide the long-term calmness that inmates needed.
4. Flame-of-Burnt-Brandy
Flame-of-Burnt-Brandy
Hex: #F29538
RGB: 242, 149, 56
Flame-of-Burnt-Brandy is one of the many silly color names that appeared in the 1920s. Dye makers made color names as insane as possible to help them stand out from the competition. The idea was that this bright orange would look like the flame of alcohol on fire.
Unfortunately, this color didn’t stay popular for long, even with its unique name. More interesting colors related to fire and smoke took the spotlight, leaving Flame-of-Burnt-Brandy to be forgotten.
5. Goose Turd Green
Goose Turd Green
Hex: #4EA809
RGB: 78, 168, 9
Like Flame-of-Burnt-Brandy, Goose Turd Green received a unique color name to help it stand out and sell better. In the 17th century, dressmakers labeled some of their fabrics with “exotic” names to make them sound more interesting. “Goose Turd Green” was what they chose to name this bright green hue.
It’s no surprise that a color named after goose feces didn’t become more popular. However, you might still see this name used occasionally for craft supplies, especially for yarn with an olive hue.
6. Smaragdine
Smaragdine
Hex: #4A9976
RGB: 74, 153, 118
Smaragdine may sound silly, but it comes from the Ancient Greek word, smáragdos, and the Latin word, smaragdus. Both words mean “emerald,” which makes sense considering that Smaragdine is an emerald green hue. In the late 14th century, Smaragdine was recorded as an official English word.
While the strange name isn’t popular, the color sure is. An almost identical emerald green color, simply known as “Emerald,” won the Pantone Color of the Year in 2013. So, despite the meaning behind the name, “Smaragdine” sounds too weird to associate with an elegant color like emerald green.
7. Mauveine
Mauveine
Hex: #8D029B
RGB: 141, 2, 155
Mauveine, a purple hue, was the first synthetic dye. People made dyes from natural sources for centuries until 1856 when William Henry Perkin, an 18-year-old chemist, created mauveine. It was initially called Tyrian Purple, which was the first known purple (a pigment that came from snails), but Perkin later decided to rename it to help it stand out as a unique pigment.
The name Mauveine comes from the French word Mauve, meaning mallow flower. This term sounded much more fashionable than Tyrian Purple, making this dye more appealing. Later Mauve became the more popular name for purple instead of Mauveine, but Mauve usually describes a paler purple.
8. Incarnadine
Incarnadine
Hex: #AA0022
RGB: 170, 0, 34
Incarnadine used to be a word that referred to dyeing something “flesh-colored.” Yet, the color is now known as a deep red instead. That’s because Shakespeare tweaked the meaning of the word when writing Macbeth. Act 2, Scene 2 of Macbeth reads:
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red.
In Shakespeare’s context, “incarnadine” means to turn something blood-red. Since that’s one of the most famous uses of the word, that’s why the color Incarnadine now resembles red instead of a flesh color.
9. Alien Armpit
Alien Armpit
Hex: #84DE02
RGB: 132, 222, 2
Alien Armpit is a bright green hue used for Crayola crayons. While it’s a similar color to the aliens that appear in cartoons, it’s a bizarre choice for a color name. Yet, it’s not just any crayon color. It’s the name for one of the colors in a Crayola Silly Scents pack, so it’s a fitting name next to the other colors in the set.
Crayola has plenty of scented coloring utensils known as “Silly Scents,” but the pack with Alien Armpit is similar to packs of jellybeans with purposely gross flavors. It has crayons of scents that you would never expect to smell, including Alien Armpit, Big Foot Feet, Rotten Tooth Fairy, and Ogre Odor. Even though these aren’t scents people are familiar with, it’s safe to say they don’t smell good.
10. Feldgrau
Feldgrau
Hex: #4D5D53
RGB: 77, 93, 83
Feldgrau is a German word meaning “field gray.” Its appearance matches this name because it’s a muted green color, meaning it’s a mixture of green and gray. During World War I and World War II, the German army wore uniforms of this shade. The color was easily accessible during supply shortages and it blended in well with nature.
While this color is no longer used for military uniforms today, it’s still used in all types of other contexts, such as fashion and interior design. It’s an appealing muted earth tone.
11. Puce
Puce
Hex: #CC8899
RGB: 204, 136, 153
The color Puce was first named in 1775. At the time, a French dressmaker created a stunning gown of this color for Marie Antoinette. When Louis XVI saw the dress’s color, he called it puce, which is likely how the name stuck for this pale pink.
“Puce” is a French word meaning flea. At first, the name might be confusing because fleas are brown, not pink. Yet, puce is named after the red/pink bloodstain that fleas leave behind. A flea full of blood may also display a hue similar to this.
12. Kelly Green
Kelly Green
Hex: #4CBB17
RGB: 76, 187, 23
This bright green hue is called Kelly Green, but it’s not named after a specific person called Kelly. Instead, it was picked because Kelly is a common Irish family name and the color resembles the lush green landscapes of Ireland. This is also a green hue that’s commonly used in St. Patrick’s Day decorations.
The famous football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, used to wear Kelly Green uniforms, starting around 1935. In 1996, the team’s new owner changed the iconic colors, swapping Kelly Green for Midnight Green. Even though the Eagles have found success while wearing Midnight Green, many fans miss the Kelly Green uniforms. In 2022, the team started wearing Kelly Green for certain games, making many fans happy to see this vibrant hue return.
