The Ultimate Color Name List - truly extensive!

  1. Ecru
    • Origin:

      Color name
    • Description:

      Neutral color, but as a name, too much of an oddity.
  2. Ember
    • Origin:

      French variation of Amber
    • Description:

      Unlike Amber, which is in decline, this name still has a bit of a glow left -- though confusions between the two will inevitably arise.
  3. Emerald
    • Origin:

      Gem name; Persian
    • Meaning:

      "green"
    • Description:

      Emerald is the intriguing color and jewel name of the deep green stone treasured as far back as ancient Egypt — it's supposed to open one's heart to wisdom and to love and be good for strengthening relationships — which could make for an interesting, unusual name, particularly with the popularity of so many Em-starting names.
  4. Esme
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      Esmé comes from the past participle of the Old French verb esmer, meaing "to esteem" or "to love." It can also be considered a derivative of the Spanish name Esmeralda, which means "emerald".
  5. Esmeralda
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Portuguese
    • Meaning:

      "emerald"
    • Description:

      Esmeralda came into use as an applied use of the Spanish word for emerald, esmeralda. In the 1831 Victor Hugo novel Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the heroine was born Agnes, but called La Esmeralda in reference to the jewel she wears around her neck. The name Esmeralda got increased visibility via the Disney version of the story.
  6. Fawn
    • Origin:

      Nature name
    • Meaning:

      "a young deer"
    • Description:

      The doe-eyed Fawn is as gentle and soft as the baby deer it represents. And much like that baby deer, it carries with it the potential of new life. Fawn was featured at the bottom of the Top 1000 throughout the '60s and '70s — around the same time that Bambi came into play. But unlike Bambi, Fawn maintains relevance in the 21st century, thanks to its warmth and ties to the natural world. We would love to meet more baby girls named Fawn.
  7. Fern
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "plant name"
    • Description:

      Of all the botanicals, Fern has been one of the slowest to move back from the front parlor into the nursery, despite the appealing girl character in the children's classic Charlotte's Web. Fern was most popular from the turn of the last century through the 1940s, reaching a high of #152 in 1916. We can certainly see her rejoining the long list of popular greenery names.
  8. Finella
    • Origin:

      Scottish variation of Finola
    • Meaning:

      "white shoulder"
    • Description:

      Finella and cousin Fenella, which are found most often in Scotland, would make pleasing imports.
  9. Flame
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      There are many fire-related names, from Aidan to Fiammetta, but the Flame isn't one that's often found on birth certificates. It's a highly symbolic word: flames can represent faith, passion and cleansing, for example, as well as straightforward heat and light.
  10. Floyd
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "gray-haired"
    • Description:

      Floyd was a Top 100 name from the 1880s to the 1940s that somehow developed an almost comical hayseed persona along with a touch of retro jazz cool; it's beginning to appeal to parents with a strong taste for the quirky.
  11. Forest
    • Origin:

      French occupational name
    • Meaning:

      "woodsman or woods"
    • Description:

      The Forest variation of Forrest, used by actor Whitaker, nudges the meaning more toward the woods and away from the woodsman.
  12. Forrest
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the woods"
    • Description:

      Forrest is one of the earliest appealingly sylvan, outdoorsy choices, borne by newsman Sawyer, actor Whitaker, and football Hall of Famer Gregg. Forrest Gates was a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
  13. Fuchsia
    • Origin:

      Plant and color name
    • Description:

      A plausible color name, it was chosen by the singer Sting as a middle name for his daughter, after a character in the Gormenghast fantasy trilogy, of which he's a big fan.
  14. Flavescent
    • Fulvous
      • Golda
        • Origin:

          English, Yiddish
        • Meaning:

          "gold"
        • Description:

          A name with an obvious meaning, for a long time associated with Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Nickname Goldie seems to be catching on in the celebrity community.
      • Golden
        • Origin:

          Word name
        • Description:

          Like Silver, Golden is a shimmering metallic color name, almost too dazzling for an ordinary girl.
      • Goldie
        • Origin:

          Anglicized form of Yiddish Golde or Golda
        • Description:

          More Sadie than Sadie, this old canasta player--somewhat modernized and energized by Goldie Hawn--looks like it could be making a comeback. It was recently chosen for her daughter by Ione Skye and Ben Lee, as well as by shoemeister Steve Madden.
      • Gray
        • Origin:

          Color name, also diminutive of Grayson
        • Description:

          The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Gray (or Grey), is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative--if slightly somber-- choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney recently named their son Leo Grey.
      • Graydon
        • Origin:

          English
        • Meaning:

          "son of the gray-haired one"
        • Description:

          Waspy, but preferable to Nanny Diaries satiric name Grayer. Grayton Greydon, Greyton.