Colour Names

A creative choice, suggesting the Venetian Renaissance painter (born Tiziano), and the brownish orange red hue that was featured on his palette. But try explaining to the boys in seventh grade that it's pronounced tee-shun.

Turquoise is similar in hue to Aqua, which is one of the cool new color names on the palette. Other blue-hued options: Cerulean, Cyan, Indigo, or Blue itself.

Conjures up the rich brown colors of raw and burnt umber, but it may be too close to girls' Amber.

This vivid reddish orange color name is an undiscovered possibility -- kind of a female equivalent of Cerulean for boys.

The name Veronica projects a triple-threat image: at once saintly, sensuous, and strong. The name derives from Berenice, the Latin form of the Greek name Berenike "she who brings victory", with the spelling influenced by the Latin phrase vera icon "true image". Veronica was the name of the compassionate woman who wiped Jesus's face when he was on his way to Calvary and whose cloth was miraculously imprinted with his image: she is now the patron saint of photographers.

Unusual and beautiful blue green color and name possibility, a la Cerulean.

A frilly southern-accented flower name yet to be planted on many birth certificates. In the language of flowers, the wisteria is a symbol of devotion. It is named for American horticulturalist John Caspar Wister.

A yellowish chemical compound that produces fluorescent dyes ranging from bright yellow to hot pink to flaming red -- but as a name sounds glaringly sci-fi.