Weird Color Names: 75 Unusual Shades to Discover

Some colors feel familiar the moment you see them. Others make you pause, smile, or wonder how anyone came up with their names. Think of shades called Mummy’s Tomb, Drunk-Tank Pink, Goose Turd Green, and Smoky Black. They sound like characters in a strange story, yet unusual color names can have fascinating histories, unexpected origins, and wonderfully distinctive personalities.

If you’re looking for weird color names for an art project, a character, a paint palette, a design collection, a username, or simply to discover shades you’ve never heard of, this guide explores colors that stand out for their unusual names and memorable appearances.

The best part? Weird doesn’t have to mean ugly. Some of these shades are surprisingly beautiful, while others are delightfully bizarre.

What Are Weird Color Names?

Weird color names are unusual, funny, obscure, or unexpected names given to colors. They can come from nature, food, animals, historical traditions, pigments, popular culture, or creative descriptions of a shade.

Some are established color names, such as Caput Mortuum and Falu Red. Others are informal descriptive names or playful modern inventions. Their appeal lies in the contrast between an unexpected name and the color it represents.

For this article, the focus is on memorable names that are genuinely unusual, with established names distinguished from creative interpretations where appropriate.

20 Weird Color Names That Sound Almost Made Up

These unusual color names are perfect when you want something memorable, funny, mysterious, or completely unexpected. The shades below combine established historical color terms, paint names, and descriptive color names. Exact appearances may vary by source or manufacturer.

Weird color name	Typical color family	Overall vibe
Goose Turd Green	Yellow-green	Ridiculous, earthy
Drunk-Tank Pink	Strong pink	Playful, bold
Caput Mortuum	Purplish brown	Gothic, antique
Falu Red	Deep brick red	Rustic, historic
Australien	Sandy orange	Vintage, unusual
Zaffre	Deep blue	Mysterious, dramatic
Eburnean	Ivory white	Refined, delicate
Thulian Pink	Reddish pink	Romantic, artistic
Pomp and Power	Purple	Regal, theatrical
Isabelline	Pale grayish cream	Quiet, understated
Mikado	Golden brown	Rich, dramatic
Chartreuse	Yellow-green	Electric, eccentric
Coquelicot	Poppy red-orange	Vivid, energetic
Cinnabar	Vermilion red	Bold, ancient
Gamboge	Mustard yellow	Warm, painterly
Beige	Pale tan	Understated, neutral
Dead Salmon	Muted salmon pink	Moody, vintage
Razzmatazz	Bright raspberry pink	Cheerful, flamboyant
Amber	Golden orange	Warm, luminous
Burgundy	Deep wine red	Luxurious, dark

Several names have documented historical or linguistic backgrounds. For example, caput mortuum is associated with a reddish-purple iron oxide pigment, Falu Red with the Swedish mining town of Falun, and coquelicot with the French word for poppy.

The personality descriptions in the table are creative interpretations, not scientific properties of the colors.

Funny and Gross-Sounding Color Names

Some color names are unforgettable because they sound like something you would never want to spill on your clothes. Their humor makes them especially useful for comedy projects, quirky usernames, game characters, and creative writing.

1. Goose Turd Green

Yellowish green · Comic and earthy

One of the most amusing historical-style color names, this phrase describes an unpleasantly memorable green. It works brilliantly for a cartoon monster, a goblin, or a deliberately ridiculous fantasy palette.

2. Drunk-Tank Pink

Strong pink · Strange and playful

Also known as Baker–Miller pink, this is a real color name connected to experiments involving pink-painted institutional rooms. Its unusual nickname sounds more like a plot twist than a paint color.

3. Dead Salmon

Muted salmon · Oddly sophisticated

The name sounds unpleasant, but the paint shade is a subdued, dusty pink with warm earthy undertones. It is a good example of how a strange label can describe an elegant interior color.

4. Caput Mortuum

Reddish purple-brown · Dark and antique

This historical pigment name comes from Latin, often translated as “dead head” or “worthless remains.” Its dark, earthy appearance makes it a compelling choice for gothic art, dark academia, and atmospheric fiction.

5. Mummy Brown

Warm brown · Macabre and historical

This name has a genuinely unsettling history: the historical pigment was once made using ground mummified remains. Modern colors sold under similar names need not contain those materials.

6. Puce

Muted brown-purple · Vintage and peculiar

A real color word for a subdued reddish-brown or purple-brown shade. Its short, punchy sound makes it memorable, although its appearance varies across color references.

Best pick for humor: Goose Turd Green.

Best pick for dark creative projects: Caput Mortuum or Mummy Brown.

Also best pick for an unexpectedly stylish color: Dead Salmon.

Rare and Obscure Color Names

These colors sound as if they belong in an old artist’s notebook or a forgotten collection of pigments. They are especially useful for naming artwork, fictional places, fantasy characters, and distinctive design palettes.

Zaffre

A deep cobalt-like blue associated with a historic pigment made from cobalt-bearing materials. The name feels mysterious and scholarly, making it a strong option for a fantasy kingdom or an elegant digital palette.

Color Meanings

Eburnean

An ivory-like shade whose name comes from Latin eburneus, meaning ivory. It feels softer and more literary than simply calling a color white.

Isabelline

A pale grayish cream or yellowish off-white. Its understated appearance suits minimalist interiors, quiet luxury aesthetics, and characters with a refined, reserved personality.

Gamboge

A rich yellow to yellow-orange pigment name associated with a tree resin from Southeast Asia. It sounds alluring without needing an invented meaning and works beautifully for warm, artistic palettes.

Coquelicot

A vivid poppy-like orange-red with a distinctly French name. It feels energetic, romantic, and fashionable, an excellent choice for a bold accent color.

fulvous

A tawny, yellowish-orange or golden-brown color word. Its unusual sound gives it an old-world, natural-history feeling, perfect for animal characters and autumn-themed projects.

More unusual colors worth exploring

• Sinoper: An old pigment-related name associated with rusty red earth colors.
• Australien: A historical color term used for a sandy, orange-brown shade.
• Thulian Pink: A distinctive reddish pink with a lyrical, artistic name.
• Razzmatazz: A bright raspberry-red pink popularized by Crayola.
• Lusty Gallant: An obscure historical color name associated with reddish pink.
• Incarnadine: A literary word associated with flesh-red or crimson coloring, famously used in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
• Zomp: A quirky name for a greenish color found in modern color-name lists.
• Smoky Black: A descriptive name for a softened black with smoky undertones.

Historical and modern color lists sometimes assign slightly different shades to the same name. If you are selecting a color for print or a website, use a defined color code rather than relying on the name alone.

Weird Color Names by Aesthetic

A strange color name becomes more useful when you know the mood it communicates. If you’re choosing a name for a character, an art collection, a digital theme, or a social media identity, start with the aesthetic you want.

Gothic and dark academia

Caput Mortuum · Mummy Brown · Smoky Black · Puce

These names suggest dusty libraries, antique portraits, old manuscripts, candlelit rooms, and mysterious fictional worlds. Choose them for a darker, literary atmosphere rather than a bright, playful one.

Soft and dreamy

Eburnean · Isabelline · Thulian Pink · Dead Salmon

These shades feel delicate, nostalgic, and quietly romantic. They suit Pinterest-inspired mood boards, stationery, personal blogs, and gentle fictional characters.

Electric and eccentric

Chartreuse · Zomp · Razzmatazz · Coquelicot

These names work when subtlety is not the goal. Their vivid associations fit maximalist graphics, gaming overlays, pop-art illustrations, and energetic branding.

Vintage and luxurious

Falu Red · Gamboge · Zaffre · Amber

Deep reds, unusual blues, and resin-inspired golds evoke historical painting, old-world interiors, and rich materials. These are useful when you want a name that feels distinctive without sounding silly.

Best weird color names for different uses

Intended use	Best suggestions	Why they fit
Fantasy character	Zaffre, Caput Mortuum	Distinctive, atmospheric
Funny username	Goose Turd Green, Puce	Short or absurdly memorable
Art or design palette	Gamboge, Coquelicot	Established color terminology
Vintage aesthetic	Falu Red, Isabelline	Historical or refined feel
Gothic project	Mummy Brown, Caput Mortuum	Dark associations
Bright social media theme	Razzmatazz, Chartreuse	Energetic and eye-catching
Minimalist branding	Eburnean, Isabelline	Soft, understated associations

These are creative recommendations rather than fixed rules. The same shade can feel elegant in one design and strange in another, depending on its surrounding colors, typography, and context.

Weird Green Color Names

Green has plenty of room for unusual names because it can lean toward yellow, blue, gray, or brown. That makes green particularly useful for naming fictional creatures, plants, magical potions, and eccentric design themes.

Name	Color impression	Personality vibe
Goose Turd Green	Yellowish green	Comic, earthy
Chartreuse	Yellow-green	Bold, unconventional
Zomp	Greenish shade	Quirky, modern
Celadon	Soft gray-green	Calm, refined
Viridian	Deep blue-green	Artistic, sophisticated
Malachite	Mineral-inspired green	Rich, dramatic
Verdigris	Aged blue-green patina	Antique, mysterious
Harlequin	Vivid yellow-green	Playful, theatrical

Which is best? Choose Goose Turd Green if humor matters most, Verdigris for an antique atmosphere, or Chartreuse for a vivid and instantly recognizable green family.

Weird Pink Color Names

Pink can sound sweet, sophisticated, or downright bizarre depending on the label. These options cover the full range, from a playful modern palette to unusual vintage shades.

Name	Color impression	Personality vibe
Drunk-Tank Pink	Strong, warm pink	Bold, unusual
Thulian Pink	Reddish pink	Artistic, romantic
Razzmatazz	Raspberry red-pink	Energetic, playful
Dead Salmon	Dusty salmon pink	Moody, vintage
Mountbatten Pink	Muted grayish mauve-pink	Historic, subdued
Puce	Brownish purple-pink	Peculiar, old-fashioned
Pink Lavender	Soft pink-purple	Dreamy, gentle
Fuchsia	Vivid purplish pink	Confident, expressive

For an unusual but beautiful pink, try Thulian Pink. For something humorous, Drunk-Tank Pink has the stronger story. And for a muted vintage palette, Dead Salmon or Mountbatten Pink is a more understated choice.

Weird Blue and Purple Color Names

Blue and purple naturally lend themselves to mysterious, celestial, and fantasy-inspired naming. Unfamiliar terms can make a simple shade feel like it belongs to a fictional planet or an ancient painting.

Name	Color impression	Personality vibe
Zaffre	Deep cobalt-like blue	Mysterious, scholarly
Smalt	Historical blue pigment	Antique, artistic
Glaucous	Blue-gray or green-gray	Quiet, natural
Woad	Traditional blue dye color	Rustic, historical
Caput Mortuum	Purplish reddish brown	Gothic, antique
Tyrian Purple	Deep reddish purple	Regal, luxurious
Pomp and Power	Purple	Dramatic, theatrical
Byzantium	Deep reddish purple	Ornate, sophisticated

Glaucous is especially interesting because it can describe the pale, waxy-looking blue-gray or green-gray surface of certain plants. It is a descriptive color term, not simply a made-up aesthetic label.

Tyrian Purple also has a genuine historical association with a costly dye obtained from certain sea snails. Its royal associations come from history, unlike the purely imaginative personality descriptions used for some modern color names.

Weird Brown, Red, and Neutral Color Names

Earthy colors often have the strangest names because they are linked to minerals, old pigments, plants, animals, and materials. They can also be surprisingly versatile in art and interiors.

Name	Color impression	Personality vibe
Mummy Brown	Warm dark brown	Macabre, historical
Caput Mortuum	Reddish-purple brown	Gothic, serious
Falu Red	Dark brick red	Rustic, traditional
Gamboge	Golden mustard yellow	Warm, painterly
Fulvous	Tawny golden brown	Natural, vintage
Australien	Sandy orange-brown	Historical, unusual
Coquelicot	Poppy orange-red	Vivid, confident
Cinnabar	Vermilion red	Powerful, artistic
Sinoper	Rusty earth red	Ancient, earthy
Eburnean	Ivory	Delicate, elegant
Isabelline	Pale grayish cream	Minimalist, quiet

If you’re naming a character or fictional location, Caput Mortuum and Sinoper offer more atmosphere than a generic label like dark brown. For a warmer, welcoming palette, Gamboge and Falu Red are easier to work with.

How to Choose the Best Weird Color Name

The best choice depends on If you want a name that makes people laugh, sparks curiosity, or feels unexpectedly beautiful.

• For uniqueness: Choose Zaffre, Eburnean, or Caput Mortuum.
• For humor: Goose Turd Green, Puce, or Drunk-Tank Pink.
• For dark aesthetics: Mummy Brown, Caput Mortuum, or Smoky Black.
• For elegance: Isabelline, Tyrian Purple, or Thulian Pink.
• For art and design: Gamboge, Coquelicot, or Viridian.

A useful rule is to balance how a name sounds with how the color looks. An elegant shade with an absurd name creates contrast; an obscure historical name paired with a rich pigment creates atmosphere.

If you’re using a color name for a brand, product, or public-facing design, check if it already has a specific meaning or trademark association before adopting it.

FAQs About Weird Color Names

What is the weirdest color name?

Goose Turd Green is one of the most amusing examples, while Drunk-Tank Pink and Caput Mortuum are memorable for their unusual names and documented histories.

What is a color name that sounds fake but is real?

Zaffre, Eburnean, Fulvous, Coquelicot, and Isabelline are real color terms that many people may not recognize. Their unusual sounds come from historical language, pigment terminology, or descriptive traditions.

What is the rarest color name?

There is no single universally accepted rarest color name. Rarity can refer to how uncommon a word is, how infrequently a shade appears in modern palettes, or how difficult a historical pigment is to obtain.

Are weird color names useful for art and design?

Yes. Unusual color names can give a palette personality and make it easier to communicate a creative concept. For accurate reproduction, pair the name with a HEX, RGB, CMYK, or manufacturer-specific color reference.

What are some weird names for green?

Goose Turd Green, Chartreuse, Zomp, Verdigris, Viridian, and Harlequin are distinctive options. They range from humorous to refined, depending on the shade and context.

Which weird color names sound elegant?

Eburnean, Isabelline, Zaffre, Tyrian Purple, and Thulian Pink are strong choices if you want something uncommon but sophisticated.

Can I invent my own weird color name?

Absolutely. Combine a visual impression with an unexpected object, mood, or setting. Names such as Moonlit Pickle, Haunted Peach, and Alien Dust can work well as creative labels, but they should be identified as invented names rather than established color terms.

Conclusion

Weird color names show how much personality a few words can give a shade. From the comic absurdity of Goose Turd Green to the dark history of Caput Mortuum and the elegance of Isabelline, unusual color terminology offers something for almost every creative mood.

If you want a name that gets a laugh, choose one with an unexpected description. If you’re building a moody palette, look to historical pigments. And if your goal is something rare but beautiful, explore the lesser-known names that sound as distinctive as the colors themselves.

Sometimes, the most memorable color isn’t the brightest or the rarest. It’s the one with a name you can’t forget.