30 Colorful Baby Names That Brighten Up the World

Do you want your baby to live a colorful life inspired by all the beauty this world is exploding with? Of course, you do! Baby names inspired by your favorite colors are always a great idea. Monikers inspired by colors are so romantic and poetic because when we hear them we immediately associate many of these names with colors. For instance, whenever you hear the name Violet, chances are you think of the attractive purple flower. In contrast, what comes to mind when you hear the name, George? They just don’t land the same! In addition to sounding poetic, these baby names contain a sort of playfulness that’s also very intriguing. Naming your baby can be tough, but you can always turn to colors that inspire you to make the process a bit easier. We sifted through our favorite names inspired by lush colors to bring you our top 30 picks for boys and girls. Here are 30 colorful baby names that dazzle.

30. Zinc

We’re going out on a limb here to start this list! Zinc might seem like a crazy suggestion! But, it’s a name that predates the discovery of the element. In 1746, Andreas Marggraf discovered the element and changed the way kids are made to memorize periodic tables forever! The name Zinc comes from Germany by way of Persia and means “sing.”

29. Emerald

Emerald has a nice ring to it, right? The name Emerald has been in use in one form or another since ancient Roman times. It has roots in Persian and Latin and in both means “green gem.” The name Emerald lends itself to so many great nicknames as well. Em and Emmy are both pretty and bright-sounding.

28. Cobalt

If you want your son to grow up to be a professional wrestler or just an all-around icon, you could do no better than going with the unusual name Cobalt. In addition to being a blue chemical element, it’s a German name that comes from the German word kobald which means “household demon.” But don’t let that scare you away! We think it’s a handsome name for boys that definitely rocks.

27. Rose

Not just the protagonist from your favorite 90s blockbuster, Titanic, this name is a gorgeous moniker that evokes the red and pink. The name Rose means exactly what you think it does, but it’s the English version of the Latin “Rosa.” In Old German, the name Hrodohaidis was the precursor of the name and means “famous.” How about that? If Rose is too sweet for your tastes, consider Rosalind or even go back to the Roman era fave Rosa.

26. Blue

When in doubt, get right to the point. The name Blue is a gender-neutral baby name that reminds us of a shimmering sea or big sky. The name has only ever been popular (popular-ish) in the United States and we’d love to hear more of it. The name has seen a bit of a spike in popularity after Beyoncé and Jay-Z named their daughter Blue Ivy in 2012.

25. Opal

The cloudy, mysterious gemstone opal became popular as a name for girls during the Victorian Era. The Sanskrit word upal means “jewel.” Opal is the birthstone for October so it would be a great name to babies born that month. If you haven’t taken a look at an opal recently, go pick one up. Yes, many will just look white at first glance, but look closer and you’ll see these gemstones reflect the entire rainbow.

24. Loden

While this name has yet to take off in English speaking cultures, it does have all the elements of a handsome name for a boy. Similar to Odin, Aiden, and Logan this is a great and creative alternative that comes from Norway and Sweden and was a nickname for the German Ludwig. The name means “green.”

23. Amber

A fossilized resin that looks like hardened honey might not be the best way to describe Amber, but that’s what it is! Amber comes from Arabic and means “jewel.” This beautiful name for a girl makes us think of fall and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. We love it.

22. Cyan

The first recorded usage of the color cyan being used as a name was in 1879. Cyan is a handsome English name for a boy that comes from the color which is both blue and green. It comes from the Ancient Greek word kyanos which means “dark blue.” We’d love to see this name take off in popularity. It’s stunning.

21. Coral

Coral is such a sweet name that hasn’t been very popular since the early 20th Century. Coral, of course, refers to the precious sea invertebrates that populate our oceans. Coral also refers to the deep red and pink colors that many corals share. This name would definitely inject some color into your baby girl’s future.

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20. Brick

The name Brick might seem odd at first, but it was favored by Tennessee Williams when he wrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The name is of English origin and was given to mason and bricklayers back in the day. It’s also a nickname commonly used for a solid, “good guy.”

19. Titian

Renaissance painter Titian favored a color palette of browns, golds, and oranges. The girl’s name Titian honors both the artist and his beautiful use of color. The name Titian refers to Titanius which means “honorable” or “wild dove.”

18. Copper

Boy’s names tend to trend “tough” and the name Copper is no exception. Copper is a beautiful name for a boy and refers to the element of copper. The name comes from Ancient Roman, cuprum and specifically the island of Cyprus where copper was mined.

17. Magenta

If you’d like your child to find her name on a crayon someday, Magenta would be the choice. Magenta is an Italian name and refers to the deep purple-red color. If the name Magenta seems too long, you can always call her Maggie, Mag, or Gen.

16. Roan

Roan and Rowan are different forms of the same root name and mean “red-head.” While the name was traditionally given to boys in Ireland, we think it works great for girls as well.

15. Marigold

Marigold is an English name that has two meanings. The name means “golden flower” and it means “resplendent Mary.” If you’re into sweet, floral names for your daughter, this Victorian Era favorite would be an excellent choice.

14. Jet

Jet is another gender-neutral baby name that we love. In English speaking countries, while the name isn’t terribly popular, it is commonly given to boys. However, in Amsterdam, it’s a common nickname for girls. Jet means “black gemstone.”

13. Autumn

Where my PSL (pumpkin spice latte) mamas at? Autumn is an incredibly poetic name that captures the warmth and coziness of the Fall season. The name has Latin origins but it’s been most popular in contemporary times. The name started gaining steam in the 1970s and over the course of the last decade, it remained in the top 100 given names for girls.

12. Auburn

Another name that works well for both boys and girls is Auburn. This English name means “reddish-brown” or “moderate.” If you’re tired of Audrey and Aubry, consider Auburn. We love this Autumn inspired name and would love to hear even more of it.

11. Sapphire

Step out of the way Ruby and Pearl and make way for Sapphire. This majestic sounding name for girls also names a precious gemstone. Sapphire is Hebrew in origin and means “blue.” Wouldn’t you love calling your daughter by the nickname “Fire?”

10. Sterling

The name Sterling is favored for boys, but we’ve met girls with the name and were not offended in the least. The English name Sterling means “pure” or “high-quality.” If you want your baby boy of the highest quality, here you go! The color sterling is dark grey.

9. Sienna

The name Sienna comes from Latin and means “old.” Just because the name connotes age doesn’t mean it’s bad! With age, comes wisdom. The color sienna is earthy red. The storied town of Siena, Italy famously carries the name.

8. Ash

Ash has been a somewhat popular boy’s name recently and we’d love to see more of it. In addition to being for boys, the name has been a common nickname for girls with the name Ashley, for as long as there have been Ashleys. We like the name for either boys or girls. Aside from the color Ash, the name also refers to the ash tree.

7. Olive

We can’t get enough of the olive tree names: Olive, Olivia, Oliver, Olivier, and Liv. You’d do great by your child choosing any one of these names. Our favorite for girls is Olive and should bring to mind the color as well. Olive trees and specifically, their branches have been symbols of peace forever.

6. Moss

Moss isn’t just for the forest floor, it’s also a great name for boys. Moss is the English form of the name Moses. The name Moses means “to draw out.” In English, the name also means “dweller of the peat bog.” Moss makes us think of luscious dark green.

5. Ginger

Some people with red hair hate being called a “ginger.” We are very fond of this practice, however. The name Ginger comes from English and means “pure.” The name also refers to the peppy little ginger root. We love this name for girls and would love to see more parents giving it their daughters.

4. Rory

Traditionally, the name Rory was given to boys on the Island of its origin, Ireland. The name really didn’t land for daughters until the character Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls made us rethink things. Rory is Gaelic and means “red king.”

3. Cerise

Cerise might look a bit unusual to you, but it’s a beautiful French name we’d love to crossover to the US. The name means “cherry” and it’s pronounced “seh-REESE.” If you’re looking for a romantic name that isn’t widely popular yet, Cerise would be the perfect choice.

2. Rufus

While you could be bold like parents naming their kids Blue, you could also simply choose Red. We realize this seems like more of a nickname, so we went with Rufus as our favorite color-inspired name for boys. Rufus comes from Latin and means “red-headed.” The name fell out of favor for decades but made a resurgence in the late nineties that continues to this day.

1. Iris

The name Iris comes from Greek and it means “rainbow.” Which is why the colored part of the eye is called an Iris. Iris was a Greek goddess and messenger. Additionally, it also is the name of a gorgeous purple flower. Iris is a charming name for girls and as of 2018, it was the 138th most popular name given to girls.

For those of us fortunate enough to experience it, color is invigorating when we see and think about it. Color-inspired baby names are often associated with beautiful things like gems and flowers. Because of the associations, these names seem romantic, poetic, and pretty. We hope you consider these 30 baby names for your newborn.