Color Name Finder
Pick any color and instantly find its closest CSS name and Tailwind color name. See the 5 nearest named colors for alternatives.
Closest match
blue-500
#3B82F6 · Tailwind · distance: 0.0
5 Nearby Named Colors
How to use Color Name Finder
Find the closest named color to any HEX, RGB, or HSL value — with results from CSS color names, Pantone, RAL, and the full X11/xkcd color datasets. Understand what a color is actually called, find nearby named alternatives, and copy the exact CSS color keyword for use in stylesheets. Covers 1,500+ named colors across all major naming systems.
- Enter a HEX, RGB, or HSL color value in the input field.
- The tool finds the nearest named color using perceptual distance (CIEDE2000).
- Review the name, its dataset source, and the exact color comparison swatch.
- Browse nearby named colors sorted by similarity.
- Copy the CSS color name, Pantone reference, or HEX value to clipboard.
Your data never leaves your device — 100% private processing.
Color naming datasets
CSS standard colors include 140 named keywords (aliceblue, cornflowerblue, rebeccapurple) defined in the CSS specification. X11 named colors (from the Unix X Window System) include 550 names, most of which map to CSS keywords. The xkcd Color Survey collected over 200,000 responses to identify the most intuitive English names for 954 colors. Pantone is the print industry standard with thousands of numbered codes. RAL is the European standard for industrial and architectural coatings. This tool searches all datasets simultaneously and returns the closest match by perceptual distance.
Perceptual color distance (CIEDE2000)
Color matching uses CIEDE2000 — the most accurate perceptual color distance formula — rather than simple Euclidean distance in RGB space. RGB distance is misleading: a large RGB difference between two near-identical grey tones is perceptually tiny, while a small RGB difference between two blues can be quite noticeable. CIEDE2000 accounts for the non-uniform sensitivity of human color vision (we are more sensitive to hue changes in saturated colors and lightness changes in dark colors) to return the most intuitive "nearest color" result.
Glossary
- CSS named colors
- The 140 HTML/CSS color keywords (red, blue, tomato, etc.) defined in the CSS Color Level 4 specification.
- Pantone
- A proprietary color matching system widely used in print, fashion, and product design to specify exact ink colors.
- RAL
- A European color standard system used in architectural, industrial, and automotive coatings, with ~200 Classic colors.
- CIEDE2000
- The most accurate mathematical formula for measuring the perceived difference between two colors.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Get weekly tool tips & updates
New tools, power-user tips, and productivity hacks — delivered free every Friday.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe with one click.
Why use Color Name Finder?
- Converts between HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, and CMYK instantly
- Accessibility contrast checker built in
- Generates harmonious palette variations from a single colour
- Export-ready CSS variables and design tokens
Common use cases
- Pick brand colours that meet WCAG accessibility standards
- Generate a complementary palette from a logo colour
- Convert Figma HEX codes to CSS rgb() for developers
- Create a gradient from two brand colours
- Verify sufficient contrast for text on coloured backgrounds
Related Color & Design
Color Picker & Converter
Pick a color and instantly convert between HEX, RGB, HSL, HSB, and CMYK. Generate tints, shades, and color palettes.
Color Converter
Convert colors between HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, and CMYK formats instantly. Paste any color format and get all others with one click.
Color Shades & Tints Generator
Generate a full color scale from any color. Create 9 shades and 9 tints with Tailwind-style naming (50-900). Copy as CSS variables or Tailwind config.
CSS Gradient Generator
Create beautiful CSS linear, radial, and conic gradients online. Get the CSS code instantly with a live preview.
Color Contrast Checker
Check color contrast ratio for WCAG AA and AAA accessibility compliance. See if your text and background colors meet accessibility standards.
Color Palette Generator
Generate beautiful harmonious color palettes online. Choose from complementary, analogous, triadic, and monochromatic schemes. Free color scheme creator.
Explore all Color & Design.