Color Name Finder
Find the name of any color. Pick or paste a HEX code and the color name finder returns the closest named color with its swatch and code. Free online color identifier.
Updated 2026-06-14 · Free · No sign-up · Runs privately in your browser
What Color Is This? Find Out Instantly
The color name finder identifies any color by name. Pick a color or paste a HEX code and the tool returns the closest named color — like Crimson, Steel Blue or Goldenrod — along with its swatch and HEX code.
How to Use It
- Click the swatch to choose a color, or paste a HEX code (six-digit or shorthand like
#FAC). - The finder instantly shows the closest named color.
- Compare your color and the named color side by side, with both HEX codes.
How It Finds the Name
There are over 16 million possible screen colors but only a few dozen standard names. To bridge that gap, the finder calculates the distance between your color’s red, green and blue values and every named color, then returns the nearest match:
distance = (R₁−R₂)² + (G₁−G₂)² + (B₁−B₂)²
The named color with the smallest distance wins. If your color matches a name exactly, it is labeled as an exact match.
Example Matches
| Your HEX | Closest name |
|---|---|
| #6B8E23 | Olive Drab |
| #1E90FF | Dodger Blue |
| #FF69B4 | Hot Pink |
| #D2B48C | Tan |
| #2F4F4F | Dark Slate Gray |
Who It Is For
- Designers who need a human-readable label for a sampled color.
- Developers translating a HEX value into a recognizable CSS color name.
- Writers and crafters describing a paint, fabric or product color.
- Anyone curious what to actually call a shade.
The finder uses the standard web and CSS color palette, so the names it returns are widely understood and safe to use in stylesheets, documentation and everyday descriptions. Everything runs in your browser, so it is instant and private — sample, paste, and name any color in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How does the color name finder work?+
You pick a color or paste a HEX code, and the tool compares it to a list of named colors using the distance between their red, green and blue values. It returns the closest match with its name, swatch and HEX code.
Will it always find the exact name?+
If your color exactly matches a named color, it shows that name. Otherwise it returns the closest named color, since there are millions of possible colors but only a limited set of standard names.
What color names does it use?+
It uses common, widely recognized color names based on the standard web and CSS color palette, such as Crimson, Olive Drab, Steel Blue, Goldenrod and Hot Pink, plus neutrals like Gray and Beige.
Can I paste a HEX code from another tool?+
Yes. Paste any six-digit HEX code or three-digit shorthand like #FAC into the text box, and the finder identifies the nearest named color instantly with a live preview.
Why does the finder show 'closest' instead of an exact name?+
Standard color names cover only a few dozen shades, while screens can display millions of colors. When your color falls between named shades, the tool shows the nearest one so you always get a useful, recognizable label.