Practical color guide
CSS Color Names List: When to Use Named HTML Colors
Explore CSS named colors, their limits, and how to use names like red, navy, gold, coral and teal in real projects.
Open related toolWhat are CSS color names?
CSS color names are predefined keywords supported by browsers. They make examples readable and help beginners understand colors quickly.
When named colors are useful
Use named colors for demos, documentation, quick prototypes and teaching. For brand systems, prefer exact HEX, RGB or HSL tokens.
Popular named colors
Common examples include red, blue, black, white, gold, coral, tomato, navy, teal, violet and slategray.
Frequently asked questions
How many standard opaque CSS named colors exist?
The CSS named-color list contains 148 standard opaque keywords, including spelling aliases such as gray and grey. Transparent and currentColor are separate special keywords.
Are named colors good for production?
They can be used in production, but design systems usually need precise tokens and documented palettes.