🎨 Color Name Finder: What Color Is This Hex Code?

What is the Color Name Finder?

A hex code such as #6495ED is a precise machine label: two hexadecimal digits each for red, green and blue, giving over 16 million possible values. It is exact but not human friendly. Named colors are the opposite. Words like "cornflowerblue", "tomato" and "slategray" are easy to say and remember, but there are only about 140 of them in the CSS specification, so almost any arbitrary hex falls somewhere between two names rather than landing on one exactly. This tool bridges the two by finding the single named color that sits closest to whatever you enter, then showing you exactly how close that match is.

The matching treats each color as a point in a three-dimensional space whose axes are the red, green and blue channels, each running 0 to 255. The distance between two colors is the straight-line (Euclidean) distance between their points: distance = sqrt((R1 - R2)^2 + (G1 - G2)^2 + (B1 - B2)^2). The tool measures that distance from your color to every named CSS color and reports the one with the smallest value. A distance of 0 means your hex is an exact named color, while larger numbers mean the nearest name is only an approximation. This is the same nearest-neighbour approach behind most "name that color" tools, just scoped to the official CSS keyword set so every result is a name browsers actually recognise.

There is an important caveat about accuracy. RGB distance is simple and fast, but it does not match how the human eye perceives color difference. Our eyes are far more sensitive to changes in green than to changes in blue, so two pairs of colors with the same RGB distance can look very different in how far apart they seem. For naming a color in everyday use the nearest RGB match is almost always right, but for precision work, matching a brand color or judging perceptual sameness, a perceptual metric like CIEDE2000 in the CIELAB color space is the more accurate choice. Some larger dictionaries (with thousands of paint and fashion names) use exactly that Delta-E approach; this tool stays with the compact, standards-backed CSS list on purpose so the names are portable and unambiguous.

Why limit to CSS named colors at all? Because those names are the ones you can drop straight into CSS, SVG or a design token and have every browser render identically. A name like "tomato" is not a rough label here, it maps to a fixed, specified hex (#FF6347). Bigger dictionaries give you more poetic names, but those names are not machine-readable and vary between vendors. If your goal is a usable keyword for code or a shared, unambiguous reference for a design handoff, the CSS set is the practical choice. If your goal is a marketing or paint name, treat this result as the underlying hue and reach for a specialist dictionary on top.

A few practical notes on how colors relate. The CSS names cluster unevenly: there are many named grays and blues but far fewer named oranges and purples, which is why an orange hex sometimes returns a match with a larger distance than a blue one. Names can also share a hex (aqua and cyan are both #00FFFF), so an exact color may legitimately map to either alias. And because the tool works purely on RGB math, it runs instantly in your browser with no upload, no signup and no data leaving your device, which matters when the color comes from a confidential design file or client screenshot.

When to use it

• Figuring out a plain-English name for a hex code you found in a design file, CSS, or screenshot.
• Choosing a readable CSS keyword instead of a raw hex value when the exact shade is not critical.
• Naming colors picked from a photo or palette for documentation, tickets, or a design handoff.
• Sanity-checking a brand color against the nearest web-safe keyword before writing CSS.
• Teaching or learning how RGB values map onto the standard set of named web colors.
• Quickly answering "what color is this?" when someone sends you only a hex value.

How to use the Color Name Finder

1. Type a hex code into the field (3-digit shorthand like #6cf or 6-digit like #6495ED both work).
2. Or click the color picker and choose a color visually.
3. Read off the nearest named CSS color, its hex, RGB, and the distance score.
4. Compare the two swatches side by side to judge how close the match is.
5. Copy the color name or its hex with one click to paste into your CSS or notes.

Formula & method

Worked examples

Sample CSS named colors with their hex and RGB values

How to read the distance score

CSS color name aliases that share the same hex

Common mistakes to avoid

• Expecting an exact name for every hex. There are only about 140 named CSS colors but over 16 million possible hex values, so most colors have no exact name. The tool gives the nearest one, not a perfect label. Check the distance score to see how close it really is.
• Assuming RGB distance equals perceived difference. Euclidean RGB distance is simple but does not match human vision, which is far more sensitive to green than blue. Two matches with the same distance can look noticeably different. For perceptual accuracy, a CIELAB metric like CIEDE2000 is better.
• Confusing aliases like aqua and cyan. Some CSS names share the same hex (aqua and cyan are both #00FFFF, fuchsia and magenta are both #FF00FF). A nearest-match tool may return either one for that exact color, since both are equally correct.
• Typing an invalid hex. Only 3-digit (#abc) or 6-digit (#aabbcc) hex codes work. Stray characters, a missing digit, or an 8-digit hex with alpha will not parse, so double-check the value if no name appears.
• Treating the CSS name as a paint or brand match. The result is the nearest web keyword, not a Pantone, RAL, or paint-chip name. Those use their own systems and Delta-E matching. Use the CSS name for code and a specialist dictionary for physical color matching.
• Forgetting that shorthand doubles each digit. A 3-digit hex expands by repeating each digit, so #6cf is #66CCFF, not #06C0F0. If a shorthand result looks off, expand it to six digits first and re-check.

Glossary

Hex code

A six-digit (or three-digit shorthand) hexadecimal value encoding the red, green and blue channels of a color, written with a leading #.

Named CSS color

One of roughly 140 keyword color names recognised by web browsers, such as "tomato" or "steelblue", each tied to a fixed hex value.

RGB

The red, green, blue color model where each channel ranges from 0 to 255, the basis for hex codes and screen color.

Euclidean distance

The straight-line distance between two points; here, between two colors treated as points in red-green-blue space.

CIEDE2000

A perceptual color-difference formula in the CIELAB color space that more closely matches how the human eye judges how different two colors look.

CIELAB

A color space designed so equal numeric distances correspond roughly to equal perceived differences, used for accurate color matching.

Delta-E

A single number expressing the perceived difference between two colors; smaller means more similar, with CIEDE2000 as the modern formula.

Hex shorthand

A three-digit hex form where each digit is doubled, so #6cf expands to #66CCFF, valid only when all three channel pairs repeat.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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