Blue Color Names
Blue is one of the most-loved colors in the world, and it has a vocabulary to match: navy and cobalt, cerulean and periwinkle, Prussian blue and International Klein Blue. Here are more than 100 blue color names, grouped from the palest ice blues to near-black navies, each with a hex code you can drop straight into a design, website or paint search.
Hex values are the widely used reference values for each name; real paints and fabrics will vary, so check samples in person. For other color families, head back to our main list of color names or compare with green color names and purple color names.
Light and pastel blue color names
Airy blues for nurseries, spring palettes and calm interiors. For names that share the mood, see names that mean sky.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alice blue | #F0F8FF | Barely-there blue; named for Alice Roosevelt |
| Baby blue | #89CFF0 | Soft, classic nursery blue |
| Powder blue | #B0E0E6 | Pale, chalky blue |
| Light blue | #ADD8E6 | Gentle, standard light blue |
| Sky blue | #87CEEB | Clear daytime sky |
| Light sky blue | #87CEFA | Slightly brighter sky blue |
| Periwinkle | #CCCCFF | Lavender-tinged pastel blue, named after the flower |
| Columbia blue | #B9D9EB | Light blue of Columbia University |
| Uranian blue | #AFDBF5 | Pale blue named after the planet Uranus |
| Non-photo blue | #A4DDED | Light blue that old cameras couldn’t see |
| Beau blue | #BCD4E6 | Soft, grayish pastel |
| Baby blue eyes | #A1CAF1 | Gentle, slightly deeper pastel |
| Pastel blue | #AEC6CF | Muted, dusty pastel |
| Light steel blue | #B0C4DE | Cool, pale gray-blue |
| Maya blue | #73C2FB | Bright light blue; also the name of an ancient Maya pigment |
| Carolina blue | #4B9CD3 | Light-medium blue of UNC Chapel Hill |
Bright and vivid blue color names
Saturated blues that pop on screens, logos and sports kits.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | #0000FF | Pure digital blue |
| Azure | #007FFF | Bright blue of a cloudless sky |
| Dodger blue | #1E90FF | Vivid, clear blue |
| Deep sky blue | #00BFFF | Intense light blue |
| Electric blue | #7DF9FF | Glowing, icy cyan-blue |
| Brandeis blue | #0070FF | Strong, pure blue |
| Bleu de France | #318CE7 | Traditional blue of France |
| Royal blue | #4169E1 | Bright, regal blue |
| Cornflower blue | #6495ED | Medium blue of the cornflower |
| Picton blue | #45B1E8 | Bright aqua-leaning blue |
| True blue | #2D68C4 | Honest, mid-bright blue |
| Tufts blue | #3E8EDE | Clear, friendly blue |
| Celestial blue | #4997D0 | Heavenly mid blue |
| Medium blue | #0000CD | Deep, saturated blue |
| Persian blue | #1C39BB | Vivid blue of Persian pottery |
Classic medium blue color names
Everyday blues with a long history in fashion, porcelain and painting.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cerulean | #007BA7 | Deep sky blue; from Latin caeruleum, “sky blue” |
| Cobalt | #0047AB | Rich blue from cobalt salts |
| Sapphire | #0F52BA | Jewel blue — see our <a href="/planet-names/gemstone-names/">gemstone names</a> |
| Denim | #1560BD | Blue of jeans |
| Steel blue | #4682B4 | Grayish, metallic blue |
| Lapis lazuli | #26619C | Deep blue of the semiprecious stone |
| Honolulu blue | #006DB0 | Bold blue of the Detroit Lions |
| Queen blue | #436B95 | Refined, muted blue |
| Blue yonder | #5072A7 | Soft, faded mid blue |
| Silver lake blue | #5D89BA | Blue with a silvery cast |
| Ruddy blue | #76ABDF | Warm light-medium blue |
| Glaucous | #6082B6 | Dusty blue of waxy leaves and plums |
| Air superiority blue | #72A0C1 | Gray-blue used on military aircraft |
Dark and navy blue color names
Deep, formal blues for suits, uniforms and moody rooms. Night-lovers will also like our names that mean night.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Navy | #000080 | Dark blue of naval uniforms |
| Midnight blue | #191970 | Near-black evening blue |
| Dark blue | #00008B | Deep, pure dark blue |
| Prussian blue | #003153 | Dark greenish blue; one of the first modern synthetic pigments (early 1700s) |
| Oxford blue | #002147 | Deep blue of the University of Oxford |
| Space cadet | #1D2951 | Dark, slightly purple blue |
| Delft blue | #1F305E | Blue of Dutch Delftware pottery |
| Royal blue (traditional) | #002366 | The older, darker royal blue |
| Penn blue | #011F5B | Dark blue of the University of Pennsylvania |
| Cool black | #002E63 | Blue so dark it reads as black |
| Catalina blue | #062A78 | Dark, saturated blue |
| Polynesian blue | #224C98 | Deep ocean blue |
| Dark midnight blue | #003366 | Classic dark corporate blue |
| Yale blue | #00356B | Dark blue of Yale University |
| Berkeley blue | #003262 | Deep blue of UC Berkeley |
| Imperial blue | #002395 | Strong, dark royal blue |
| Resolution blue | #002387 | Dark, confident blue |
| Dark slate blue | #483D8B | Purple-leaning dark blue |
Teal, turquoise and aqua blues
Where blue meets green: beachy, tropical and fresh. More in our green color names and ocean names.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Teal | #008080 | Medium blue-green, named after the duck |
| Turquoise | #40E0D0 | Bright blue-green of the gemstone |
| Aquamarine | #7FFFD4 | Pale green-blue, “sea water” in Latin |
| Aqua | #00FFFF | Pure bright cyan |
| Teal blue | #367588 | Muted, deeper teal |
| Pacific blue | #1CA9C9 | Bright tropical blue |
| Robin egg blue | #00CCCC | Blue-green of robins’ eggs |
| Celeste | #B2FFFF | Very pale sky cyan; Italian for “heavenly” |
| Blue-green | #0D98BA | Balanced mix of both |
| Dark cyan | #008B8B | Deep, cool blue-green |
| Medium turquoise | #48D1CC | Softer turquoise |
| Light sea green | #20B2AA | Shallow-water green-blue |
| Verdigris | #43B3AE | Patina on old copper and bronze |
| Moonstone blue | #73A9C2 | Soft, milky blue |
| Munsell blue | #0093AF | Clean, scientific blue-green |
| Ocean boat blue | #0077BE | Deep-sea blue |
Gray-blue and muted blue color names
Soft, sophisticated blues that behave almost like neutrals. For true neutrals, see our gray color names.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Slate blue | #6A5ACD | Blue with a violet-gray tint |
| Light slate gray | #778899 | Cool gray with blue undertones |
| Payne’s gray | #536878 | Blue-gray pigment used by watercolorists |
| Air Force blue | #5D8AA8 | Muted blue of the RAF |
| Cadet blue | #5F9EA0 | Grayish teal blue |
| Blue-gray | #6699CC | Classic dusty blue |
| Stormcloud | #4F666A | Dark, rainy gray-blue |
| Cool gray | #8C92AC | Lavender-gray blue |
| Weldon blue | #7C98AB | Soft, faded blue |
| Shadow blue | #778BA5 | Hazy mid blue |
| Independence | #4C516D | Dark, desaturated navy |
| Pewter blue | #8BA8B7 | Metallic, pale gray-blue |
| Cerulean frost | #6D9BC3 | Frosty, muted cerulean |
| Steel teal | #5F8A8B | Gray-green blue |
Famous historic blue pigments
Some of the most storied colors in art history. Blue pigments were once so rare that painters reserved them for the Virgin Mary’s robes.
| Color name | Hex code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ultramarine | #120A8F | Made from ground lapis lazuli; once worth more than gold |
| Egyptian blue | #1034A6 | Among the first synthetic pigments, made in ancient Egypt |
| Han blue | #446CCF | Synthetic pigment of ancient China |
| Smalt | #003399 | Ground cobalt glass, used from the 1500s |
| International Klein Blue | #002FA7 | Yves Klein’s signature ultramarine, registered in 1960 |
| YInMn blue | #2E5090 | Discovered by accident at Oregon State University in 2009 |
| Phthalo blue | #000F89 | Intense modern pigment, introduced in the 1930s |
| Majorelle blue | #6050DC | Vivid blue of Jacques Majorelle’s garden in Marrakech |
| Chinese blue | #365194 | Traditional blue of Chinese porcelain |
| Indigo | #4B0082 | Deep purple-blue dye from the indigo plant |
Tips for choosing the right blue
- Check the undertone. Blues lean green (teal, turquoise), purple (periwinkle, slate blue) or gray (steel, pewter). Pick the lean that fits your palette.
- Test in real light. North-facing rooms make blues look colder; warm bulbs make them look greener. Always sample paint on the wall.
- Pair navy with warm neutrals. Navy, cream and tan is a timeless combination that feels less stark than black and white.
- Use brights sparingly. Electric and dodger blue shine as accents on screens but can overwhelm a whole wall or page.
- Borrow blue names for pets. Blue-gray cats and dogs suit names like Slate, Denim or Indigo — try our grey cat names.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main shades of blue?
Common shades include navy, royal blue, cobalt, cerulean, sky blue, baby blue, teal, turquoise, periwinkle and midnight blue.
What is the darkest shade of blue?
Navy and midnight blue are the best-known dark blues. Shades like cool black (#002E63) and Oxford blue (#002147) are so dark they read as nearly black.
What is the rarest blue pigment?
Natural ultramarine, ground from lapis lazuli, was historically the most expensive. YInMn blue, discovered in 2009, was the first new inorganic blue pigment in about 200 years.
What’s the difference between navy and royal blue?
Navy (#000080) is very dark and subdued. Royal blue (#4169E1 on the web) is much brighter, while traditional royal blue (#002366) is deeper.
What is a light blue called?
Light blues include baby blue, powder blue, sky blue, Alice blue, periwinkle and pastel blue.