Brown Color Names
Brown is the color of coffee, bark, leather and good soil, which is why its vocabulary borrows so heavily from food, wood and the earth. A “brown” can lean red (chestnut, auburn), yellow (camel, tan), gray (taupe) or almost black (espresso), and naming the undertone is the fastest way to describe the one you mean.
We’ve collected 90+ brown color names in eight groups, each with an approximate hex code. Standard web colors like Sienna, Peru and SaddleBrown use their exact CSS values; poetic names vary by brand, so treat those as a starting point. Explore the rest of our color names, compare with orange color names, or name a pet with our brown dog names.
Classic brown color names
The core browns you’ll find in paint charts, crayon boxes and the CSS color list.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | #A52A2A | The CSS “brown” is surprisingly red |
| Saddle Brown | #8B4513 | CSS color; rich leather tone |
| Sienna | #A0522D | CSS color named after Siena’s earth |
| Peru | #CD853F | CSS color; warm golden-brown |
| Chocolate | #7B3F00 | Classic chocolate brown (CSS “chocolate” is lighter, #D2691E) |
| Dark Brown | #654321 | Deep, neutral everyday brown |
| Chestnut | #954535 | Reddish brown of the polished nut |
| Umber | #635147 | Earth pigment, neutral and cool |
| Tan | #D2B48C | CSS color; light, sandy brown |
| Russet | #80461B | Reddish brown of homespun cloth and russet apples |
| Seal Brown | #59260B | Very dark brown of a seal’s coat |
| Kobicha | #6B4423 | Japanese name for a kelp-tea brown |
Coffee and chocolate brown shades
Café words are the most popular brown names in fashion and interiors. For more tasty names, see our food cat names.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | #6F4E37 | Medium roast brown |
| Espresso | #3C2218 | Nearly black, very warm |
| Mocha | #967969 | Soft, milky gray-brown |
| Latte | #C5A582 | Creamy light brown |
| Cappuccino | #B08968 | Foamy mid-brown |
| Café au Lait | #A67B5B | Coffee with milk |
| Café Noir | #4B3621 | French for “black coffee” |
| Milk Chocolate | #84563C | Smooth, warm mid-brown |
| Dark Chocolate | #3D1C02 | Bitter, deep brown |
| Cocoa | #D2691E | Warm cocoa-powder orange-brown |
| Caramel | #C68E17 | Golden, glossy brown |
| Toffee | #755139 | Buttery dark caramel |
| Coffee Bean | #3E2723 | Roasted, near-black brown |
| Truffle | #5A3A29 | Chocolate-truffle brown |
Wood-inspired brown color names
Furniture makers and paint brands borrow heavily from timber. Our tree names list is full of more wood words.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Walnut | #773F1A | Deep, warm hardwood |
| Mahogany | #C04000 | Reddish tropical hardwood |
| Oak | #806517 | Golden, grainy mid-brown |
| Teak | #B19644 | Honeyed, oiled wood |
| Rosewood | #65000B | Dark red-brown timber |
| Hickory | #6E4B3A | Smoky, sturdy brown |
| Cedar | #9B5A3C | Reddish, aromatic wood |
| Driftwood | #AF8751 | Weathered, sun-bleached brown |
| Cherrywood | #6F2E1F | Rich red-brown furniture finish |
| Maple | #C88A45 | Light, amber-toned wood |
| Pecan | #8B5A2B | Nutty, warm wood stain |
| Wenge | #645452 | Dark African hardwood with gray cast |
| Birch Bark | #D8C8B0 | Pale, creamy wood tone |
Earth and pigment browns
These names come from natural pigments artists have ground for centuries: raw earths are cooler, “burnt” earths are roasted to a redder brown.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Burnt Umber | #8A3324 | Roasted umber, deep red-brown |
| Raw Umber | #826644 | Unroasted, greenish brown |
| Burnt Sienna | #E97451 | Roasted sienna, orange-red |
| Raw Sienna | #D68A59 | Golden-orange earth |
| Sepia | #704214 | Named after cuttlefish ink |
| Van Dyke Brown | #664228 | Named after painter Anthony van Dyck |
| Bistre | #3D2B1F | Soot-based ink brown |
| Caput Mortuum | #592720 | Latin “dead head,” a violet-brown iron oxide |
| Terracotta | #E2725B | Italian “baked earth,” fired clay |
| Clay | #B66A50 | Wet riverbank clay |
| Adobe | #BD6C48 | Sun-dried brick tone |
| Mud | #70543E | Soft, murky brown |
| Peat | #3B2F2F | Dark, damp bog earth |
| Sandstone | #786D5F | Muted, stony brown |
Light brown and neutral shades
Soft browns for walls, linens and wardrobes. Pair them with our white color names for a warm neutral palette.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Camel | #C19A6B | The classic coat color |
| Beige | #F5F5DC | CSS color; pale, creamy |
| Khaki | #C3B091 | Hindi-Urdu “dusty,” from army uniforms |
| Fawn | #E5AA70 | Young deer, golden-light brown |
| Buff | #F0DC82 | Named after buff leather |
| Wheat | #F5DEB3 | CSS color; ripe grain |
| Burlywood | #DEB887 | CSS color; pale wood |
| Sandy Brown | #F4A460 | CSS color; warm sand |
| Desert Sand | #EDC9AF | Pinkish pale brown |
| Ecru | #CDB891 | French “raw,” unbleached linen |
| Oatmeal | #D6C6A8 | Speckled, cozy neutral |
| Almond | #EFDECD | Pale nut-skin tone |
| Rosy Brown | #BC8F8F | CSS color; dusty pink-brown |
Gray-browns and taupes
Browns with a cool, grayish undertone. They bridge beautifully into our gray color names.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Taupe | #483C32 | French for “mole” |
| Greige | #BEB5A7 | Gray + beige blend |
| Mushroom | #BDACA3 | Soft fungi tone |
| Mink | #8A6B5C | Plush, silvery brown |
| Beaver | #9F8170 | Crayola color; muted animal brown |
| Liver | #674C47 | Dull, purplish brown |
| Stone Brown | #7F7063 | Rugged, neutral rock tone |
| Otter | #6E5A4B | Sleek, wet-fur brown |
| Smoky Topaz | #93472B | Named after the smoky gemstone |
| Dusty Cedar | #A56A5E | Muted pink-brown |
Reddish and coppery browns
Warm browns that tip toward red or orange, perfect for autumn palettes. Also see our red color names.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn | #922724 | Classic reddish hair color |
| Maroon | #800000 | Deep brownish red |
| Copper | #B87333 | Polished metal brown |
| Bronze | #CD7F32 | Metallic golden brown |
| Cognac | #9A463D | Aged brandy and leather |
| Rust | #B7410E | Oxidized iron |
| Rufous | #A81C07 | Latin for “red,” used in bird names |
| Oxblood | #4A0000 | Dark red-brown of classic leather shoes |
| Henna | #8C3A1B | Red-brown dye from henna leaves |
| Brick | #9C4A2F | Weathered brick wall |
| Sorrel | #B45E2B | Reddish horse coat |
| Cinnamon | #A45A2A | Bark of the cinnamon tree |
Spice, bakery and sweet browns
Cozy browns named after the kitchen shelf.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nutmeg | #7E4A35 | Warm, grated-spice brown |
| Clove | #4C3024 | Deep spice brown |
| Brown Sugar | #AF6E4D | Moist, reddish sugar tone |
| Gingerbread | #9C5A3C | Holiday-cookie brown |
| Maple Syrup | #BB9351 | Amber pancake topping |
| Toast | #9C6D57 | Golden-browned bread |
| Pretzel | #C5956A | Baked twist, warm tan |
| Peanut | #795C34 | Roasted legume brown |
| Hazelnut | #AE8964 | Soft nutty brown |
| Chai | #C9A27E | Spiced milky tea |
| Acorn | #7A5230 | Oak-nut brown |
| Biscotti | #D4B48C | Crisp, pale cookie brown |
How to use brown shades well
- Identify the undertone first: red browns (chestnut, cognac) feel warm and rich; yellow browns (camel, tan) feel sunny; gray browns (taupe, greige) feel calm and modern.
- Layer three browns of different depths, such as latte, walnut and espresso, for a room that feels rich rather than flat.
- Pair warm browns with cream, olive green or brass; pair cool taupes with charcoal, navy or silver.
- In design work, dark browns like Café Noir are softer text colors than pure black on cream backgrounds.
- For product names, a food or wood reference (Toffee, Walnut) helps shoppers imagine the color better than “Brown #3.”
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of different shades of brown?
Popular brown shades include chestnut, mocha, coffee, espresso, walnut, mahogany, camel, tan, taupe, sepia, sienna, umber, russet and auburn.
What is the hex code for brown?
The CSS named color “brown” is #A52A2A, which looks reddish. Many designers use a more neutral brown such as #654321 (dark brown) or #6F4E37 (coffee).
What is the difference between burnt and raw umber?
Raw umber is the natural earth pigment, cooler and slightly greenish. Burnt umber is the same pigment roasted, which turns it a warmer, redder brown.
Is taupe brown or gray?
Taupe sits between the two. The traditional taupe, named after the French word for mole, is a dark grayish brown; lighter commercial “taupes” can look almost beige-gray.
What colors go well with brown?
Cream, ivory, olive and sage greens, dusty blues, mustard yellow and burnt orange all pair well with brown. Brass and gold accents warm it up further.