White Color Names
Anyone who has stood in a paint store knows there is no such thing as “just white.” A white can lean yellow, pink, gray, green or blue, and that undertone changes everything once it’s on a wall, a wedding dress or a website background. We’ve gathered more than 90 white color names, sorted by temperature and character, each with an approximate hex code.
Paint makers mix their own versions of names like Alabaster and Swiss Coffee, so always test a sample before committing. For the rest of the spectrum, visit our color names hub, pair these with gray color names or black color names, or find a baby name in names that mean snow.
Pure and bright white shades
These whites sit at or near #FFFFFF. They look crisp and clean, and are the standard choice for trim, gallery walls and minimal design.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Look & feel |
|---|---|---|
| Pure White | #FFFFFF | Full-brightness digital white with no tint |
| Snow | #FFFAFA | A faint rosy glow; a named CSS color |
| Brilliant White | #FDFDFD | Optically brightened white used for ceilings and trim |
| Optic White | #F8F8FF | Laundry-bright white with a cool edge |
| Paper White | #FAFAFA | The soft white of good printer paper |
| Titanium White | #F6F6F6 | The artist’s standard opaque white pigment |
| Zinc White | #FDF8FF | Cool, transparent artist white |
| Chalk | #F5F5F0 | Matte, powdery white |
| Cotton | #FAF9F6 | Soft, natural white of raw cotton |
| Frost | #F4F7F9 | Icy white with the faintest blue |
| Cloud | #F2F4F5 | Airy, slightly gray white |
| Porcelain | #F7F9F9 | Smooth, glazed white of fine china |
| Marshmallow | #F9F6EE | Pillowy, slightly warm white |
| Milk | #FDFFF5 | Fresh-milk white |
| Sugar | #FBFBF8 | Crystalline, bright white |
Warm white color names: ivory, cream and eggshell
Warm whites have a yellow, peach or pink undertone. They glow in warm lighting and make rooms feel cozy rather than clinical.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Look & feel |
|---|---|---|
| Ivory | #FFFFF0 | Creamy yellow-white of elephant tusk; a named CSS color |
| Cream | #FFFDD0 | Soft, buttery off-white |
| Eggshell | #F0EAD6 | Pale, faintly speckled white of an egg |
| Alabaster | #EDEADE | Warm white of translucent carved gypsum |
| Linen | #FAF0E6 | Natural flax-fabric white; a named CSS color |
| Antique White | #FAEBD7 | Aged-paper warmth; a named CSS color |
| Old Lace | #FDF5E6 | Warm, vintage white; a named CSS color |
| Floral White | #FFFAF0 | Soft petal white; a named CSS color |
| Vanilla | #F3E5AB | Creamy white of vanilla ice cream |
| Buttermilk | #FFF1B5 | Yellow-tinged dairy white |
| Parchment | #F1E9D2 | Aged writing-skin white |
| Bone | #E3DAC9 | Muted, slightly gray-beige white |
| Magnolia | #F8F4FF | Soft blush-tinged white of magnolia blossoms |
| Seashell | #FFF5EE | Faint peachy white; a named CSS color |
| Champagne | #F7E7CE | Pale, bubbly gold-white |
| Swiss Coffee | #F3EEE4 | A warm off-white paint classic |
| Candlelight | #FCF4DC | The warm glow of a candle on a white wall |
| Honeydew | #F0FFF0 | Pale green-white; a named CSS color |
| Cornsilk | #FFF8DC | The pale silk of an ear of corn; a named CSS color |
| Lemon Chiffon | #FFFACD | Pale lemony white; a named CSS color |
Cool, icy and blue-tinted whites
Cool whites lean blue, green or gray. They look sharp in bright daylight and pair well with blues, silvers and black.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Look & feel |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost White | #F8F8FF | Faint lavender-blue white; a named CSS color |
| Alice Blue | #F0F8FF | Barely-there blue named for Alice Roosevelt |
| Azure White | #F0FFFF | Pale sky-tinted white (CSS “azure”) |
| Mint Cream | #F5FFFA | Cool, faintly green white; a named CSS color |
| White Smoke | #F5F5F5 | Neutral light gray-white; a named CSS color |
| Ice | #EFF6FB | Glacial blue-white |
| Glacier | #E9F1F4 | Compressed-ice white with a blue cast |
| Arctic White | #EEF4F7 | Polar, blue-leaning white |
| Winter White | #F4F4F2 | Crisp seasonal off-white |
| Moonlight | #F0F0E8 | Silvery pale white |
| Platinum | #E5E4E2 | Metallic silver-white |
| Silver White | #EBEBEB | Brushed-metal white |
| Steam | #EDEEEF | Soft gray white of rising steam |
| Lily White | #E7F1F7 | Clean, cool petal white |
| Snowdrop | #F2F4F4 | Named after the late-winter flower |
Off-white and neutral whites
These softened whites are the workhorses of interior design and fashion — calm, forgiving and easy to layer.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Look & feel |
|---|---|---|
| Off-White | #FAF9F6 | The general term for any softened white |
| Oyster | #E3DFD2 | Gray-beige white of an oyster shell |
| Ecru | #C2B280 | Unbleached linen; the deepest “white” here |
| Natural | #EFE8DC | Undyed fabric white |
| Oat | #E9E0D2 | Soft oatmeal white |
| Mushroom White | #E6DFD6 | Earthy gray-beige |
| Dove | #EAE7E2 | Soft gray-white of dove feathers |
| Pebble | #E5E2DC | River-stone pale gray |
| Greige White | #E8E4DD | A white with gray and beige in balance |
| Stone White | #E5E1D8 | Limestone off-white |
| Sand White | #EFE6D8 | Pale dune color |
| Putty | #E8DDC8 | Warm, soft neutral |
| Muslin | #EEE4D1 | Lightweight cotton cloth white |
| Canvas | #EDE6D6 | Unprimed artist-canvas white |
| Travertine | #E8E1D3 | Pale Italian building stone |
Whites named after nature, food and materials
Poetic white names often borrow from things we already picture as white — flowers, dairy, stone and sea.
| Shade | Approx. hex | Look & feel |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl | #EAE0C8 | Iridescent, warm white of a natural pearl |
| Moonstone | #E8E8E6 | Milky gemstone white with a blue sheen |
| Opal | #E8EDEB | Soft white with a hint of color play |
| Quartz | #F4F1EC | Clear-to-milky crystal white |
| Marble | #F2F0EB | Polished Carrara-marble white |
| Limestone | #EFEBE3 | Sedimentary rock white |
| Coconut | #F8F4ED | Fresh coconut flesh |
| Rice | #FAF5EF | Polished white rice |
| Meringue | #F9F2E3 | Whipped egg-white sweetness |
| Whipped Cream | #FBF7F0 | Fluffy dairy white |
| Feather | #F4F2EE | Soft down-feather white |
| Gardenia | #FAF8F2 | Waxy flower-petal white |
| Jasmine | #F8F5E6 | Creamy blossom white |
| Edelweiss | #F1EFE7 | Felted white of the alpine flower |
| Lace | #F7F2E9 | Delicate bridal white |
| Silk | #F5EFE6 | Lustrous, slightly warm white |
| Chiffon | #F6F3EC | Sheer fabric white |
| Seafoam White | #F1F6F2 | Crest-of-a-wave white |
| Sea Salt | #F1EFEA | Coarse flaky-salt white |
| Lily of the Valley | #F8F8F2 | Tiny bell-flower white |
| Swan | #F6F4F0 | Soft, feathered white |
| Polar Bear | #F2EFE6 | Creamy white of polar bear fur |
| Daisy White | #F9F9F4 | Petals of a common daisy |
| Birch | #EDE8DD | Pale, papery bark of the birch tree |
| Ermine | #F3F0EA | Winter coat of the stoat, once reserved for royal robes |
| Cashmere | #EFE6DA | Soft goat-wool white |
| Vellum | #F3EBD8 | Fine calfskin writing surface |
| Cauliflower | #F4F1E8 | Creamy vegetable white |
How to pick the right white
- Find the undertone. Hold a white sample against pure printer paper: you’ll instantly see whether it leans yellow, pink, green or blue.
- Match your light. North-facing rooms make cool whites look gray; warm whites like Ivory or Swiss Coffee soften them. South-facing rooms handle bright whites well.
- Use one white for trim, one for walls. A crisp Pure White trim against an Eggshell or Alabaster wall adds definition without color.
- For screens, avoid pure #FFFFFF everywhere. Designers often use #FAFAFA or #F5F5F5 backgrounds to reduce glare.
- Naming a white pet? Pearl, Snow and Marshmallow make lovely picks; see more white cat names and white dog names.
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of different shades of white?
Popular white names include snow, ivory, cream, eggshell, alabaster, linen, pearl, porcelain, chalk, bone, seashell, ghost white and off-white. Each differs slightly in undertone.
What is the difference between ivory and cream?
Both are warm whites, but cream is noticeably more yellow and buttery, while ivory is paler with only a faint yellow tint.
Is eggshell a color or a paint finish?
Both. Eggshell is a pale, warm off-white color, and also a low-sheen paint finish that sits between matte and satin.
What is the whitest white color?
Pure digital white is #FFFFFF. In paint, bright untinted whites (often called “pure,” “brilliant” or “ultra” white) are the closest.
What white looks best with gray?
Cool whites such as White Smoke, Frost or Cloud sit comfortably with gray. Warm whites can look yellow next to a cool gray.