How popular is the baby name Johann in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Johann.
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Some simplified definitions for a few of the above…
Döggvi, “dew”
Dreki, “dragon”
Dýrleif, “deer” + “heir”
Fanndis, “snowdrift” + “woman”
Feykir, “fire”
Gigja, “fiddle”
Himri, short for himbrimi, “common loon” in Icelandic
Jökla, feminine version of Jökull, the #2 boy name
Myrkvi, “darkness (caused by fog or a storm)” or “eclipse“
Sumarliði, “summer-farer”
Svanhvit, “swan” + “white”
There was also a single non-binary name, Blær (“light breeze”), registered in Iceland last year.
Interestingly, about a decade ago, a teenager named Blær forced Iceland to legally recognize her name — which, at that time, was considered solely masculine — by taking the government to court. Perhaps that court battle paved the way for Blær to become a dual-gender name in Iceland? Hm…
The last time I posted rankings for Iceland, in 2018, the top two names (Embla and Aron) were the same.
Looking for baby names that are associated with red — including baby names that mean “red”?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve collected dozens of options for you in this post.
Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what the color red represents…
Symbolism of red
What does the color red signify?
In Western cultures in particular, red can be symbolic of:
Love
Passion
Strength
Power
Danger
Excitement
Energy
The link between the color red and emotionally-charged situations may be attributable to the fact that we blush involuntarily when we experience intense feelings (such as anger, lust, or embarrassment).
Top baby names associated with red
To determine the top red names, I first had to take into account the fact that certain names have a stronger connection to the color than other names. (I also did this for the posts on orange, yellow, blue, and purple names.)
With that in mind, here are the top baby names that have an obvious association with the color red:
Ruby
Rose
Scarlet
Carmine
Mars
Now here are the same five names again, but this time around I’ve added some details (including definitions, rankings, and popularity graphs).
Ruby
The word ruby refers to the red variety of the mineral corundum. By extension, it also refers to the red color of these crystals.
The name of the stone can be traced back to the Medieval Latin term lapis rubinus, meaning “red stone” (from rubeus, meaning “red,” and lapis, meaning “stone”).
Ruby is currently the 62nd most popular girl name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Ruby
Rose
The word rose refers to any flowering plant of the genus Rosa, the name of which ultimately derives from the Greek word for the plant, rhodon.
Roses come in various colors, but shades of red have long been favored — so much so that the word rose, by extension, has also referred to a pinkish-red or purplish-red color since the early 16th century.
Rose is currently the 116th most popular girl name in the nation.
Usage of the baby name Rose
Scarlet
Scarlet is a bright shade of red. The name of the color comes from the Medieval Latin word scarlata (or scarlatum), which referred to a type of woolen cloth that was often, though not always, dyed red.
The more popular spelling of the name, Scarlett, represents transferred usage of the English surname. The surname Scarlett originally referred to a person who sold or worked with the cloth.
Scarlet is currently the 450th most popular girl name in the U.S. (Scarlett ranks 20th.)
Usage of the baby name Scarlet
Carmine
The vocabulary word carmine (pronounced KAHR-mien) refers to the pigment made from the cochineal insect, which lives on prickly pear cacti. By extension, it also refers to the purplish-red color of this pigment.
Spanish explorers, who learned of the pigment through the Nahuas (Aztecs), began exporting it to Europe in the early 16th century. Its name (in Europe) is based on the Medieval Latin word carminium — a form of the Arabic word qirmiz, meaning “crimson,” influenced by the Latin word minium, meaning “cinnabar.”
The word also happens to be a homograph of the personal name Carmine (pronounced KAHR-mee-neh), which is the Italian masculine form of Carmen.
Carmine is currently the 1,282nd most popular boy name in the nation.
Usage of the baby name Carmine
Mars
The pronoun Mars initially referred to the Roman god of war.
Later, when the ancient Romans chose names for the five visible planets of the solar system, they named the one with the reddish color — which is reminiscent of blood — after the god of war. (The surface of Mars appears reddish due to the presence of iron oxide in the planet’s soil.)
Mars is currently the 1,305th most popular boy name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Mars
More names associated with red
All the names below have an association with the color red. The names range from traditional to unusual, and their associations range from strong to slight.
Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.
Akane is a Japanese feminine name that — depending upon the kanji being used to write the name — can refer to the madder plant (genus Rubia), the dye made from the root of the madder plant, or the purplish-red color of that dye.
Amaranth flowers are frequently red. The genus name Amaranthus is derived from a combination of the ancient Greek words amarantos, meaning “unfading,” and anthos, meaning “flower.”
Amaryllis flowers are often red. The genus name Amaryllis is derived from the ancient Greek word amarysso, meaning “to sparkle.”
Anara is a Kazakh and Kyrgyz feminine name based on the word anar, meaning “pomegranate.”
Azalea flowers are sometimes red. The (obsolete) genus name Azalea is derived from the ancient Greek word azaleos, meaning “dry.”
Berry fruits are frequently red. The Old English word for “berry” was berie.
Brick is commonly red. In fact, the term “brick red” refers to the brownish-red color of red clay bricks.
Burgundy is a purplish-red color. The name of the shade was inspired by red wine from the region of Burgundy in France.
Camellia flowers are often red. The genus Camellia is was named in honor of Moravian botanist Georg Joseph Kamel.
Canna flowers are sometimes red. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.”
Cardinal birds (genus Cardinalis) — the males in particular — have red plumage. The common name “cardinal,” inspired by the red robes of Roman Catholic cardinals, is ultimately derived from the Latin word cardinalis, meaning “principal, chief.”
Carnelian, a variety of the mineral chalcedony, is often red. The name of the stone ultimately comes form from the Latin word cornus, which refers to a type of berry, altered by the influence of the Latin word carneus, meaning “flesh-colored.”
Cherry fruits are typically red. Cherry trees are part of the genus Prunus.
Chrysanthemum flowers are sometimes red. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.”
Coral is a pink-orange shade of red. The name of the shade refers to the color of precious coral, which was first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea.
Crimson is a deep shade of red. Crimson pigment was originally made from the kermes insect, which lives on evergreen oaks. (The pigment fell out of favor in Europe after the introduction of carmine from the New World in the early 1500s.)
Dahlia flowers are sometimes red. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
Delima is an Indonesian feminine name meaning “pomegranate.”
Edom is a Biblical masculine name based on the Hebrew word ‘adom, meaning “red.”
Erythia, based on the ancient Greek word eruthrós, meaning “red,” was the name of several figures in Greek mythology.
Eztli is the Nahuatl word for blood. (Fun fact: The red pigment made from cochineal that Europeans called carmine was called nocheztli, or “prickly pear blood,” by the Nahuas.)
Flann is an Irish masculine name meaning “blood red.”
Flannán is a diminutive form of Flann.
Garnet is a gemstone that is typically dark red. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Latin word granatum, meaning “pomegranate” (literally, “having many seeds”) — a reference to the resemblance between garnets and pomegranate seeds.
Garance is a French feminine name that refers to the madder plant (genus Rubia), the dye made from the root of the madder plant, or the purplish-red color of that dye.
Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes red. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves.
Gül (pronounced gool) is a Turkish feminine name meaning “rose.”
Helen is part of Helenium, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes red. The genus was named in honor of Helen of Troy.
Jagoda (pronounced YAH-goh-dah) is a feminine name meaning “strawberry” in Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene, and other South Slavic languages.
Jasper, an opaque type of microcrystalline quartz, is commonly red. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the ancient Greek word iaspis.
Kamala is a Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word kamala, meaning “pale red.”
Kimmernaq is a Greenlandic feminine name meaning “lingonberry.”
Lohit is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word lóhita, meaning “red.”
Orchid flowers are sometimes red. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants.
Phoenix refers to the mythical bird, but the name of that bird was based on the ancient Greek word phoinix, meaning “purple” or “crimson.”
Poinsettia bracts are usually red. “Poinsettia” is the common name of the plant species Euphorbia pulcherrima. The common name commemorates U.S. politician Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the U.S. (from Mexico) in the 1820s.
Poppy flowers are commonly red. The Old English word for “poppy” was popig.
Reed (also spelled Reid) comes from an English and Scottish surname that can be traced back to the Middle English word for “red.”
Rimmon is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “pomegranate.”
Rohit is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word róhita, meaning “red.”
Roth comes from a German surname that can be traced back to the Middle High German word rot, meaning “red.” It was originally a nickname for a red-haired person.
Ruadh (pronounced roo-ah) means “red” or “red-haired” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic.
Rubina is a Portuguese and Italian and feminine name meaning “ruby.”
Rufus derives from the Latin word rufus, meaning “red” or “red-haired.”
Rufino (masculine) and Rufina (feminine) are the modern Spanish forms of the Roman family name Rufinus, which was based on Rufus.
Russell comes from a surname that can be traced back to the Old French word rous, meaning “red.”
Shani is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “scarlet, red.”
Strawberry fruits are red. Strawberry plants are part of the genus Fragaria.
Tulip flowers are often red. The name of the flower can be traced back to the Ottoman Turkish word tülbent, meaning “turban.”
Ulaan is a Mongolian gender-neutral name meaning “red.”
Vadelma is a Finnish feminine name meaning “raspberry.”
Vardan is an Albanian masculine name meaning “rose.”
Verbena flowers are sometimes red. The genus name Verbena is derived from the Latin word verbena, which referred to the leaves, twigs, and branches of specific plants (like laurel, olive, and myrtle) that were used during religious ceremonies.
Looking for baby names that are associated with yellow — including baby names that mean “yellow”?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve collected dozens of options for you in this post.
Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what the color yellow represents…
Symbolism of yellow
What does the color yellow signify?
In Western cultures in particular, yellow can be symbolic of:
Optimism
Cheer
Happiness
Warmth
Caution
Energy
Intellect
The color is primarily identified with the sun, which is the most important source of energy for life on Earth.
Interestingly, the sun’s light is actually white. It only appears yellow (or, sometimes, orange) from our perspective because particles in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter short-wavelength (e.g., blue) light more efficiently than long-wavelength (e.g., red) light.
Top baby names associated with yellow
Determining the top names in a category isn’t difficult when you’re working with an easily definable category, like gender-neutral names. When it comes to names that have a connection to the color yellow, however, we need to account for the fact that certain names have a stronger connection than others.
With that in mind, here are the top baby names that have an obvious association with the color yellow:
Sunny
Soleil
Sol
Sunshine
Lemon
Unsurprisingly, four out of the five were inspired by the sun.
Here are the same five names again, but this time around I’ve added some details (including definitions, rankings, and popularity graphs).
Sunny
The word sunny simply means “having plenty of bright sunlight.” In Middle English, it was spelled sonni. Sunny is also a homophone of the name Sonny, which is based on the English word son.
Sunny is currently the 650th most popular girl name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Sunny
Soleil
The word soleil (pronounced soh-lay, roughly) means “sun” in French.
Soleil is currently the 999th most popular girl name in the nation.
Usage of the baby name Soleil
Sol
The word sol means “sun” in Latin and in several of the languages that descend from Latin, including Spanish and Portuguese. Sol is also a short form of the name Solomon, which explains why it was a popular choice for baby boys in the early 20th century.
Sol is currently the 1,054th most popular girl name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Sol
Sunshine
The word sunshine refers to the light (and warmth) of the sun. In Middle English, it was spelled sonne-shin.
The word lemon — which can be traced back (via Old French limon and Arabic limun) to the Persian word limu — refers to the citrus fruit of the lemon tree (Citrus limon). By extension, it also refers to the yellow color of this fruit.
That said…most of the U.S. babies named Lemon during the 20th century (and earlier) were not named after the fruit. Instead, their names were inspired by the surname Lemon, which was derived from the Middle English word leman, meaning “sweetheart, lover” (from the Old English elements leof, “dear, beloved,” and mann, “person, man”).
All the names below are associated with the color yellow. The names range from common to uncommon, and their associations range from strong to slight.
Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.
Aspen trees in autumn
Antu, the Mapuche word for “sun,” is the name of the Mapuche god of the sun.
Arevik is an Armenian feminine name based on the word arev, meaning “sun.”
Aspen trees (in particular the North America species Populus tremuloides) are famous for their golden-yellow autumn foliage. The word aspen is derived from the Old English word for the tree, æspe.
Beryl is a mineral that can be yellow. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the ancient Greek word beryllos.
Blaine comes from a Scottish surname that can be traced back to the Old Irish word blá, meaning “yellow.”
Bowie comes from a Scottish surname that can be traced back to the Gaelic word buidhe, meaning “yellow.”
Buff is a light brownish-yellow color — the hue of buff leather, which was often obtained from the European buffalo.
Buttercup flowers are yellow. “Buttercup” is the common name of several species of flowering plants in the genus Ranunculus.
Boglárka is the Hungarian word for “buttercup.”
Canna flowers are sometimes yellow. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.”
Chrysanthemum flowers are commonly yellow. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.”
Citrine, a variety of the mineral quartz, is often yellow. The adjective citrine can be traced back to the Latin word citrus.
Daffodil flowers are frequently yellow. “Daffodil” is the common name of plants in the genus Narcissus.
Dahlia flowers are sometimes yellow. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
Dandelion flowers are yellow. “Dandelion” is the common name of the plant species Taraxacum officinale. The common name is derived from the Latin phrase dens leonis, meaning “lion’s tooth” — a reference to the shape of the leaves.
Fífill is the Icelandic word for “dandelion.”
Diell is an Albanian masculine name based on the word diell, meaning “sun.”
Flavio is the modern Spanish and Italian form of Flavius.
Forsythia (commonly pronounced for-SITH-ee-uh) flowers are yellow. The genus Forsythia was named in honor of Scottish botanist William Forsyth.
Fulvio (masculine) and Fulvia (feminine) are the modern Italian forms of the Roman family name Fulvius, which was based on the Latin word fulvus, meaning “deep yellow, reddish-yellow, gold-colored, tawny.”
Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) often has yellowish flesh. The word ginger is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word sringavera.
Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes yellow. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves.
Günes (pronounced goo-NESH) is a Turkish feminine name meaning “sun.”
Haetbit is a Korean feminine name meaning “sunlight.”
Haru is a Japanese gender-neutral name that can mean “sun,” or “sunny,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name.
Haruki is a Japanese name that can include the element Haru.
Haruna is another Japanese name that can include the element Haru.
Helios, the ancient Greek word for “sun,” was the name of the Greek god of the sun.
Inti, the Quechua word for “sun,” was the name of the Incan god of the sun.
Jonquil flowers (which, like daffodils, are part of the genus Narcissus) are frequently yellow. The species name, jonquilla, means “little rush” (ultimately derived from the Latin word iuncus, meaning “rush, reed”) and refers to the shape of the leaves.
Ketut is a Balinese gender-neutral name associated with the word kitut, which refers to a small banana.
Khurshid (also spelled Khorshid) is a Persian gender-neutral name derived from the word xorshid, which means “sun.”
Lillesol is a Swedish feminine name meaning “little sun.”
Marigold flowers are sometimes yellow. “Marigold” is the common name of plants in the genera Tagetes and Calendula.
Mehr is a Persian gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
Meyer lemons are a cross between citron and hybridized mandarin/pomelo. They were named after Dutch-American agricultural explorer Frank N. Meyer (born Frans N. Meijer), who discovered the cultivar while in China in 1907. The occupational surnames Meyer and Meijer are both derived from the Middle High German word meier, meaning “administrator, steward.”
Mzia is a Georgian feminine name meaning “sun.”
Naran is a Mongolian gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
Nurit (pronounced noo-REET) is a Hebrew feminine name meaning “buttercup.”
Nyima is a Tibetan gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
Orchid flowers are sometimes yellow. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants.
Oriole is a type of bird that often has yellow plumage. “Oriole” is the common name of birds in the genera Icterus and Oriolidae. The common name is derived from the Latin word aureolus, meaning “golden.”
Ra, the ancient Egyptian word for “sun,” was the name of the Egyptian god of the sun.
Seqineq is a Greenlandic gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
Sequssuna is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “egg yolk.”
Shams is an Arabic gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
Shimshon is a Hebrew masculine name meaning “sun.”
Samson is the Biblical (Late Latin) form of Shimshon.
Solaris comes from the Latin word solaris, meaning “of the sun” or “pertaining to the sun.”
Solar is a modern word (used in English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and other languages) based on solaris.
Sunflower petals are usually yellow. “Sunflower” is the common name of plants in the genus Helianthus, particularly the species Helianthus annuus. The common name is a reference to the sun-like flower heads.
Surya, a Sanskrit word for “sun,” is the name of the Hindu god of the sun.
Ravi, another Sanskrit word for “sun,” is one of Surya’s alternate names.
Susan is part of “black-eyed Susan” — the common name of the plant species Rudbeckia hirta, which has flowers that are typically yellow.
Tonatiuh, the Nahuatl word for “sun,” is the name of the Aztec god of the sun.
Topaz is a mineral that comes in several different colors, most notably golden-yellow. Its name is based on the Middle English word topas, which referred to any yellow-colored gemstone (not just topaz). The earliest known form of the word, the ancient Greek topazion, referred to a specific yellow gemstone (possibly yellowish olivine).
Tulip flowers are sometimes yellow. The name of the flower can be traced back to the Ottoman Turkish word tülbent, meaning “turban.”
Xanthos was an ancient Greek name derived from the word xanthos, meaning “yellow.”
Halloween is right around the corner! Has the upcoming holiday made you curious about baby names associated with the color orange?
If so, you’re in luck — I’ve collected dozens of ideas for you in this post.
But, before we get to the names, let’s take a look at what the color orange represents…
Symbolism of orange
What does the color orange signify?
In Western cultures in particular, orange can be symbolic of:
Warmth
Creativity
Adventure
Freshness
Happiness
Attraction
Success
It can also be associated with safety. A vivid reddish-orange — one that contrasts well with the blue of the sky — is used to make clothing and equipment highly visible in certain circumstances (e.g., at construction sites, during hunting season).
In Eastern cultures, orange is considered a sacred color. In Hinduism, for example, orange represents fire and, thereby, purity (as impurities are burned away by fire).
Top baby names associated with orange
To determine the top orange names, I first had to take into account the fact that certain names have a stronger connection to the color than other names. (I did this for the top purple names as well.)
With that in mind, here are the top baby names that have an obvious association with the color orange:
Autumn
Ember
Amber
Blaze
Marigold
Now here are the same five names again, but this time around I’ve added some details (including definitions, rankings, and popularity graphs).
Autumn
The word autumn refers to the season during which the leaves of deciduous trees turn various colors, including orange. Halloween — a holiday strongly associated with the color orange — is also celebrated during Autumn (at least in the Northern Hemisphere).
Autumn is currently the 66th most popular girl name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Autumn
Ember
The word ember refers a glowing, slowly burning piece of solid fuel (like wood or coal). It’s often used in the plural to refer to the smoldering remains of a fire.
Ember is currently the 163rd most popular girl name in the nation.
Usage of the baby name Ember
Amber
The word amber refers to fossilized tree resin that is commonly used as a gemstone. By extension, the word also refers to the yellowish-orange color of this material.
The fossilized resin, which washes up on the seashore in the Baltic region, came to be called “amber” during the Middle Ages — likely due to an association with ambergris (a material produced by sperm whales that also washes up on the shore).
Amber is currently the 534th most popular girl name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Amber
Blaze
The vocabulary word blaze refers to a fire, particularly one that’s burning intensely. Blaze is also a homophone of the (more traditional) name Blaise, which ultimately derives from the Latin word blaesus, meaning “lisping.”
Blaze is currently the 775th most popular boy name in the nation. (Blaise ranks 999th.)
Usage of the baby name Blaze
Marigold
The word marigold refers to any flowering plant of either the New World genus Tagetes or the Old World genus Calendula. By extension, it also refers to the yellowish-orange color of these flowers.
Marigold is currently the 1,022nd most popular girl name in the U.S.
Usage of the baby name Marigold
More names associated with orange
Ready for the rest?
All the names below have an association with the color orange. The names range from common to uncommon, and their associations range from strong to slight.
Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.
Aethon (also spelled Aithon) is derived from the ancient Greek word aithon, which means “burning, blazing.”
Alba is a feminine name meaning “dawn” in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and other Romance languages.
Anatolios was an ancient Greek name derived from the word anatole, meaning “sunrise.”
Anatole is the modern French masculine form of Anatolius.
Anatoliy is the modern Russian and Ukrainian masculine form of Anatolius.
Apricot fruits are yellowish-orange. Apricot trees are part of the genus Prunus.
Aurora, the Latin word for “dawn,” was the name of the Roman goddess of dawn.
Azar is a Persian gender-neutral name meaning “fire.”
Canna flowers are sometimes orange. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.”
Carnelian, a variety of the mineral chalcedony, is frequently orange. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Latin word cornus, which refers to a type of berry, altered by the influence of the Latin word carneus, meaning “flesh-colored.”
Chrysanthemum (pronounced krih-SAN-thuh-muhm) flowers are often orange. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.”
Citrine, a variety of the mineral quartz, is usually orange. The adjective citrine can be traced back to the Latin word citrus.
Clementine fruits are a cross between mandarin orange and sweet orange. They were named after French priest Clément Rodier, who discovered the cultivar while in Algeria. The name Clément is derived from the Latin word clemens, meaning “merciful.”
Copper is a metallic element with a lustrous orange-brown color.
Dahlia flowers are sometimes orange. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
Dawn refers to the period of time in the early morning (before sunrise) when the sky begins to brighten with daylight. This light at dawn tends to have an orange hue. The word dawn can be traced back to the Old English verb dagian, meaning “to become day.”
Dysis, the ancient Greek word for “sunset,” was the name of the Greek goddess of the hour of sunset.
Eos, the ancient Greek word for “dawn,” was the name of the Greek goddess of dawn.
Fiamma (pronounced FYAM-ma) is an Italian feminine name meaning “flame.”
Fox fur, if you’re talking about the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), is largely orange. The word fox is ultimately derived from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning “tail.”
Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes orange. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves.
Helen is a form of the ancient Greek name Helene, which is likely based on the word helene, meaning “torch.” Also, plants of the genus Helenium have flowers that are sometimes orange. The genus was named in honor of Helen of Troy.
Honey can be orange. The Old English word for “honey” was hunig.
Iskra is a feminine name meaning “spark” in Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages.
Jack is part of “Jack-o’-Lantern” — a term that, since the 1800s, has referred to a carved pumpkin used as a lantern during Halloween. It originated as “Jack of the lantern” in 17th-century England, where it was used as a generic term for any lantern-carrying night watchman.
June (besides being a month) is part of “Flaming June” — the name of the 1895 painting by Frederic Leighton. “Flaming June” features a red-headed woman wearing a diaphanous orange dress and sleeping by the sea (which reflects the golden rays of the setting sun).
“Flaming June”
Keahi is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “the fire.”
Kealaula is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name that means “the light of early dawn” or “the sunset glow.” The literal definition is “the flaming road” (ala means “path, road,” and ula means “to flame”).
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have wings that are largely orange. They were named “monarch” in the 1800s, possibly in honor of England’s King William III, who was also the Prince of Orange. The word is derived from a combination of the ancient Greek words monos, meaning “alone,” and arkhos, meaning “ruler.”
Orange, of course, refers to the color orange. :) Orange fruits were introduced to Europe by the Moors in the 10th century. The word for the fruit, which can be traced back to Sanskrit, entered the English language (via French) in the late 14th century. The first recorded use of “orange” as a color name in English didn’t come along until the early 16th century.
This explains why many things that are clearly orange — like red hair, red foxes, and the robin redbreast — are called “red”: They were named long before the color-word “orange” entered the English language.
Orchid flowers are sometimes orange. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants.
Oriole is a type of bird that often has orange plumage. “Oriole” is the common name of birds in the genera Icterus and Oriolidae. The common name is derived from the Latin word aureolus, meaning “golden.”
Peach fruits are typically orange. Peach trees are part of the genus Prunus.
Pele, the Hawaiian word for “lava flow, volcano, eruption,” was the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes.
Pyrrhos, meaning “flame-colored,” was an ancient Greek name derived from the word pyr, meaning “fire.”
Robin redbreast originally referred to the Old World songbird Erithacus rubecula, which has orange plumage on the face and breast. “Robin” is a Middle English diminutive of the name Robert.
Roth comes from a German surname that can be traced back to the Middle High German word rot, meaning “red.” It was originally a nickname for a red-haired person.
Ruadh (pronounced roo-ah) means “red” or “red-haired” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic.
Rufus derives from the Latin word rufus, meaning “red” or “red-haired.”
Rufino (masculine) and Rufina (feminine) are the modern Spanish forms of the Roman family name Rufinus, which was based on Rufus.
Rusty is an adjective referring to rust (iron oxide), which tends to be orange-brown.
Saffron robes (of Buddhist monks)
Saffron is a spice made from the styles and stigmas of Crocus sativus flowers. By extension, the word — which can be traced back to the Arabic name for the spice, za’faran — also refers to the deep yellowish-orange color of fabrics dyed with saffron.
Seville orange is a variety of bitter orange named after the Spanish city of Sevilla.
Shachar is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “dawn.”
Shraga is an Aramaic masculine name meaning “candle.”
Smith comes from a surname that originally referred to a metalworker, such as a blacksmith or a farrier. When heated metal (like iron) comes out of a fire to be forged, it’s often glowing a yellowish-orange color. The smith in “blacksmith” is likely derived from the Old English verb smitan, meaning “to smite” or “to strike” (as with a hammer).
Sunrise and Sunset are times at which the sun appears reddish-orange. Particles in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter more short-wavelength light than long-wavelength light, so when the sun is low on the horizon — and traveling a longer distance through the atmosphere to reach your eyes — you’ll end up seeing less violet and blue, but more red and orange.
Tangerine fruits are orange. Tangerine trees are part of the genus Citrus.
Tawny is an adjective that refers to a brownish-orange color.
Tiger (Panthera tigris), the largest living species of cat, has fur that is mostly orange.
Tigerlily refers to “tiger lily,” the common name of several species of flowering plant in the genus Lilium — particularly the species Lilium lancifolium — that have showy orange flowers.
Ushas, the Sanskrit word for “dawn,” was the name of the Vedic (Hindu) goddess of dawn.
Valencia orange is a cultivar of sweet orange named after the Spanish city of València.
Zinnia flowers are sometimes orange. The genus Zinnia was named in honor of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn. (Fun fact: An orange zinnia blossomed in space in early 2016!)
Zora is a feminine name meaning “dawn” in Serbian, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages.
Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color orange?
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