Crayola Crayon Names

Crayola's website chronicles the history of their crayons colors and names. I think it's interesting how the names changed from pretty straight forward and literal to more interpretive or just random over the years. I mean, what color is "outer space" or "inch worm"?


Colors Available Beginning 1903
Number of Colors: 8

Black	Brown	Orange	Violet
Blue	Green	Red	Yellow

Colors Available 1949 - 1957
Number of Colors: 48

Apricot	Gold	Orange	Silver
Bittersweet	Gray	Orange Red	Spring Green
Black	Green	Orange Yellow	Tan
Blue	Green Blue	Orchid	Thistle
Blue Green	Green Yellow	Periwinkle	Turquoise Blue
Blue Violet	Lemon Yellow	Pine Green	Violet (Purple)
Brick Red	Magenta	Prussian Blue*	Violet Blue
Brown	Mahogany	Red	Violet Red
Burnt Sienna	Maize	Red Orange	White
Carnation Pink	Maroon	Red Violet	Yellow
Cornflower	Melon	Salmon	Yellow Green
Flesh**	Olive Green	Sea Green	Yellow Orange

*Name changed to "midnight blue" in 1958 in response to teachers’ requests.
**Name voluntarily changed to "peach" in 1962, partially as a result of the U. S. Civil Rights Movement.

Colors Available 1958-1971
Number of Colors: 64

All colors previously listed plus the following colors added in 1958.

Aquamarine	Copper	Lavender	Raw Sienna
Blue Gray	Forest Green	Mulberry	Raw Umber
Burnt Orange	Goldenrod	Navy blue	Sepia
Cadet Blue	Indian Red***	Plum	Sky Blue

***Indian Red is renamed Chestnut in 1999 in response to educators who felt some children wrongly perceived the crayon color was intended to represent the skin color of Native Americans. The name originated from a reddish-brown pigment found near India commonly used in fine artist oil paint.

Colors Available 1972-1989
Number of Colors: 72

All colors previously listed plus the following fluorescent colors added in 1972.

	Hot Magenta	Ultra Green	Ultra Pink	Ultra Yellow
	Fluorescent colors name change in 1990.
	Atomic Tangerine	Hot Magenta	Outrageous Orange	Shocking Pink
	Blizzard Blue	Laser Lemon	Screamin’ Green	Wild Watermelon

Colors Available 1990-1992
Number of Colors: 80

All Colors previously listed plus the following fluorescent colors added in 1990.

Electric Lime	Purple Pizzazz	Razzle Dazzle Rose	Unmellow Yellow
Magic Mint	Radical Red	Sunglow	Neon Carrot

In 1990, eight colors were retired and replaced by eight new shades.

Retired Colors	Replacement Colors
Green Blue	Cerulean
Orange Red	Vivid Tangerine
Orange Yellow	Jungle Green
Violet Blue	Fuchsia
Maize	Dandelion
Lemon Yellow	Teal Blue
Blue Gray	Royal Purple
Raw Umber	Wild Strawberry

Colors Available 1993

16 new colors added in 1993, named by consumers

Number of Colors: 96

Asparagus	Macaroni and Cheese	Razzmatazz	Timber Wolf
Cerise	Mauvelous	Robin's Egg Blue	Tropical Rain Forest
Denim	Pacific Blue	Shamrock	Tumbleweed
Granny Smith Apple	Purple Mountain's Majesty	Tickle Me Pink	Wisteria

Colors Available 1998

24 new colors added

Number of Colors: 120

Almond	Canary	Fern	Pink Flamingo
Antique Brass	Caribbean Green	Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown	Purple Heart
Banana Mania	Cotton Candy	Manatee	Shadow
Beaver	Blush	Mountain Meadow	Sunset Orange
Blue Bell	Desert Sand	Outer Space	Torch Red
Pink Sherbet	Eggplant	Piggy Pink	Vivid Violet

Colors Available 2000

All colors previously listed with the following exceptions. Thistle was removed from the 120-count assortment to make room for indigo; torch red was renamed scarlet.

Colors Available 2003
4 new colors added, 4 retired
Number of Colors: 120

New Colors inch worm jazzberry jam mango tango wild blue yonder

Retired Colors blizzard blue magic mint mulberry teal blue