All of us have our favorite colors. Some prefer blue, while others prefer red. Some people love the peace of white and others may hate it for its bareness. What we could agree on is that most of us favor basic or well-known colors. Obviously, there are more colors than what we see every day, and even different shades of colors we already know. But did you know that rare colors exist?
Some colors are so rare that most people are unaware of their existence. Some of them are the colors of things that exist in nature. Others only exist as the colors of artificial things. Some may be similar to familiar hues, while others are definitely not well-known. Here is a list of 20 rare colors you’ve probably never heard of.
Amaranth
The color amaranth takes its name from the plants of the same name. It is a shade of red.
Incidentally, sources don’t seem to agree on what exact hue is considered amaranth. One source claims that the name refers to a shade of pink that’s actually the stereotypical color of bubblegum. Others suggest that the name refers to a darker shade that’s more similar to the eponymous plant. Whatever the case, the name and the color are definitely unique.
Australien
Australien is such an obscure color that it doesn’t even have a Wikipedia article. In fact, if you search for “Australien” online, you’re more likely to find hits about Australia. That’s because “Australien” is actually the German name for Australia.
As for the color, the 1897 fashion guide House Decoration gave the hue its name. The guide stated that the colors of the Outback inspired the name. The Outback, as you may know, is the large desert that makes up much of Australia’s territory. Like many deserts, the Outback has a brownish hue. However, the Outback’s brown is also somewhat reddish.
According to the aforementioned guide, the color was apparently quite popular in Victorian England. Many women’s dresses had the color.
Banan
Banan may be one of the rare colors on this list, but it’s probably the most delicious. As you can probably tell, it takes its name from the banana. Interestingly enough, it also has a very fun alternative name: “Banan-appeal”. Yup: you read that as “banana peel”! Incidentally, sources state that this shade is similar to the color you find within the banana peel, hence the name.
Oh, and by the way, the name “banana” itself may have come from an Arabic word meaning “finger”. Maybe this entry will make you crave a banana sooner rather than later.