Chocolate
A deep brown shade that matches the look of milk chocolate
Chocolate is a strong brown colour that looks like milk chocolate. The name comes from the food, and it was first used for a colour in English in 1737. The shade most often called chocolate matches the typical colour of milk chocolate bars. It is also called cocoa brown or cinnamon in some contexts.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Chocolate as a colour name was first recorded in English in 1737
- The shade matches the look of milk chocolate
- Also known as cocoa brown or cinnamon in some contexts
- The web colour 'chocolate' is lighter than real chocolate
What colour is Chocolate?
Chocolate is a dark, rich brown colour, close to the shade of milk chocolate. It stands out from other browns by its depth and the way it mirrors the look of the chocolate most people eat. The colour is often used to describe things that share this deep brown tone, such as the coats of some dogs. It is sometimes called cocoa brown or cinnamon, especially in design or fashion.
Where does Chocolate come from?
The word chocolate in English comes from Spanish, but its roots are debated. Some say it comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, possibly from words meaning 'bitter water' or 'beaten drink.' Others suggest a mix of words from Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya. The colour name was first recorded in English in 1737, based on the familiar look of milk chocolate.
Brown around the world
What the brown family means from country to country.
Brown is the colour of Nazism in German political speech, after the brown shirts of the party's stormtroopers. To call a view "brown" is to call it far right.
Politics and protestDanger and warningShameSource: SturmabteilungMasi is bark cloth beaten from paper mulberry and printed in brown and black. It is worn at weddings and funerals and given in ceremonial exchanges.
Sacred and holyWeddings and marriageSource: Tapa clothKuntunkuni is a dark brown mourning cloth of the Asante, dyed with tree bark. Adinkra cloth, stamped with symbols, was first made on such dark grounds for funerals.
Mourning and deathSadnessSource: Adinkra symbolsThe batik of the Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta is dyed in soga brown with indigo and cream. Some court patterns were once reserved for the royal family.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: BatikBogolanfini, or mud cloth, is cotton painted with fermented river mud in browns, black and white. Hunters wear it for protection, and women after childbirth.
Protection and healingSacred and holySource: B貌g貌lanfiniShades and relatives of Chocolate
Cocoa brown, also called light chocolate or cinnamon, is a lighter version of chocolate brown. The web colour named 'chocolate' is actually closer to the outside of an unripe cocoa pod, not to the chocolate we eat. Milk chocolate is another related shade, matching the colour of milk chocolate bars.
Colours that go with Chocolate
Harmonies are worked out from the value #7B3F00. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Chocolate
What colour is chocolate?
Chocolate is a deep, strong brown that matches the typical colour of milk chocolate bars.
Where does the name for the colour chocolate come from?
The name comes from the food chocolate, and the word entered English from Spanish. Its deeper roots are debated, possibly from Nahuatl or Maya languages.
When was chocolate first used as a colour name?
Chocolate was first recorded as a colour name in English in 1737.
Are there other names for this colour?
Yes, it is also called cocoa brown, light chocolate, or cinnamon in some settings.
Good reading and sources
- Chocolate (color) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Chocolate (color)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
More of the brown family
All of brown
#C3B091
Khaki
A light tan with a yellowish tinge, once made for military uniformsNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +2
#F5F5DC
Beige
A pale, warm colour named after natural, undyed woolNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2
#704214
Sepia
A reddish-brown colour named for the ink of the cuttlefishNamed shade
#3D2B1F
Bistre
A dark brown pigment and colour made from soot, once used in Old Master drawingsPigment
#B87333
Copper
A reddish brown shade named for the metal it matchesNamed shade
#483C32
Taupe
A grey-brown shade named after the colour of a mole鈥檚 furNamed shade
#4A412A
Pantone 448 C
A dull brown shade chosen to discourage smoking by making packaging unattractiveStandard colour 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +5
#664228
Van Dyck brown
A deep, earthy brown once made from German peat and soilPigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany