Lavender gray
A pale greyish purple named as a major lavender shade in 1930
Lavender gray is a soft, muted colour blending pale purple with grey. It was named as one of the three main lavender variations in a 1930 colour dictionary, alongside lavender blue and floral lavender. Its appearance is close to the Prismacolor pencil called Greyed Lavender.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Named as a major lavender shade in 1930
- Blends pale purple with grey
- Similar to Prismacolor Greyed Lavender pencil
What colour is Lavender gray?
Lavender gray is a pale shade that mixes the soft purple of lavender with a noticeable grey tone. It sits between the more vivid floral lavender and the bluer lavender blue. Its muted appearance sets it apart from brighter purples, giving it a subdued, almost silvery look. The colour is similar to the Prismacolor pencil known as Greyed Lavender.
Where does Lavender gray come from?
The name 'lavender gray' was recorded as a major variation of lavender in the 1930 reference work A Dictionary of Color. At that time, it was grouped with lavender blue and floral lavender as key shades of lavender, with old lavender also noted. The name describes its blend of lavender and grey.
Purple around the world
What the purple and violet family means from country to country.
In Holy Week, members of religious brotherhoods walk in procession in robes and pointed hoods, many of them purple, the colour of penance. A purple band also marked the flag of the Second Republic.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestSource: Holy Week in SpainSuffragettes campaigning for women's votes wore purple, white and green: purple for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
Politics and protestCourageSource: SuffragetteA child born to a reigning Byzantine emperor was called porphyrogennetos, born in the purple. The birth took place in a palace room lined with purple stone.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Born in the purpleIn the elections of 2005, voters dipped a finger in purple ink to prevent double voting. The stained finger, held up for cameras, became a sign of the vote.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Election inkPurple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Twelve Level Cap and Rank SystemThe Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon made Tyrian purple from sea snails. The dye was so costly that it became the colour of kings and Roman emperors.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Tyrian purpleShades and relatives of Lavender gray
Lavender gray is one of several lavender shades named in early colour references. Other close relatives include lavender blue, floral lavender, and old lavender. It is also very similar to the art supply colour called Greyed Lavender.
Colours that go with Lavender gray
Harmonies are worked out from the value #C4C3D0. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Lavender gray
What colour is lavender gray?
Lavender gray is a pale, muted purple with a strong grey tone, making it softer than typical lavender.
Where does the name lavender gray come from?
The name was listed in A Dictionary of Color in 1930 as one of the main lavender variations.
Is lavender gray the same as Greyed Lavender?
Lavender gray is very similar in appearance to the Prismacolor pencil called Greyed Lavender.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Lavender (color)" (the section "Lavender gray"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. 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 purple and violet family
All of purple and violet
#8000FF
Violet
A bluish-purple seen in both flowers and the light spectrumBasic colour
#800080
Purple
A cool colour between red and blue, long linked with royalty and rarityBasic colour · 🇱🇧 Lebanon +5
#C8A2C8
Lilac
A soft purple inspired by the typical colour of lilac flowersNamed shade
#E0B0FF
Mauve
A pale purple named after the mallow flower and once a fashion sensationNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France
#9966CC
Lavender
A pale purple named for the lavender flower, with many subtle variationsNamed shade
#CC8899
Puce
A brownish-purple shade named after the flea and once favoured in French fashionNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +1
Purple and violet
Cobalt(II) phosphate
A violet pigment and chemical compound used as cobalt violet in artPigment
#614051
Eggplant
A deep purplish colour named after the skin of European eggplantsNamed shade