Liver
A dark brown shade seen in animal coats and named after the organ
Liver is a dark brown colour, first named in English in 1686, and is linked to the typical shade of a healthy human liver. It is best known for describing the coats of some dogs and horses, where specific genes dilute black pigment to produce this brown. The term is also used in web design for a similar shade.
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- Liver is a dark brown shade first named in English in 1686.
- It describes specific coat colours in dogs and horses.
- In dogs, liver colour is caused by a recessive gene diluting black pigment.
- The term comes from the typical colour of a healthy human liver.
- Liver is also used as a web colour.
What colour is Liver?
Liver is a dark, greyish reddish brown colour. It is most often seen in the coats of some dogs and horses, where it appears as a deep brown that can be mistaken for black in its darkest forms. The name comes from the typical shade of a healthy human liver, which ranges from brown to reddish brown. This colour stands out for its muted, earthy tone, different from brighter or more reddish browns.
Where does Liver come from?
The word 'liver' as a colour was first used in English in 1686. It refers to the colour of the human liver, which is usually brown or reddish brown when healthy. The reason why the term came to describe animal coats is not known, especially since unhealthy livers can look quite different. The colour is now also used in web design for a similar dark brown shade.
How Liver is defined
Liver as a colour in animals is not a pigment but the result of genetics. In dogs, the liver colour comes from a recessive gene at the B locus, which dilutes black pigment to brown. Only dogs with two copies of this gene show the liver colour. In horses, the dark liver chestnut shade is due to recessive genetics and possibly the sooty gene, but the exact mechanism is not fully understood.
Where Liver is used
Liver is best known for its role in describing animal coats, particularly in dogs and horses. In dogs, it is a standard term for a brown coat caused by specific genes, and in horses, it refers to a dark chestnut shade. The colour is also used in web design as a recognised web colour. It is less common in other contexts.
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: BògòlanfiniShades and relatives of Liver
Liver can be confused with other browns, reds, or even black in animals. In dogs, similar shades are called Chocolate or Brown, but 'Red' should be avoided as it refers to a different pigment. When combined with other dilution genes, liver can produce lighter shades like Isabella (also called Liliac or Silver). In horses, the darkest liver chestnuts may look black but are distinguished by brown or reddish areas.
Colours that go with Liver
Harmonies are worked out from the value #674C47. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Liver
What colour is liver?
Liver is a dark, greyish reddish brown. It is most often seen in the coats of some dogs and horses, and is named after the typical colour of a healthy human liver.
Where does the name 'liver' come from?
The name comes from the colour of the human liver, which is usually brown or reddish brown. The term was first used for this colour in English in 1686.
How is the liver colour produced in dogs?
In dogs, the liver colour is caused by a recessive gene at the B locus that dilutes black pigment to brown. Only dogs with two copies of this gene (bb) show the liver colour.
Is liver the same as chocolate or red in animals?
Liver is sometimes called Chocolate or Brown in dogs, but 'Red' is misleading because it refers to a different pigment. Liver is a specific genetic dilution of black pigment.
Is liver used outside of animal coats?
Liver is also used as a web colour in digital design, but it is mainly known for describing animal coats.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Liver (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.
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