Mahogany
A reddish-brown named after mahogany wood, first recorded as a colour in 1737
Mahogany is a reddish-brown colour, close to the look of mahogany wood, though the wood itself varies in shade. The name 'mahogany' for this colour first appeared in English in 1737. It is known for its strong yellowish brown tone and is used as a colour standard.
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- Mahogany is a reddish-brown shade named after mahogany wood.
- The colour name was first recorded in English in 1737.
- Mahogany red became a Crayola crayon colour in 1949.
- Mahogany brown is included in the RAL colour system.
What colour is Mahogany?
Mahogany is a shade of reddish-brown, similar to the colour of mahogany wood. The wood itself can show a range of tones, but the colour mahogany is set as a strong yellowish brown. It stands out from other browns by its noticeable red undertone, which gives it a warm, rich look.
Where does Mahogany come from?
The name 'mahogany' comes from the wood of the same name, which inspired the colour. Though the wood is not always the same shade, the colour term was first used in English in 1737. Over time, mahogany became a recognised colour in standards and design charts.
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 Mahogany
Mahogany has related shades, such as mahogany red, which matches the Crayola crayon colour introduced in 1949. There is also mahogany brown, which is part of the RAL colour system. These variations keep the reddish-brown base but differ in depth and brightness.
Colours that go with Mahogany
Harmonies are worked out from the value #C04000. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Mahogany
What colour is mahogany?
Mahogany is a reddish-brown shade, similar to the colour of mahogany wood but with a set strong yellowish brown tone.
Where does the name mahogany come from?
The name comes from the mahogany tree, whose wood inspired the colour. The term was first used for the colour in English in 1737.
Are there variations of mahogany?
Yes, related shades include mahogany red, which matches a Crayola crayon colour, and mahogany brown, found in the RAL colour system.
Is mahogany a natural or synthetic colour?
Mahogany as a colour is named after a natural wood, but the colour itself is a standard shade and not tied to a single pigment or dye.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Mahogany (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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