Murrey
A dark reddish purple used as a rare heraldic colour
No single value: Murrey is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, purple and violet.
Murrey is a deep reddish purple shade found in heraldry, named after the colour of mulberries. It sits between red and purple, close to maroon, and is classed as a 'stain', meaning it is not one of the main heraldic colours. Murrey appears in some historic coats of arms and is linked with the gemstone sardonyx.
- Named after the colour of mulberries
- Classed as a 'stain' in heraldry, not a main tincture
- Linked with the gemstone sardonyx in old traditions
- Used by the House of York in fifteenth-century England
- Appears in some Canadian and Scottish coats of arms
What colour is Murrey?
Murrey is a deep colour that blends red and purple, similar to the shade of ripe mulberries. In heraldry, it is not one of the main colours but is instead known as a 'stain', a term for less common tinctures. Murrey stands out from other purples by its darker, more reddish tone, and can sometimes look close to maroon or even reddish brown in some examples.
Where does Murrey come from?
The name 'murrey' comes from the mulberry fruit, which has a rich reddish purple skin. This connection to the fruit is reflected in the colour's use and naming in heraldry. While it is not a standard tincture, murrey has appeared in the arms and liveries of some noble houses, including those in fifteenth-century England.
Where Murrey is used
Murrey has been used in coats of arms and liveries, especially in historical contexts. Notably, it was one of the colours worn by the House of York in England. In modern heraldry, it is still seen in some official arms, including those registered in Canada and Scotland, though it remains rare.
What Murrey means
There are no widely held symbolic meanings for murrey in heraldry, but in older traditions, it was sometimes linked with the gemstone sardonyx and the astrological figure known as the Dragon's Tail. These associations were part of poetic descriptions rather than formal symbolism.
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 Murrey
Murrey is close in appearance to maroon and mulberry, and sits between red and purple on the colour spectrum. It is distinct from the standard heraldic purples and reds, and may be confused with other stains like sanguine or tenné, though each has its own specific shade.
Questions people ask about Murrey
What colour is murrey?
Murrey is a dark reddish purple, similar to the colour of ripe mulberries and close to maroon.
Where does the name murrey come from?
The name comes from the mulberry fruit, whose deep reddish purple skin inspired the colour's use in heraldry.
Is murrey a common colour in heraldry?
Murrey is not a standard heraldic colour and is classed as a 'stain', so it is relatively rare.
What is murrey associated with in old heraldic traditions?
In poetic heraldic traditions, murrey was linked with the gemstone sardonyx and the Dragon's Tail in astrology.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Murrey", 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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