Tenné
A rare heraldic stain of orange-tawny, named for tanned leather
No single value: Tenné is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, orange.
Tenné is a non-standard heraldic colour, known as a 'stain', that sits between orange and light brown, resembling the shade of tanned leather. Its name comes from the Medieval Latin for tanning, and it appears rarely in coats of arms, mainly for showing leather or wood, with most use in continental Europe and some military insignia.
- Tenné is a rare heraldic colour for tanned leather
- First recorded in English in 1562
- Brighter than brunâtre, which is used for bear hide
- Used in French, British, and U.S. military heraldry
- Linked to the gemstone sardonyx in poetic meanings
What colour is Tenné?
Tenné is a heraldic colour, or 'stain', that falls between orange and light brown, often described as orange-tawny. It is lighter than brunâtre (brownish), which is used for bear hide, while tenné is used for leather. The colour is bright enough to stand apart from both black and the darker browns, and is sometimes confused with orange or tawny in English heraldry. In practice, tenné is rarely seen on coats of arms, but it is recognised in heraldic tradition.
Where does Tenné come from?
The word tenné comes from the Medieval Latin 'tannare', meaning to tan leather, and entered English in the mid-16th century. It is linked to the Old French 'tané'. The colour was first mentioned in English heraldry in 1562 by Gerard Leigh, who described it as a mix of red and yellow, matching the colour of tanned leather. In French and continental heraldry, tenné (or tanné) is the light brown shade of tanned leather, while in English blazonry it is more orange.
Where Tenné is used
Tenné is mainly used in heraldry to represent the colour of tanned leather, and sometimes wood or skin. It appears in a few coats of arms in France, such as in the Oise region, and in the Northern Territory of Australia. In Britain, it is rare and mostly seen in liveries, not on shields. In the United States, tenné is used in military insignia, especially for the Signal Corps, where it appears as a bright orange. South African heraldry uses orange, partly due to Dutch influence.
What Tenné means
Tenné does not carry a universal symbolic meaning, but in poetic heraldic systems it is linked to the gemstone sardonyx and the Dragon's tail (a lunar node in astrology). Its main association is with the colour of tanned leather, rather than with emotions or rituals.
Orange around the world
What the orange family means from country to country.
Orange and black are the colours of Halloween, 31 October: orange for pumpkins and autumn leaves, black for night.
Festival and celebrationDanger and warningFearSource: HalloweenThe flag used from 1928 to 1994 was orange, white and blue, after the old Dutch Prince's Flag. It is now tied to the apartheid years, and displaying it has been ruled hate speech.
Politics and protestSource: Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)The lowest band of the flag is orange, often called apricot, after the national fruit. The constitution says it stands for the creative talent and hard work of the people.
Politics and protestNature and renewalPrideSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is split corner to corner. The orange half stands for the Buddhist tradition, and the white dragon across the middle for purity.
Sacred and holySource: Flag of BhutanOn 30 September people wear orange shirts to remember the children sent to residential schools. Phyllis Webstad's new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at one.
Mourning and deathPolitics and protestGriefSource: National Day for Truth and ReconciliationOrange is also the colour of the New Democratic Party. Its sweep of Quebec seats in the 2011 election was called the Orange Wave.
Politics and protestSource: New Democratic PartyShades and relatives of Tenné
Tenné is sometimes confused with tawny, orange, or brunâtre. Brunâtre is a much darker brown used for bear hide, while tenné is lighter and more orange. In German heraldry, orange and tenné are considered distinct, each with its own hatching pattern. The English term 'tawny' is sometimes used for tenné, but may also refer to other shades.
Questions people ask about Tenné
What colour is tenné?
Tenné is a heraldic colour that sits between orange and light brown, often described as orange-tawny. It is meant to resemble the colour of tanned leather.
Where does the name tenné come from?
The name tenné comes from the Medieval Latin 'tannare', meaning to tan leather. It entered English in the mid-16th century, first recorded in 1562.
How is tenné used in heraldry?
Tenné is used mainly to depict the colour of leather in coats of arms and heraldic designs. It is rare and appears mostly in continental Europe, some British liveries, and U.S. military insignia.
Is tenné the same as orange or tawny?
Tenné is similar to orange and tawny but is a distinct heraldic colour. It is lighter than brunâtre (brownish) and is not the same as the standard orange used in some heraldic traditions.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Tenné", 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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