Maroon

Maroon
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet #800000
sRGBB (r, g, b) (128, 0, 0)
HSV (h, s, v) (0°, 100%, 50%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h) (26, 86, 12°)
Source HTML/CSS
ISCC–NBS descriptor Deep reddish brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)
H: Normalized to [0–100] (hundred)

Maroon (US/UK mə-ROON, Australia mə-ROHN) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word marron, or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown".

According to multiple dictionaries, there are variabilities in defining the color maroon. The Cambridge English Dictionary defines maroon as a dark reddish-purple color while its "American Dictionary" section defines maroon as dark brown-red. This suggests slight perceptual differences in the U.K. versus North America. Lexico online dictionary defines maroon as a brownish-red. Similarly, Dictionary.com defines maroon as a dark brownish-red. The Oxford English Dictionary describes maroon as "a brownish crimson (strong red) or claret (purple color) color," while the Merriam-Webster online dictionary simply defines it as a dark red.

In the sRGB color model for additive color representation, the web color called maroon is created by turning down the brightness of pure red to about one half. It is also noted that maroon is the complement of the web color called teal.

Etymology

A bunch of chestnuts. Maroon is derived from marron, French for chestnut.
The word "maroon" derives from the French marron, meaning chestnut.

Maroon is derived from French marron ("chestnut"), itself from the Italian marrone that means both chestnut and brown (but the color maroon in Italian is granata and in French is grenat), from the medieval Greek maraon.

The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.

In culture

Religion
National symbols
  • Maroon and white are the colors of the Flag of Qatar.
  • Flag of Phoenix, Arizona is maroon and white.
  • Maroon, gold, teal and orange are the colors of the Flag of Sri Lanka
  • The Flag of Latvia has sometimes been called maroon and white, although the officially declared colors were red and white, and in 2009 were changed to carmine and white.
  • Maroon was named as the official color of the state of Queensland, Australia, in November 2003. While the declared shade of maroon in sRGB is R=115, G=24, B=44, Queenslanders display the spirit of the state by wearing all shades of maroon at sporting and cultural events.
Politics
Military
  • The distinctive maroon beret has been worn by many airborne forces around the world since 1942. It is sometimes referred to as the "red beret."
  • Historically maroon was the distinguishing color of the Caçadores (rifle) regiments of the Portuguese Army.
Business
  • Maroon is the signature color of the Japanese private rail company, Hankyu Railway, decided by a vote of women customers in 1923. In the 1990s, Hankyu planned an alternative color as it was developing new vehicles. That plan was called off following opposition by local residents
Music
School colors

Many universities, colleges, high schools and other educational institutions have maroon as one of their school colors. Popular combinations include maroon and white, maroon and grey, maroon and gold, and maroon and blue.

Sports

Sports teams often use maroon as one of their identifying colors, as a result, many have received the nickname "Maroons."

Commercial variations of maroon

Maroon (Crayola)

Maroon (Crayola)
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet #C32148
sRGBB (r, g, b) (195, 33, 72)
HSV (h, s, v) (346°, 83%, 76%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h) (43, 112, 5°)
Source Crayola
ISCC–NBS descriptor Vivid red
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color designated as maroon in Crayola crayons since 1949 is a bright medium shade of maroon halfway between brown and rose.

Rich maroon (maroon (X11))

Rich maroon [ maroon (X11) ]
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet #B03060
sRGBB (r, g, b) (176, 48, 96)
HSV (h, s, v) (338°, 73%, 69%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h) (42, 82, 355°)
Source X11 color names#Color name clashes
ISCC–NBS descriptor Strong red
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Displayed in the adjacent table is the color rich maroon, i.e. maroon as defined in the X11 color names, which is much brighter and more toned toward rose than the HTML/CSS maroon shown above.

See the chart Color name clashes in the X11 color names article to see those colors that are different in HTML/CSS and X11.

Dark red

Dark Red
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet #8B0000
sRGBB (r, g, b) (139, 0, 0)
HSV (h, s, v) (0°, 100%, 55%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h) (28, 94, 12°)
Source X11
ISCC–NBS descriptor Strong reddish brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Displayed in the adjacent table is the web color dark red.

UP maroon

UP Maroon
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet #7B1113
sRGBB (r, g, b) (123, 17, 19)
HSV (h, s, v) (359°, 86%, 48%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h) (26, 75, 12°)
Source https://www.colorhexa.com/7b1113
ISCC–NBS descriptor Deep reddish brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

UP Maroon is the shade used by the University of the Philippines as its primary color.

See also