Buzz
In 1903, cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith launched the first eight Crayola crayons. Since then, the world has evolved, and so have the names of their waxy creations.
As societal attitudes shifted, the company behind these classic crayons updated their names to more appealing—and equally vibrant—titles.
Peach Flesh
The civil rights movement had a significant influence on the colors in Crayola’s lineup. In 1962, Crayola proactively changed the name of “Flesh” to “Peach” to avoid potential legal challenges and to encourage people everywhere to embrace diversity in their drawings.
Prussian Blue
The Kingdom of Prussia (now part of modern-day Germany, Poland, and Russia) existed as an independent state from 1701 until 1871. Unfortunately, the crayon called “Prussian Blue” had a much shorter reign in the world of colors.
First introduced in 1949 alongside 39 other new crayons, Prussian Blue was unceremoniously renamed in 1958. The reasons for the change are debated—some suggest that young children didn’t know (or care) what Prussia was, while others cite the xenophobia of the Cold War era. Crayola opted to rename the color Midnight Blue, hoping it would be more relatable and perhaps less associated with Iron Curtains.
Indian Red
This crayon, introduced in 1958 alongside 15 other new shades (giving children a total of 64 colors to choose from), was named after a pigment from India. Over time, educators began to express concerns that the color might be interpreted as referencing the skin tone of Native Americans.
In 1999, Crayola rebranded the color as Chestnut—but not without a caveat. The company advised children not to roast these chestnuts over an open flame, as they would soften and begin to melt at a mere 105°F.
Blue Gray, Green Blue, Lemon Yellow, Maize, Orange Red, Orange Yellow, Raw Umber, and Violet Blue
1990 marked the first round of mandatory retirements in the Crayola family. The classic colors Blue Gray, Green Blue, Lemon Yellow, Maize, Orange Red, Orange Yellow, Raw Umber, and Violet Blue were replaced with more modern shades like Cerulean, Fuchsia, and Dandelion, colors deemed bolder, more vibrant, and more likely to help you rack up points in Scrabble.
Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, Teal Blue, and Mulberry
To commemorate Crayola's 100th anniversary in 2003, fans were invited to suggest new crayon names and vote to retire four existing colors. The unfortunate victims of the Crayola “tribal council” were newer shades like Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, and Teal Blue, along with the older Mulberry. These veteran colors made way for more imaginative choices like Inch Worm, Jazzberry Jam, Mango Tango, and Wild Blue Yonder—demonstrating that letting kindergartners have a say in your marketing decisions might not always be the best move.
