Who creates Pantone colour names?

Pantone colour names are chosen by the Pantone Color Institute (PCI) which is headed by a team of five people led by Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman.

The inspiration for the colour names came from all around the globe, in different natural environments and cultures as well as street fashion trends. Many colours are named after flowers, trees, minerals and animals and some use traditional place names.

We have written blogs about the naming of Pantone colours, the most recent was in response to Pantone reviewing and changing some of them in 2022, the new names were due to sensitivity around the original names. You may also find  ‘Pantone colour names – where do they come from?’ interesting as well.

We hope you found this blog helpful, if so you may find our other blog, ‘Pantone FAQs for Interior Design’ useful too!