...to wonder why some colours are really common surnames (white/black/brown/green) and others not?

[Justbackfromnewwine]

Okay maybe I know a Pink but no reds/yellows/blues/oranges/purples.

Why is that I wonder?

YY, seren, I've no idea and agree it's hard to figure! But that's why I think it is so interesting. Imagine how confused people must have been when they met a different culture and all these crazy people were talking about colours they'd never imagined bothering to tell apart!

Dutch royal family - House of Orange.

I know, blue, but you don't use English to describe heraldic motifs. It certainly could be the plant itself, though.

My great great grandparents were called Purple. They were from Norfolk, I think. We live nowhere near Norfolk.

Wiki doesn’t say that Jason Orange’s name is not real. Maybe it is derived from William of Orange or Orangemen?

Grey is a surname, as is Lemon!

Well LRD certainly Tyrian purple and crimson kermis were highly prized luxury dyes in the Medieval world, so not available to the average peasant.

True, but in medieval England, most commonly-used dyes weren't colour-fast, and they were still used. You get recipes for all sorts of bright colours, and purple dye isn't hard to make.

Purple wasn't so closely associated with royalty as it was in other times and places, so I doubt the reason 'purple' is an uncommon surname is that - and, on the whole, it's the medieval period when surnames really take off in a big way. They diversify, of course, but the idea of needing a surname is basically medieval.

kermes This iPad thinks it can spell better than I can!

We had an Orange at our school. And a Scarlett

Keith Lemon

Reed or Reid is probably a corruption of Red for many families

What blue thing would be associated with a person to the extent that it becomes part of their name? Their eyes is the only thing I can think of

Jason's surname must be real because he had about 6 brothers and they were all called Orange. My source for this is Smash Hits circa 1994 so must be true.

harriet purple as a surname is so cool! Does Professor Plum in cluedo count? Or in that song "Hey there Mr Blue"? Or Keith Lemon?

Keith Lemon isn't real though.
There's lots of variations on Gold and Silver where we live

Yep Goldman and Silverman mostly used for robots

Thats true davro!

I think a lot of the colour names are probably not related. As a PP said, orange is Dutch royal house, and also adopted by northern Irish orangemen. White was a name that a number of kindertransport children were given, to remove Jewish connotations. Other names can remove politics of class, as a PP said.

I always wonder why Green is often Jewish - Greenblatt, Greenblum etc. Any ideas?

*or class, not of class

I used to know a Goldfinch.

deus, I don't know, but it could be a corruption of 'grain' anyway. 'Green' in the context of cloth sometimes actually means 'red' because it refers to the grains used to dye cloth red. I am not sure if that helps, but it might not be green the colour that's meant.

OTOH I think gold and silver were names given to/adopted by Jewish people in relation to the anti-Semitic emphasis on moneylending?

Often adopted due to professions - jewellery making has long been associated with Jews (unsurprising when you think of the word!). Hadn’t thought of the anti Semitic aspect due to money lending :(

Interesting on grain / green!

Colour names were adopted by European Jews because they literally made them up when they migrated. Hebrew "surnames" are "son/daughter of [father's name]" so for admin purposes diaspora Jews often chose (or were given, if they were of lower status) somewhat flowery, imaginative, or colourful names.

I seem to know a lot of colourful people, my best friend. at high school was Brown,A boy in my primary school class was Grey, I had a Mrs White as an English teacher I dated somone with the surname Green, and worked wirh withthe surname Gold

I have discovered a brand new colour. Not something like Primrose Pink or Magnolia Nightshade or a shade of another colour, something absolutely new and original.
It really is amazing to look at.