Color Naming Rule



The Color Naming Rule is a set of guidelines that define how characters in the world of RWBY are named. The rules were first revealed by series creator Monty Oum as a guide for naming fan-created original characters. Virtually all canon characters follow the rule.

The rules state that names of characters in RWBY must be at least one of the following:
 * 1) A color
 * 2) Sound like a color
 * 3) Mean a color
 * 4) Makes people think of a color

Characters usually have a distinguishing feature (clothing or hair/eye color) that matches their namesake, but this is not always the case.

In addition, all team names must be a four-letter acronym that spells a word that also abides by the above criteria.

Background
An in-universe justification for the rule is given by Professor Ozpin in the episode "Field Trip".

During the Great War, one side destroyed art as part of their goal of suppressing all forms of self-expression. In defiance, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after a fundamental aspect of art - color. This symbolic gesture demonstrated that neither they nor the generations to come would tolerate such oppression. The latter group eventually prevailed, and the tradition of naming children after colors continues into the present day.

Explanations
Barring some exceptions, all characters follow the color naming rule. However, exactly how the names of certain characters allude to colors is not always clear. This list attempts to extrapolate the intended connection in cases where it is not immediately apparent.

This list groups most characters of the show either by Team or association. All team names are four-letter acronyms that spell a word that is a color, sounds like a color, means a color or is evocative of a color.

Team RWBY
Ruby is a red-colored gemstone and a shade of red. The first four trailers released for RWBY, "Red", "White", "Black" and "Yellow", all shared a color theme that corresponded to one member of the eponymous Team RWBY. The lyrics of the song "Red Like Roses" refers to each of the four team members of Team RWBY by their color.
 * Ruby Rose - Ruby is a gemstone known for its red coloration. Roses are a flower known to come in red varieties, as referenced by her music theme, "Red Like Roses". Ruby also alludes heavily to the fairytale character Little Red Riding Hood. She also first appeared in the "Red" Trailer.
 * Weiss Schnee - Weiss or weiß is a German word meaning "white". Schnee means "snow" in the same language. Weiss also alludes to the fairytale character Snow White, and first appeared in the "White" Trailer.
 * Blake Belladonna - Blake is an Old English word meaning "black". Belladonna, or Atropa belladonna, is a plant known for its incredibly toxic berries which also have a dark purple to black coloration. Blake also first appeared in the "Black" Trailer.
 * Yang Xiao Long - Yang (阳) means "sun" in Chinese, which is evocative of the color yellow. Yang first appeared in the "Yellow" Trailer. Her fairytale allusion is Goldilocks, who is distinguished by her hair color.

Team JNPR
The Juniper plant bears blue berries and is known for the vivid yellow color that its leaves turn in autumn.
 * Jaune Arc - Jaune is French for "yellow". "Arc" may be taken from "Arc-en-Ciel", french for "rainbow". Fittingly, some of his possessions, most notably his shield, have a symbol of a rainbow on them.
 * Nora Valkyrie - Nora is possibly named after the Nora Barlow columbine, a flower with a vibrant pink coloration. On RWBY merchandise, her emblem is often colored pink.
 * Pyrrha Nikos - "Pyrrha" is derived from the Greek adjective pyrrhos (πυρρός), which means "flame-colored". Monty has also stated that she was named for her hair.
 * Lie Ren - Ren is Japanese for "lotus", a plant which is known for its bright pink flowers and green leaves. Ren's outfit is patterned after this color scheme, and on RWBY merchandise, his emblem is often colored pink.

Team CRDL
Cardinal is a shade of red and a bird whose feathers have a brilliant red coloration(males).
 * Cardin Winchester - Cardinal is a shade of red. It is also the common name of a species of bird with a rich red coat of feathers.
 * Russel Thrush - Russel is a name that means red. The Riesling wine grapes are sometimes called russel. There's also the Russel Terrier, which is predominantly white. Thrush is a type of bird and most species are gray or brown in color.
 * Dove Bronzewing - Obviously, bronze is a color. Doves are also a bird species known for their pure white color. Another form of dove, known as a Bronzewing, has feathers colored bronze.
 * Sky Lark - The sky appears blue during daytime. There is also a shade of blue known as sky blue. Skylark is a type of bird with a brown body.

Team CFVY
Coffee is a beverage with a characteristic brown coloration.
 * Coco Adel - Possibly named after the cocoa plant, which comes in a variety of colors, but is mostly associated with its brown color when roasted. And of course, coconuts are called "Cocos" in multiple Latin languages such as Spanish and Italian.
 * Fox Alistair - Foxes are a carnivore species known for their reddish-brown or red-orange colored fur.
 * Velvet Scarlatina - Scarlatina is derived from "scarlet", a shade of red. Red Velvet is also a type of cake.
 * Yatsuhashi Daichi - Yatsuhashi are a Japanese treat, often colored a warm brown tone. Daichi means 'earth' or 'ground' in the same language, which also imply brown color.

Team SSSN
The Sun is a yellow star.
 * Sun Wukong - The Sun is usually associated with its yellow color. Sun's namesake is often associated or is evocative of the color gold.
 * Scarlet David - Scarlet is a shade of red with traces of orange.
 * Sage Ayana - The leaves of the sage plant, when dried up, adopt a brown-green color.
 * Neptune Vasilias - Neptune is an ice giant planet in the solar system with a deep blue color. Neptune is also the Roman God of the Sea, which is evocative of the blue color of the ocean.

Penny's Team
The team acronym, and thus its pronunciation, is currently unknown.
 * Penny Polendina - Penny's name can bring to mind the color of copper, which pennies are coated in. It can also bring to mind the green color that copper takes on when it is oxidized. Polendina may be derived from pollen, a powdery substance that can appear in multiple colors, usually yellow colors.
 * Ciel Soleil - Ciel's name is French. Ciel means "sky" or "Heaven", the former being blue and the latter bringing white to mind. Soleil is French for "sun", which is commonly considered yellow in color.

Team STRQ
Stark White is a shade of white.
 * Summer Rose - Roses are a type of flower that are usually a red color. White roses can also be referred to as "summer roses".
 * Taiyang Xiao Long - Like his daughter Yang, his name Tai Yang (太阳) refers to Sun, which is yellow.
 * Raven Branwen - Ravens are birds known for their black feathers. Branwen is Welsh, meaning "blessed white raven/crow", which corresponds to her first name.
 * Qrow Branwen - Crows are birds known for their black feathers. Branwen is Welsh, meaning "blessed white raven/crow", which corresponds to his first name.

Team ABRN
Auburn refers to a reddish-brown color, especially with reference to hair.
 * Arslan Altan - Arslan is Turkish for "Lion". Lions are feline animals, with light yellow fur. Altan means "red dawn" in Turkish and "golden" in Mongolian.
 * Bolin Hori - Bolin is a Chinese name usually given to boys that could mean either "elder brother" or "rain", the later bringing to mind the color blue. Hori roughly translates to "yellow" in Basque.
 * Reese Chloris - Reese is an Old English name which means "fiery or ardent" which bring fiery and warm colors to mind. Chloris is derived from the Greek word chloros (χλωρός) meaning "green", especially in relation to youth and vigor.
 * Nadir Shiko - When said together, Nadir Shiko's first and last names sound like Nadeshiko, the Japanese name for a family of pink flowers commonly known as carnations.

Team BRNZ
Bronze is a type of metal alloy with a characteristic brownish tint.
 * Brawnz Ni - Brawnz sounds like "bronze", a metal alloy characterized by its brownish tinge. "Ni" is the chemical symbol for Nickel, a silver metal used in the making of bronze.
 * Roy Stallion - Stallions are adult male horses, usually depicted with a brown coat. The name Roy is also believed to be connected to an old Gaelic word for red.
 * Nolan Porfirio - Porfirio comes from the Greek Porphyry, meaning "purple clad".
 * May Zedong - Miles and Kerry referred to her name as being a reference to a purple mushroom. This could be in reference to Zhidong, a mushroom known for its reddish-purple cap. May is also a common name used to refer to the European Common Hawthorn.

Team NDGO
Indigo is the color between blue and violet within the light spectrum.
 * Nebula Violette - Violette is Old French for violet. Also, nebulae can be seen in a deep violet.
 * Dew Gayl - Dew commonly forms on grass, which is typically green.
 * Gwen Darcy - Gwen is a Welsh name for "white" or "holy". Darcy is an Irish name, which translates to "dark one".
 * Octavia Ember - Embers are small flames or smoldering pieces of wood, which can be reddish-orange in color.

Team FNKI
Funky may evoke multiple colors associated with disco music.
 * Flynt Coal - Flynt's name refers to a dull gray color also found in his clothing. His last name, Coal, is a deep black substance used as fuel for fires.
 * Neon Katt - Neon alludes to neon lights, which are glass tubes filled with neon gas, illuminating in a bright orange color.

Other

 * Glynda Goodwitch - "Glynda" is based from the name "Glenda"; the name is originally coined in Welsh's glân (“holy, fair”) and da (“good”). The concepts derived from Glynda's name, namely "holy" and "good" are often associated with the color white.
 * Peter Port - Peter is derived from the Greek word Πέτρος (Petros), meaning stone. Port may refer to port wine, which is typically a red.
 * Bartholomew Oobleck - In Dr. Seuss' children's book Bartholomew and the Oobleck, oobleck is a green sticky substance.
 * James Ironwood - Iron is a metallic chemical element with a silvery-gray luster. "Ironwood" is a common name for a large number of woods known for their hardness ("Ironwood" may or may not also be used refer to the tree that yields said wood).
 * Winter Schnee - Winter is a season known for snow, which is white. Schnee means "snow" in German.
 * Adam Taurus -āḏām is linked to its triliteral root אָדָם (a-d-m), meaning "red". As a masculine noun, adam means "man", "mankind". The noun adam is also the masculine form of the word adamah which means "ground", "earth" or "clay". It is related to the words: adom (red), admoni (ruddy), and dam (blood).
 * Roman Torchwick - Roman's name and weapon could relate to the famous Roman candle firework which is normally associated with the color of fire (though it can be any number of common firework colors). There is also a shade of silver known as Roman Silver, which is blue-gray in color. Torch also brings to mind the colors of flame.
 * Cinder Fall - Fall is the American name for autumn, a season usually associated with tree leaves turning red, orange and yellow. Cinders are the product of the combustion, also evoking flame-like imagery.
 * Emerald Sustrai - Emeralds are a green gemstone. Sustrai means "roots" in Basque, which are typically evocative of a woody brown.
 * Mercury Black - Obviously, black is a color. Mercury is also an element with a metallic silvery-gray appearance, which is expressed by the character's gray outfit.
 * Neopolitan - Neapolitan is a type of ice cream that combines strawberry (pink), chocolate (brown) and vanilla (white). Neo's eyes are capable of switching between these three colors, and her hair and outfit also follow this color scheme.
 * Hei "Junior" Xiong - Hei (黑) is Chinese for "black".
 * Melanie Malachite - Melanie is a Greek name derived from melania (μελανία) which means "blackness". Malachite is a mineral name derived from molochitis lithos (Μολοχίτης λίθος) which means "mallow-green stone". Appropriately, she has green eyes.
 * Miltia Malachite - Miltia (Μιλτιάδης) is a Greek name which means "red earth". Like her sister, she also has the green eyes appropriate to her last name.
 * Tukson - His name is likely derived of the Spanish given name Tucson, which means "black base".
 * Amber - Amber is a fossilized form of resin, a substance produced by trees. Amber is typically deep yellow in color.
 * Cyril Ian - When said together, his name sounds like "cerulean", a deep blue.
 * Lisa Lavender - Her last name, "Lavender", is the name of a light shade of purple. The fish mugil labrosus is also sometimes called lisa or llissa.
 * Lagune - His last name is derived from "Lagoon", which are small bodies of water.
 * Professor Peach - Peaches are fruits with pink or orange flesh.
 * Perry - "Perry" is the name of a alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears.
 * Spruce Willis - Spruces are a type of Pinacacea, characterized by light green leaves and almost white wood.
 * Marcus Black - Marcus is derived from the word "Mars," which is also the name of a red planet in the Solar System. Like his son, his surname is literally a color.
 * Salem - Salem is a rosemary cultivar with pale-blue flowers.

Trivia

 * Interestingly, Ozpin was explicitly stated as the only character who does not follow the Color Naming Rule by Monty, the only character officially confirmed as such. Monty enigmatically attributes this to "reasons". What this means, as well as its significance, is entirely unknown. Regardless of this claim, Ozpin alludes to the Wizard of Oz, who is associated with the color green, a color which is prominently represented in Ozpin's wardrobe.
 * The Color Naming Rule does not seem to apply to pet animals, since Zwei's name does not reference any color.
 * Weapons and locations do not seem to follow the Color Naming Rule either, although each of the 4 main academies (Beacon, Shade, Haven and Atlas) do fit CNR in different ways:
 * A Beacon is a conspicuous device used to attract attention. Said devices include flashing and rotating lights, along with bonfires and similar objects (These are often referred more specifically as "lighted beacons").
 * Shade refers to the shadows created by the direct blocking of sunlight.
 * A Haven is a body of water where ships can be stored and take shelter from stormy weather. Havens are also known as harbors.
 * Atlas is a Titan from greek mythology who, due to siding with the titans in the Titanomachy, was punished with carrying the heavens, originally portrayed as carrying the celestial spheres, but more often portrayed as carrying the world in modern times.