color-name vs color-name-list: Choosing the Right CSS Color Reference

Both color-name and color-name-list give you programmatic access to the official list of CSS named colors — the same 148 colors defined in the CSS Color Module Level 4 specification, like "aliceblue", "darkslategray", and "rebeccapurple". But they package this data differently, and that difference matters depending on how you plan to use it.

📦 Data Structure: Object Map vs Array of Entries

color-name exports a plain JavaScript object where keys are color names and values are hex strings.

// color-name
import colorName from 'color-name';

console.log(colorName.red);        // "#ff0000"
console.log(colorName['blue']);    // "#0000ff"

// To get all names:
const names = Object.keys(colorName);

This format is perfect for direct lookups — if you already have a color name and just need its hex value, this is as fast and simple as it gets.

color-name-list exports an array of objects, each containing name and hex properties.

// color-name-list
import colorNameList from 'color-name-list';

console.log(colorNameList[0]); 
// { name: "aliceblue", hex: "#f0f8ff" }

// To find a specific color:
const redEntry = colorNameList.find(c => c.name === 'red');
console.log(redEntry.hex); // "#ff0000"

This structure shines when you need to iterate, filter, or render the full list — for example, building a color picker UI or generating documentation.

🔍 Lookup Performance and Convenience

If your primary operation is resolving a known color name to a hex value, color-name wins on simplicity and speed:

// With color-name: O(1) lookup
const hex = colorName[input];

With color-name-list, you must search the array:

// With color-name-list: O(n) lookup
const entry = colorNameList.find(c => c.name === input);
const hex = entry ? entry.hex : undefined;

For occasional lookups this isn’t a problem, but in performance-sensitive code (e.g., inside a render loop), the linear scan adds overhead. You could pre-build a map from the array if needed:

const colorMap = new Map(colorNameList.map(c => [c.name, c.hex]));
const hex = colorMap.get('red');

But at that point, you’re replicating what color-name already gives you out of the box.

🛠️ Use Case Alignment

When to use color-name

• You’re writing a utility that validates or converts named CSS colors.
• You need a drop-in reference for color parsing libraries.
• Your code only does lookups, never enumerates all colors.

Example: a CSS-in-JS processor that replaces color: red with color: #ff0000.

function resolveColor(value) {
  return colorName[value] || value; // fallback to original if not a named color
}

When to use color-name-list

• You’re building a UI component like a color palette selector.
• You need to sort, filter, or display the full set of named colors.
• You want metadata alongside the color (though currently it only provides name/hex).

Example: populating a <select> element in a design tool.

function ColorPicker() {
  return (
    <select>
      {colorNameList.map(color => (
        <option key={color.name} value={color.hex}>
          {color.name}
        </option>
      ))}
    </select>
  );
}

⚠️ Maintenance and Reliability

As of the latest verified package metadata:

• color-name has not had a new version published in several years. While the CSS named color list is stable and unlikely to change, the lack of recent updates means potential compatibility issues with modern tooling (e.g., ESM support) may go unaddressed.
• color-name-list shows more recent activity and explicitly supports both CommonJS and ES modules, making it safer for modern bundlers and environments.

Neither package is officially deprecated, but for new projects where long-term maintainability matters, color-name-list currently presents lower risk.

🔄 Interoperability and Conversion

You can easily convert between the two formats if your needs change:

From color-name to list format:

const listFromObject = Object.entries(colorName).map(([name, hex]) => ({ name, hex }));

From color-name-list to object format:

const objectFromList = Object.fromEntries(colorNameList.map(c => [c.name, c.hex]));

This flexibility means the choice isn’t irreversible — but starting with the right structure avoids unnecessary runtime conversion.

✅ Final Recommendation

• Need fast, direct lookups? → Use color-name — but verify it works in your build system.
• Building UIs or iterating over colors? → Use color-name-list for its array structure and better modern support.

In most real-world frontend applications — especially those involving user interfaces — the ability to enumerate and render the color list makes color-name-list the more practical choice today. Reserve color-name for low-level libraries or legacy codebases where its object shape is already entrenched.