Burgundy is a dark red associated with the Burgundy wine of the same name, which in turn is named after the Burgundy region of France which in turn is named after the ancient Burgundians, a Germanic tribe. The color burgundy is similar to other shades of dark red such as maroon, cordovan, and oxblood, but differs from each of these in subtle ways. For example, cordovan with its origin in equine leather used for shoes has a slightly fairer, lighter brown color whilst oxblood, typically used in description of clothing, in particular leather, has both a much richer red and a little more blue.
When referring to the color, "burgundy" is usually not capitalized.[4]
The first recorded use of "burgundy" as a color name in English was in 1881.[5]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) H: Normalized to [0–100] (hundred)
At right is displayed the color old burgundy. The color old burgundy is a dark tone of burgundy. The first recorded use of old burgundy as a color name in English was in 1926.[10][11]
The burgundy color was the most popular lipstick color among women in the 1990s and early 2000s.[citation needed] It is also a popular lipstick shade with the people of the goth subculture. In recent years it has made a comeback as popular lip color in the high fashion industry.
Venezuela's athletes traditionally wear burgundy uniforms in international competitions. This practice has earned them the nickname "Vinotinto" (Red Wine).
^The color displayed in the color box above matches the color called burgundy in the 1930 book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill; the color burgundy is displayed on page 135, Plate 56, Color Sample E8.
^"Burgundy". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
^1989, Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., s.v. Burgundy.