The color known as kelly green is strongly associated with Irish heritage and culture. This pure shade of green was first given its name in the early 20th century, after one of the most popular Irish surnames. Kelly green became particularly associated with St. Patrick's Day celebrations and Irish cultural expressions in the United States. While its origins are relatively recent, the color has grown to symbolize luck, vitality, and natural abundance. Kelly green is widely used as an accent color in modern interior design, marketing materials, and fashion, where its vibrant nature adds energy and freshness when paired with neutrals or complementary colors.
In digital design, kelly green is defined by specific color values that maintain its characteristic brightness and warmth. It has the hex code #4CAF50, while the RGB values of R:76, G:175, B:80 create kelly green's distinctive brightness through light emission on screens. For print applications, CMYK values of C: 59%, M: 0%, Y: 88%, K: 27% work together to produce kelly green's intense, balanced shade that sits between yellow and blue on the color spectrum, with added black for richness.
Other related colors to kelly green: