1. A method of applying a color name modifier to a color having a color name, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a color name modifier; receiving a color name; determining a displacement value corresponding to the received color name modifier by reference to a color naming database including a set of color name modifiers having corresponding color-attribute displacement values, wherein the displacement value is a mean displacement value determined by interrogating the database and computing the mean displacement value for a plurality of names in the database having the received color name modifier as a part of each of the plurality of names; and applying the displacement value to a color value corresponding to the color name.