Common names include carnation (D. caryophyllus), pink (D. plumarius and related species) and sweet william (D. barbatus).

As is also demonstrated by the name of "pinking shears", special scissors for cloth that create a zigzag or decorative edge that discourages fraying.

Since 1717, dianthus species have been extensively bred and hybridised to produce many thousands of cultivars for garden use and floristry, in all shades of white, pink, yellow and red, with a huge variety of flower shapes and markings.

They are often divided into the following main groups:[4][5] Over 100 varieties have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

[7] Dianthus gratianopolitanus – the Cheddar pink – was chosen as the county flower of Somerset in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife.