diff --git a/pygmt/src/histogram.py b/pygmt/src/histogram.py
index 539527fa071..cfc6f4aa649 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/histogram.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/histogram.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     build_arg_list,
     deprecate_parameter,
     fmt_docstring,
+    is_given,
     kwargs_to_strings,
     use_alias,
 )
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ def histogram(
     bar_offset: float | str | None = None,
     cmap: str | bool = False,
     pen: str | None = None,
-    fill: str | None = None,
+    fill: str | Literal["position", "value"] | None = None,
     horizontal: bool = False,
     out_range: Literal["first", "last", "both"] | None = None,
     stairs: bool = False,
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ def histogram(
     $aliases
        - A = horizontal
        - B = frame
-       - C = cmap
+       - C = cmap, **+b**: fill
        - E = bar_width, **+o**: bar_offset
        - G = fill
        - J = projection
@@ -87,12 +88,22 @@ def histogram(
     data
         Pass in either a file name to an ASCII data table, a Python list, a 2-D
         $table_classes.
-    $cmap
     pen
         Draw bar outline (or stair-case curve) using the specified pen thickness
         [Default is no outline].
     fill
-         Set color or pattern for filling bars [Default is no fill].
+        Set color or pattern for filling bars [Default is no fill]. Set it to one of the
+        two special values to fill bars by looking up the color from a CPT instead of a
+        constant color:
+
+        - ``"position"``: look up the color using the mid-coordinate of the bin. This is
+          the default when ``cmap`` is set.
+        - ``"value"``: look up the color using the bin value, i.e., the bar count or
+          frequency.
+
+        The special values require a CPT (either the current CPT or explicitly set by
+        ``cmap``), and can't be used with ``fill``.
+    $cmap
     annotate : bool or str
         [**+b**][**+f**\ *font*][**+o**\ *off*][**+r**].
         Annotate each bar with the count it represents. Append any of the
@@ -172,14 +183,31 @@ def histogram(
             required="bar_width", reason="Required when 'bar_offset' is set."
         )
 
+    # "position" and "value" are special values that fill bars by values and cmap.
+    match fill:
+        case "position":
+            _fill_color, _fill_lookup = None, ""
+        case "value":
+            _fill_color, _fill_lookup = None, "+b"
+        case _:
+            _fill_color, _fill_lookup = fill, None  # type: ignore[assignment]
+    if _fill_color is not None and is_given(cmap):
+        raise GMTParameterError(
+            at_most_one=["cmap", "fill"],
+            reason="Cannot use 'cmap' when 'fill' is a constant color or pattern.",
+        )
+
     aliasdict = AliasSystem(
         A=Alias(horizontal, name="horizontal"),
-        C=Alias(cmap, name="cmap"),
+        C=[
+            Alias(cmap, name="cmap"),
+            Alias(_fill_lookup, name="fill"),
+        ],
         E=[
             Alias(bar_width, name="bar_width"),
             Alias(bar_offset, name="bar_offset", prefix="+o"),
         ],
-        G=Alias(fill, name="fill"),
+        G=Alias(_fill_color, name="fill"),
         L=Alias(
             out_range,
             name="out_range",
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_histogram_fill.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_histogram_fill.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33bdffce4e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_histogram_fill.png
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1
+oid sha256:a82f632aba7a78db5bd880ab34fdeec8c7472b5e1257e79b61efd5ccd72aa813
+size 12900
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_histogram.py b/pygmt/tests/test_histogram.py
index c839105f995..bd6ef95983d 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_histogram.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_histogram.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import pandas as pd
 import pytest
-from pygmt import Figure
+from pygmt import Figure, makecpt
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTParameterError
 from pygmt.params import Axis
 
@@ -51,3 +51,75 @@ def test_histogram_baroffset(data):
             fill="green",
             bar_offset=0.25,
         )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare(filename="test_histogram_fill.png")
+def test_histogram_fill(data):
+    """
+    Test filling bars with constant color and lookup table values.
+    """
+    kwargs = {
+        "data": data,
+        "projection": "X5c/5c",
+        "region": [0, 10, 0, 8],
+        "series": 1,
+        "frame": Axis(annot=True),
+    }
+    fig = Figure()
+    # Constant fill
+    fig.histogram(fill="green", **kwargs)
+    fig.shift_origin(xshift=6)
+    # Fill bars by bin position
+    makecpt(cmap="viridis", series=[0, 9, 1])
+    fig.histogram(fill="position", **kwargs)
+    fig.colorbar(frame=True)
+    # Fill bars by bin value
+    fig.shift_origin(xshift=6)
+    makecpt(cmap="viridis", series=[0, 6, 1])
+    fig.histogram(fill="value", **kwargs)
+    fig.colorbar(frame=True)
+    return fig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare(filename="test_histogram_fill.png")
+def test_histogram_fill_old_cmap_syntax(data):
+    """
+    Test filling bars with constant color and lookup table values.
+    """
+    kwargs = {
+        "data": data,
+        "projection": "X5c/5c",
+        "region": [0, 10, 0, 8],
+        "series": 1,
+        "frame": Axis(annot=True),
+    }
+    fig = Figure()
+    # Constant fill
+    fig.histogram(fill="green", **kwargs)
+    fig.shift_origin(xshift=6)
+    # Fill bars by bin position
+    makecpt(cmap="viridis", series=[0, 9, 1])
+    fig.histogram(cmap=True, **kwargs)
+    fig.colorbar(frame=True)
+    # Fill bars by bin value
+    fig.shift_origin(xshift=6)
+    makecpt(cmap="viridis", series=[0, 6, 1])
+    fig.histogram(cmap="+b", **kwargs)
+    fig.colorbar(frame=True)
+    return fig
+
+
+def test_histogram_fill_color_with_cmap(data):
+    """
+    Test that a constant fill color cannot be combined with cmap.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    with pytest.raises(GMTParameterError):
+        fig.histogram(
+            data=data,
+            projection="X10c/10c",
+            region=[0, 9, 0, 8],
+            series=1,
+            cmap=True,
+            fill="green",
+        )