What would you name a penguin?

July 11, 2019 3:45 PM

Help me name a penguin at our zoo (aka. how has this not been asked before).

Hello almighty hive. I am preparing to spend an unseemly amount of money that I definitely do not have right now on gaming the SF Zoo's penguin-naming drawing contest. (We are members of the zoo and the penguins are our kid's favorite, so I see them more than most might care to)

I am looking for clever penguin names that would bring amusement to future zoo-goers. My leading candidate names right now are Kowalski (Madagascar hat tip) and Sir Chubbers Von Peckington (thanks Pinterest). Penguiny McPenguinface didn't roll off the tongue. Hope me! (must be kid-friendly enough to pass muster of a random SF Zoo keeper)

posted by allkindsoftime to Pets & Animals (45 answers total)

Kevin
posted by amtho at 3:50 PM on July 11, 2019 [7 favorites]

Bill
posted by easy, lucky, free at 4:06 PM on July 11, 2019

Neville
posted by Jubey at 4:06 PM on July 11, 2019 [3 favorites]

Linus
posted by jquinby at 4:07 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

Ferdinand
posted by sugarbomb at 4:11 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

Sam.
posted by scruss at 4:13 PM on July 11, 2019

Cody

Or Chicken Joe
posted by Huffy Puffy at 4:13 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Popsicle chicken
posted by Tandem Affinity at 4:16 PM on July 11, 2019 [11 favorites]

Best answer: Danny DeVito
posted by babelfish at 4:16 PM on July 11, 2019 [10 favorites]

'Bubbla' or 'Bubbler'.
posted by jamjam at 4:23 PM on July 11, 2019

Tuxedo
Waddles
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:24 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

In the spirit of 'Danny DeVito' above, how about Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot?

(Is the biological sex of the penguin important? Like, do you want names that are tradtionally boy and/or girl names?)
posted by BeeJiddy at 4:29 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Chlamydia.
Always thought it would make a lovely-sounding name. Might even be germane.
posted by cgs06 at 4:34 PM on July 11, 2019

Response by poster: As I understand it there are 3 boys and 2 girls. The website only mentions naming the girls though so I plan to inquire this weekend when we pop by. In the meantime I appreciate names for both sexes.
posted by allkindsoftime at 4:35 PM on July 11, 2019

Species? "George Washington" or "Yankee Doodle" would work for a macaroni penguin; "Napoleon" or "Catherine the Great" for an emperor penguin....
posted by cgs06 at 4:37 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

Perry
Penelope
Peter
Priscilla
Porthos
Portia
posted by twentyfeetof tacos at 4:40 PM on July 11, 2019

publius clodius pulcher
posted by poffin boffin at 4:41 PM on July 11, 2019

Best answer: Sir Alec Penguinness
Penguinneth Paltrow
Ursula K Penguin
posted by rouftop at 4:42 PM on July 11, 2019 [20 favorites]

Beatriz, in keeping with my theme
posted by sugarbomb at 4:45 PM on July 11, 2019

Jeeves
Tuxie McGee
Dapper Dan
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:49 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Mr. Popper
posted by corey flood at 5:16 PM on July 11, 2019

Mo or Timmy
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:27 PM on July 11, 2019

Well known penguin names
------------------------------
Opus
Chilly Willy
Feathers McGraw

Other
-------
Oreo
Fred Astaire
Pingüino
Ferdinand Magellan
Sphen, sounds like Sven but is a shortening of the scientific name Spheniscidae and oh god I had to explain it the joke is dead
Seal Snack
Waddler
I Believe I Can Fly
Julius Freezer
Aunt Arctica
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:39 PM on July 11, 2019 [3 favorites]

Megan Rapinoe, or just Pinoe.
posted by General Malaise at 6:03 PM on July 11, 2019 [7 favorites]

Pinoe the Penguin has a ring to it, you have to admit.
posted by General Malaise at 6:04 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Burgess Meredith.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:18 PM on July 11, 2019 [8 favorites]

Nonflappy Bird
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:21 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Penguinevere
posted by eponym at 6:28 PM on July 11, 2019 [3 favorites]

Peregrina von Fettganstein.
posted by notquitemaryann at 6:37 PM on July 11, 2019

PenPen
posted by J.K. Seazer at 6:43 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Tennessee
posted by brujita at 7:10 PM on July 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Norton, second of his name.. (though that would work better if it were an emperor penguin..)
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:16 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

Burgess Meredith.

Wah wah wah
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:35 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

Pingu!
posted by kate4914 at 9:28 PM on July 11, 2019

The Tuxedo Kid.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:05 PM on July 11, 2019 [2 favorites]

George Bennings Jr.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:31 PM on July 11, 2019

Larry. Also works (better) for girls IMO.
posted by routergirl at 12:39 AM on July 12, 2019

Male names:
Tralfaz
Eric
Juan Pablo

Female names:
Slagathor
Karen
Miss Oklahoma
posted by briank at 5:29 AM on July 12, 2019

Aw man, I was set to suggest "Davy Jones" because of the song "Your Personal Penguin" (sung by Davy Jones of The Monkees) but on googling to find that link I learned it's the "lyrics" are actually from a kids book by Sandra Boynton and he only set it to music.
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:24 AM on July 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Winfred, Waldo, Wesley, Wainwright... and Spud.
posted by TrishaU at 7:02 AM on July 12, 2019

I see you picked on, but I didn't respond earlier. I have to plug Penny, the female of the Pete and Penny Youngstown State University Penguins.
posted by kathrynm at 9:08 AM on July 12, 2019

If you are naming penguins at the San Francisco zoo, Frances/Francis is a good choice.
posted by juniperesque at 10:07 AM on July 12, 2019

Gwen Penn
posted by at at 10:13 PM on July 12, 2019

Penny
posted by Toddles at 10:35 PM on July 12, 2019

my wife says

COOLIO
posted by lalochezia at 7:15 AM on July 13, 2019