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

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

Linus
posted by jquinby at 4:07 PM on July 11, 2019

Ferdinand
posted by sugarbomb at 4:11 PM on July 11, 2019

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

Popsicle chicken
posted by Tandem Affinity at 4:16 PM on July 11, 2019

Danny DeVito
posted by babelfish at 4:16 PM on July 11, 2019

'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

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

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

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

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

Sir Alec Penguinness
Penguinneth Paltrow
Ursula K Penguin
posted by rouftop at 4:42 PM on July 11, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

Nonflappy Bird
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:21 PM on July 11, 2019

Penguinevere
posted by eponym at 6:28 PM on July 11, 2019

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

Tennessee
posted by brujita at 7:10 PM on July 11, 2019

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

Burgess Meredith.

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

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

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

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