Penguins (Spheniscidae) are a famous family of flightless aquatic birds. Thanks to a combination of their unique looks and lifestyle, plus their prevalence in pop culture, there are plenty of fun and cool penguin names out there. Here is the big list of 400+ perfect penguin names!
Black-and-White Inspired Names
Penguins look like they’re always dressed for a formal occasion!
©Dick Daniels (http://theworldbirds.org/), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons – License
Penguins are famous for their black and white plumage. Indeed, this classic “tuxedo” look is one of the key features that define the family as a whole. Here are some names inspired by this color scheme.
- Barcode
- Butler
- Checkers
- Chess
- Cookie
- Cow
- Crossword
- Eightball
- Dice
- Domino
- Keys / Keyboard
- Magpie
- Orca
- Oreo
- Othello
- Moo
- Panda
- Piano
- Puzzle
- Skunk
- Tux / Tuxedo
- Yin-Yang
- Zebra
“Cool” Names
Adélie penguins (
Pygoscelis adeliae) live along the coast of Antarctica.
©iStock.com/axily
While it’s true that most penguins live south of the equator, only some species live in and around Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Even though there are plenty of penguins that live in temperate and even tropical climates, penguins are still often associated with snowy, icy places in popular culture, so here are some names inspired by those penguins who do live in colder climates.
- Aurora
- Blizzard
- Chilly
- Coolio
- Flurry
- Freeze
- Frost / Frosty
- Glacier
- Ice / Iceberg / Ice Cube / Icicle / Icy
- Ice Cream / Icee / Ice Pop / Popsicle
- Snow / Snowball / Snowflake / Snowman / Snowy
- Sub-Zero
Names Inspired By Penguin Life
Penguins have adapted to “fly” underwater instead of in the sky.
©ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock.com
Penguins don’t fly but rather live life on land and sea. Here are some names inspired by their unique anatomy, adaptations, and behavior.
- Dive / Diver
- Fisher
- Flip / Flipper
- Marine / Marina / Marnie
- Oceane / Oceana
- Paddle / Paddles
- Plunge
- Scuba
- Sledder
- Slider
- Sphen
- Submarine
- Swimmy
- Toboggan
- Torpedo
- Waddle / Waddles
- Webby / Webster
- Wobble / Wobbles
Names Especially For Little Blue / Fairy Penguins (Eudyptula spp.)
Little blue penguins get their unique blue tint from structural color rather than biological pigments.
©Alamin-Khan/Shutterstock.com
The only exceptions to the black and white penguin tux dress code are the smallest penguins, the appropriately named little penguins, aka fairy penguins. These penguins sport a unique slate blue color where every other penguin is usually black, giving them their other common names of blue and little blue penguins. Here are some names especially for them!
Blue Names
- Aqua
- Azure
- Blue
- Bluebell
- Blueberry
- Bluey
- Cobalt
- Delft
- Denim
- Lapis Lazuli
- Navy
- Neptune
- Midnight
- Sapphire
- Smurf / Smurfette
- Slate
- Ultramarine
Fairy Names
- Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof (Fairly Oddparents characters)
- Fairy / Fairie
- Nixie
- Nymph
- Peri
- Pixie
- Sprite
- Tinkerbell
Names for Other Specific Kinds of Penguins
Here are more names that are suited to other types of penguins:
Names for Banded Penguins (Spheniscus spp.)
Members of the banded penguin genus all have similar plumage patterns that include black banding and spots, as well as highlights on the face and/or the base of the beak that are often tinged pink.
©winyuu/iStock via Getty Images
- Bandit
- Blush
- Dalmatian
- Dapple
- Dot / Dotty
- Dribble
- Freckle / Freckles
- Humboldt (Humboldt penguin)
- Magellan (Magellanic penguin)
- Pepper
- Pinky
- Pip
- Rose / Rosey / Rosy
- Salmon
- Speckle / Speckles
- Sphen
- Spot / Spots / Spotty
- Splotch / Splotchy
- Sprinkle / Sprinkles
- Strap / Strappy
Names for Crested Penguins (Eudyptes spp.)
Crested penguins, so named for their spiky yellow crests, also have red eyes and beaks.
©krisphotography/ via Getty Images
- Blondie
- Chili
- Goldie
- Goldilocks
- Garnet
- Jasper
- Macaroni / Pasta (macaroni penguin)
- Poppy
- Punk / Punky
- Ruby
- Rusty
- Scarlet
- Spike
- Tufty
Names for Emperor, King, and Royal Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri, Aptenodytes patagonicus, Eudyptes schlegeli)
This
king penguin
is surrounded by fuzzy princes and princesses!
©Farjana.rahman/Shutterstock.com
- Baron / Baroness
- Count / Countess
- Czar, Tsar / Czarina, Tsarina
- Duke / Duchess
- Emperor / Empress
- King / Queen
- Khan / Khatun
- Majesty
- Prince / Princess
- Marquess, Margrave, Marquis / Marchioness, Margravine, Marquise
- Monarch
- Noble
- Raja / Rani
- Regent
- Royal
- Shah / Shabanu
- Sir, Sire / Dam, Dame
- Sultan / Sultana
- Viceroy
- Viscount / Viscountess
Names for Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome & Eudyptes moseleyi)
Rockhopper penguins are native to sub-Antarctic islands and coasts.
©iStock.com/Dgwildlife
- Boing
- Bounce
- Edward Hopper (artist)
- Hop, Hoppy, Hopper
- Gambol
- Jim Hopper (Stranger Things character)
- Pebble / Pebbles
- Rock, Rocky, Rocko
- Rock Hudson (actor)
- Stone
Names for Yellow-Eyed Penguins (Megadyptes antipodes)
Yellow-eyed penguins also have lots of yellow feathers on their head.
©Anders Peter Photography/Shutterstock.com
- Antipodes
- Barbie and Ken
- Blondie
- Canary
- Citrine
- Flax / Flaxen
- Flavous / Flavus
- Goldeneye
- Goldie
- Goldilocks
- Hoiho (Māori name)
- Icterine
- Lemon
- Maize
- Mellow Yellow
- Saffron
- Sunny
- Xantho / Xanthos
Pop Culture Penguins
Tux is the official mascot of Linux.
©Michael Kolesidis / CC BY-SA 4.0 – License
Last but certainly not least, the popularity of penguins has ensured them a prominent place in pop culture. Here are the names of penguin characters found in various media:
Book Characters
- Bob and Flo (Bob and Flo series)
- Captain Cook and Greta (Mr. Popper’s Penguins)
- Edward and Annie (Edward and Annie: A Penguin Adventure)
- Gus and Waldo (Gus & Waldo series)
- Osbert (My Penguin Osbert)
- Roy, Silo, and Tango (And Tango Makes Three)
- Pia and Scamp (Pia the Penguin Fairy from the Rainbow Magic series)
- Sam Sawnoff (The Magic Pudding)
- Spike (Spike: The Penguin with Rainbow Hair)
- Tacky (Tacky the Penguin series)
Comic Book / Graphic Novel Characters
- Alfred (Zig et Puce)
- Duke (Boner’s Ark)
- Frobisher (Doctor Who comics)
- Opus (Bloom County, Outland, Opus)
- Penguin Stacey / Spider-Guin (Marvel Comics)
- Percy Penguin (Marvel Comics)
- Pierre (Pierre the Penguin: A True Story)
- Ping (Peter or Ping)
- Pingo (Rasmus Klump)
- Pokey (Pokey the Penguin)
- Professor Percival Penguin (The Ongoing Adventures of Rocket Llama)
- Reggie (Reggie: Kid Penguin)
- Sparky the Wonder Penguin (This Modern World)
- Squeak (Pip, Squeak and Wilfred)
- The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) (D.C. Comics)
Japanese Anime & Manga Characters
- Badtz Maru (Sanrio (character)
- Break (Beast Wars Neo)
- Delibird (Pokémon character)
- Eclair Ecleir Eicler (Overlord)
- Eiscue (Pokémon character)
- Esmeralda (Mawaru Penguin Drum)
- Hippo (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch)
- Peggi (Tokyo ESP)
- Pegitan (Healin’ Good Pretty Cure)
- Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon (Pokémon character evolution)
- Princess, Emperor, Gean, Rocker, Hululu (Kemono Friends)
- Tuxedo Sam (Sanrio character)
Mascots
- Iceburgh (current Pittsburgh Penguins mascot)
- K. C. Penguin (Kid Cuisine mascot)
- Penguin Pete (former Pittsburgh Penguins mascot)
- Tux (Linux)
Plush Toys
- Admiral, Cheer, Chill, Chills, Chilly, Chillz, Earmuffs, Fairbanks, Fisher, Freeze, Freezie, Frigid, Gale, Glacier, Glider, Gus, Ice Cube, Icicles, Igloo, Juliet, King, Noel, North, Olive, Paddles, Patty, Payton, Penelope, Penni, Pocket, Pongo, Slapshot, Snowbank, Sweetest, Toboggan, Tony, Tux, Twinkles, Waddle, Waddles, Zero (TY Beanie Babies)
- Beatriz, Elle, Helca, Jen, Jenney, Kavya, Lockwood, Louisa, Luna, Macario, Parviz, Piper, Poxiana, Prescott, Puff, Raina, Robbie, Susie, Tanner, Tomara, Uri, Violet, Waymond (Squishmallows)
- Charly, Cheri, Chiyu, Emilio Emperor, Peewee, Penny, Pepper, Perky, Pippin, Pippy, PomPom, Porter, Rocko Rockhopper, Sparkle, Sphen (Aurora)
- Festive Folly, Maurice Macaroni, Percy, Ronnie Rockhopper (Jellycat)
- Freezy, Kissy, Mr. Cool, Napoleon, Penelope, Peppy (Gund)
TV / Film Characters
- Caruso (The Little Polar Bear)
- Chilly Willy (Chilly Willy)
- Cody Maverick, Zeke “Big Z/Geek” Topanga, Lani Aliikai, Tank “The Shredder” Evans, Edna Maverick, Glen Maverick (Surf’s Up)
- Cozy Heart Penguin (Care Bears)
- Feathers McGraw (Wallace and Gromit)
- Fred (Sitting Ducks)
- Gunter (Adventure Time)
- Helen the Penguin (Animal Stories)
- Hubie, Marina, Rocko, Drake (main characters); Chubby, Gwynne, King, Pola, Priscilla, Pudge, Royal, Scrawny (The Pebble and the Penguin)
- Jessica and Alex (Oggy and the Cockroaches)
- King Charlatan and Edgar (My Little Pony)
- Lolo, Pépé, Pigo, Nini, Toto, Lala, Mak (The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin)
- Marlon, Rocky, and Bluey (Avenger Penguins)
- Mumble, Gloria, Lovelace, Memphis, Norma Jean; Ramón, Nestor, Lombardo, Rinaldo and Raul (The Amigos) (Happy Feet)
- Oswaldo (Oswaldo)
- Pablo (The Backyardigans)
- Pablo the Penguin (The Three Caballeros)
- Pamie and Nick (Adventures of the Little Koala)
- Paz (The Paz Show)
- Peabo “Pudge” Pudgemyer (Cat’s Don’t Dance)
- Pecola (Pecola)
- Pengsoo (Giant Peng TV)
- Penny (The Koala Brothers)
- Penny, Petey, Phoebe, Precious, Phoenix, Portia, Presley, Pascal (Top Wing)
- Peso (Octonauts)
- Pingu, Pinga, Pingo, Pingg, Pongi, Pengy, Pingj, Punki, Pingi, Mr. Peng-Chips, Mr. Peng-Hoven (Pingu)
- Pinky Penguin (Bojack Horseman)
- Pip (T.O.T.S.)
- Playboy Penguin (Looney Tunes)
- Pororo (Pororo the Little Penguin)
- Scamper, Snowflake, Mr. Feather, Rosie, Gilbert, Gracie, Louie (The Adventures of Scamper the Penguin)
- Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private (The Penguins of Madagascar)
- Spinner (Wild Kratts)
- Tennessee Tuxedo (Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales)
- Tip (The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea)
- Tootsie the Penguin (Donald Duck)
- Topper (Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town)
- Wheezy (Toy Story 2)
- Willie (50 First Dates)
- Zidgel, Midgel, Fidgel, and Kevin (3-2-1 Penguins!)
Video Game Characters
- Analogue, Aurora, Boomer, Chabwick, Cube, Flo, Friga, Gwen, Hopper, Iggly, Puck, Roald, Sprinkle, Tex, Wade (Animal Crossing)
- Chill Penguin (Mega Man X)
- DJ Grooves A Hat in Time)
- Dojiball (Penguin Wars)
- Dr. Akaggy (Starbound)
- El Pix (UPIXO in Action: Mission in Snowdriftland)
- Gurin and Malon (Binary Land)
- King Dedede Kirby)
- Overbite (Penguin Land)
- Paxton and Philbert (Runescape)
- Pengi (Pengi)
- Pengo (Pengo)
- Pen-Pen (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
- Penta (Crash Bandicoot)
- Pentarou, Penta, Penguette, Penko, Ginji (Konami characters; Parodius series, Antarctic Adventure, Penguin Adventure, Yume Penguin Monogatari, etc.)
- Prinny (Disgaea)
- Pepen (Cosmic Break)
- Sgt. James Byrd (Spyro the Dragon)
- Tuck / Tucks (Donkey Kong)
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Dennis Stogsdill/Shutterstock.com
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