Hippopotamus Name Generator

Roll a name for the hippo at the surface

Generate a few names and draw a hippo so that only the top of its head shows. Bubbles Bank might be what a character calls it after seeing ripples by the shore. Zambezi Rippleback could recall the part of the river where it first appeared. Try each under the same sketch and decide whether the name makes you think about the animal or the place first.

Move the view closer

Now draw the same hippo with its mouth open. Tusked Pool can fit a picture where the teeth are the first thing you notice. If someone in the story only saw the ears from far away, let the closer view arrive before they use that name. Try the name in a field note and in a line of dialogue. The field note can describe what the person saw, while the dialogue can use a short form.

Read two hippo names after the animals change places

Give two hippos separate names and put one by the bank and one farther out. Write a sentence about one of them lifting its head. Switch their places and read a second line with the same names. If the two sound alike, change the first syllable of one or use a name about a different feature. For a game, check both short labels over the moving figures before you draw the details of the river.

Keep a name for the next scene

Save two favorites and try them under a picture where the water is out of sight. A hippo in a fable might introduce itself as Pinky Pride or use a shorter form among friends. Show both forms together once. Then read a later line with only the short name. Ask someone which hippo they imagine and whether the name reminds them of the first scene. If they remember only the river bend, add one detail about the hippo to the line.