There are Pokemon whose names are carved into our brains not just because of how they look, but because of how easily and memorably their names roll off the tongue. Pikachu, with its electrifying cuteness. Charizard, fiery and majestic. Gengar, spooky with a mischievous edge.
These are names that don’t just identify creatures but they carry personality and even trigger nostalgia. They’re so iconic that even our parents that never touched a single Nintendo handheld can recognize them.
But for every Pikachu, there’s a clunker. A Pokemon name that lands with the elegance of a wet Magikarp slap.
Why Are Some Pokemon Names So Bad?
Many of the Pokemon have names that feels like someone at Game Freak gave up halfway through brainstorming. It might be clunky, overly literal, or just straight-up confusing. It lacks flavor, character, and fails to ignite any curiosity. Let’s take a dive into the Hall of Naming Bad Pokemon Name, where a few unlucky Pokémon reside.
Chinchou
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+ 11Let’s begin with the confusing Chinchou. On paper, it sounds like a food-obsessed Pokemon with a massive chin. Like, you would expect it to be Normal-type Pokemon with a double chin and a hearty appetite.
But no, Chinchou is an Electric and Water type, lantern-eyed fish from the deep. The name feels like it came from a naming intern who had just eaten takeout and saw a fish tank and thought it was a good idea to combine them.
It doesn’t reflect its typing, doesn’t hint at its powers, and frankly, doesn’t help us remember anything except that chin word.
Golem
click to enlarge + 11Now let’s take a step a generation back with Golem. Ah yes, the Pokemon you expect to look like a giant stone humanoid warrior from ancient folklore. But what you actually get? A round boulder with stubby reptilian limbs and an a lizard head popping out.
Golem is a bad name not because it’s actually bad, but because it’s just mismatched. It’s like calling a pug “Sharpsnout.” The mythological context behind the name builds you up for something grand and then Golem rolls in like a rock lost in its own mythology.
Persian
click to enlarge + 11Persian feels like it was named by an exhausted Game Freak employee looking around the office and said, “We need a name for the final evolution of Meowth. What’s that cat breed again?” and Persian struck like million-dollar idea.
It’s a sleek feline Pokemon, sure, but it doesn't resemble an actual Persian cat. It doesn't have a fluffy face or furry tail. There’s no lore nor clever pun. Just the laziest kind of naming conventions.
Seaking
click to enlarge + 11Then there’s another one from Generation I, Seaking, which feels like a name that was in the wrong fish bowl. The name screams royalty, dominance, perhaps an oceanic gilled-lord with a trident. Instead, we get a goldfish with a horn.
To make matters worse, this royal title is handed out to both genders. That’s right! You can have a female Seaking. Nothing says gender equality like naming your new-born daughter “King.” Also, how did Kingler not get this name? The crustacean has claws that could crown itself with how perfect the name can be.
Diggersby
click to enlarge + 11Next up, digging from the fabulous Kalos region, we have Diggersby. Where to begin? The name alone sounds like someone sneezed halfway through saying “Digger.”
The clash of consonants with its G's and R's and B's, trips the tongue like a slippery mudslide. It's a digging bunny, sure. The "digger" part is on the nose, but where does the “-sby” come from?
Was this meant to sound posh, like “Diggersby of the Bunny Hop Estate”? It’s a name that doesn’t make much sense. It’s unmemorable and totally unworthy of a Pokemon with backhoe ears.
Talonflame
click to enlarge + 11Talonflame. Now that's what call a cool name. It’s fiery, fierce, and battle-sounding. But here’s the rub, it doesn’t match the actual Pokemon. Talonflame’s main blazing features are in its wings, not its claws. Its talons aren’t even remotely aflame.
What makes it worse is its Japanese name and when you realize how it is a thousand degrees hotter. Fiarrow. Sleek, accurate, and stylish. “Fiarrow” sounds like a flaming arrow searing through the crimson sky.
Dewpider
click to enlarge + 11Now we waterglide into Generation 7's Dewpider. The concept is okay where it's a spider with a water bubble on its head. But the name is so close to clever that it hurts like a missed opportunity.
“Dewpider” implies a dew-covered spider, yes, but it feels a bit clunky. Like two jigsaw pieces from different forced to be together. The obvious and better choice? Spidew. It’s shorter, wittier, and way way catchier.
Mime Jr., Mr. Mime, and Mr. Rime
click to enlarge + 11And then we arrive at the "masculine" Mime family with Mime Jr., Mr. Mime, and Mr. Rime. Let’s talk inclusivity. These Pokemon can be male or female, but all their names suggest one gender. Awkward... Imagine being a female Mime Jr. and evolving into Mr. Mime.
What is this, a clown logic with an existential crisis? Even worse, Mr. Rime just doubles down with a fedora and mustache. It's weird that Game Freak never bothered to diversify with female versions or rethink the naming conventions.
Lickilicky
click to enlarge + 11Enter the biological disaster of Lickilicky's bad name. Just typing this Pokemon's bad name is no short of challenging. You had Lickitung which is already pushing the boundary of tongue-based naming and then you evolve it into more licks?
The name sounds like a joke at this point and it probably is. Like a Pokemon Yougster tasked to name a candy company. What’s next in the evolutionary chain? Licktasty?
click to enlarge + 11Sharpedo might sound intimidating at first. Shark + Torpedo = Sharpedo, right? But then you say it out loud and realize it sounds like a predator but in a different, ahem, context. I'm referring to its last 2 syllables.
It’s a fast and pointy shark, we get it. But couldn’t it have had a name that reflects its scaly menace? Turbask or Accelereef would’ve felt dynamic and fresh.
click to enlarge + 11Pokemon naming is an art. When it works, it sticks with us for a very long time. But when it flops, it fails really hard. The uninspired names feel like they don’t respect the magic of the world they live in.
These names remind us that Pokemon isn't just about designs and stats but it's also about personality and identity. It's about hearing a Poke-name and instantly picturing the creature it belongs to.
Here's to hoping future generations of Pokemon get names as clever and memorable as the legends that came before!
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