Fans Pick Millennial Name For Penguin Chick Born At Maryland Zoo

BALTIMORE, MD — The Maryland Zoo asked you to help it name its 1,000th baby penguin, which was born this winter, and you answered the call. When she was first born in mid February, zoo officials said it was too early to determine whether the chick was male or female. Last week, zoo officials announced the bird is a girl, and she needed a name.

Zoo staff members pitched their favorites, and asked the public to help select the winner, which was announced Friday morning. The winner: Millie, which garnered 49 percent of the more than 5,100 total votes cast, officials said.

When Millie hatched in mid-February her birth marked the first time that any zoo or aquarium in North America had hatched 1,000 African penguin chicks, officials said.

Here are the names that were contenders, along with a brief explanation of why staff selected the names:

• Millie – Based on the number 1,000; Millie is short for millennium, received 49% of votes
• Amanzi – Means "water" in Zulu, language of the South African tribe in the penguin's native habitat, received 14% of votes
• Kay – Derived from the number 1,000, and its abbreviation "K," received 9% of votes
• Mango – Aligned with the "tree" them used to name other chicks recently born, received 28% of votes

After the baby was born Feb. 13, a blood test was required to determine the sex of the bird. Results took several weeks, and officials announced on March 30, that the penguin was a girl, holding a gender reveal party at the zoo.

Each addition to the population is remarkable; African penguins are an endangered species, and there are only an estimated 52,000 worldwide.

RELATED: Baby Penguin Marks 1000th To Hatch At Maryland Zoo

Photo courtesy of The Maryland Zoo.