The term "penguin" originates from the Welsh word "pen gwyn," which translates to "white head." The name was originally used to refer to the Great Auk, a now-extinct bird species that had a white patch on its head. When early European explorers encountered the flightless birds that we now know as penguins in the Southern Hemisphere, they saw a resemblance to the Great Auk and started using the same name for these new avian species. Over time, the name "penguin" became commonly associated with these fascinating, tuxedo-clad birds that inhabit the icy regions of the Southern Hemisphere.