Meaning and history
From Japanese ピカチュウ (Pikachuu), formed from the onomatopoeic words ピカピカ (pikapika), meaning a sparkly sound, and チュウチュウ (chuuchuu), a mouse sound, this is the name of a Pokémon, a yellow rodent-like creature that can summon electricity, from a video game series that began in 1996. It is technically the name of the species, though it is sometimes used as the creature’s given name.